We’ll be the first to admit an automaker’s quarterly statement isn’t the most exciting document one can read, but a deeper analysis can still reveal some interesting facts. BMW has released a 33-page PDF to explain how the core brand along MINI, Rolls-Royce, and Motorrad performed between January and March. The section that caught our attention was the table regarding deliveries of BMW-branded vehicles by model variant.
The newcomer XM racked up 434 sales in Q1 2023, but keep in mind the plug-in hybrid SUV has not been introduced yet all over the world. In addition, its market launch was later in the spring, so deliveries didn’t start on January 1. Shipments to customers should significantly increase later this year once more regions receive the dedicated M model. BMW estimates nearly half of the demand will come from the United States (26%) and China (23%), followed by the Middle East (8%) and Germany (7%). Given its hefty price tag, the XM certainly won’t be among the best-selling models.
The same table still includes the i3 and i8, listed together with combined sales of 294 units. We’ll remind you BMW ended production of the i8 way back in June 2020 while the i3 was retired in June 2022. Logic tells us the vast majority of vehicles delivered in the first quarter of this year were i3s since there can’t be many i8s waiting on dealer lots years after production ended.
In Q1 2023, the iX saw the biggest jump in demand (percentage-wise), with deliveries increasing by 78.4%, followed by the X5/X6 with 21.3% and the 1 Series / 2 Series with 7.9%. Excluding the i3/i8 we mentioned, the 5 Series / 6 Series suffered the biggest fall, with demand dropping by 11%. With the next-generation 5er debuting later this month, the end of the year should bring a positive change. Another newcomer will be the second-gen X2, which will also be offered as a fully electric iX2 for the first time.
Chances are the 6 Series is not long for this world as the Gran Turismo is unlikely to solider on for much longer after the 5 Series G60 debuts on May 23. The Z4 roadster will reportedly be retired in 2025 and the future looks grim for the 8 Series as well. Reports state only the Gran Coupe will survive into the next generation, but only as an EV.
Source: BMW
