It’s 2023 and online car sales are gaining traction, but the good ol’ brick-and-mortar retailers remain essential to the automotive industry. To that end, Dongsung Motors, the official dealer of BMW South Korea, has reopened its showroom in Busan. Completely refurbished, the massive dealership in the Haeundae District now hosts no fewer than 17 models to highlight the company’s vast portfolio. From front-wheel-drive compact cars to the flagship 7 Series, they’re all there.
From the few images released by BMW’s regional branch, we can spot the M340i Sedan facelift, a 3 Series Touring also with the LCI, along with a Z4 roadster, iX electric SUV, and the outgoing 5 Series Sedan in the M550i xDrive specification. By the way, the latter is going away for good as the next-gen 5er will only keep the V8 engine for the range-topping M5.
A newly added M Performance Studio is dedicated to (yes, you’ve guessed it) M models. Potential customers can indirectly experience the cars courtesy of virtual reality tech. Interestingly, Dongsung Motors intends to open an M Performance Garage where owners of BMW M models will have their vehicles serviced. The plan is to have it operational later during the first half of 2023 on the first floor of the building.
Meanwhile, the showroom organized a massive test drive event featuring the 7 Series G70 to celebrate the building’s refurbishment. It took place on February 24 when approximately 100 people had the opportunity to get behind the wheel of the fullsize luxury sedan. Future events dedicated to other models are already in the planning stage.
As you have probably heard, the BMW Group intends to implement direct sales in Europe through what is known in the business as an agency model. MINI will lead the way in 2024, with the core BMW brand to follow in 2026. The automaker will be invoicing customers directly, with dealers tasked to finalize the deal and receive a fee in return. Consequently, fixed prices are planned, for all models with no exceptions.
Source: BMW
