Group focuses on world's largest vehicle market

The BMW Group is taking solid steps forward with new investment and localization in China, despite the challenging conditions in the world's largest car market.

The luxury carmaker achieved stable sales growth in the Chinese mainland with 127,105 BMW and MINI vehicles delivered to customers in the first quarter, a surge of 10.5 percent year-on-year.

The BMW brand contributed 120,810 units to the entire Chinese market volume, up by 11.2 percent year-on-year, while 6,295 MINIs were sold.

"In this big year, our company is taking solid steps forward in China," said Olaf Kastner, president and CEO of BMW Group Region China, at the company's ceremony in Beijing on Sunday ahead of the auto show.

"Our forecast to 2016 is positive although the market conditions remain volatile.

"We are confident to achieve positive growth with such strong product portfolio," he said.

With 39,033 units delivered, the BMW 5 Series expanded at a high growth rate and remained one of the most popular sedans in the country. The BMW 3 Series sold 34,162 units, accomplishing a significant growth of 28.1 percent year-on-year.

The BMW X family maintained strong growth of 38,079 units while the BMW X3 achieved the biggest gain with a surge by 69.3 percent.

"With the new products we have launched in Q1 and more to come within the year, we are confident of obtaining positive growth in sales by the end of the year," he said.

A new generation locally developed Sport Activity Vehicle BMW X1 will make its world debut on Monday, joining the domestic BMW 2 Series Tourer that hit the market in March.

Fulfilling the company's constant commitment in specially tailored products for Chinese customers, both new models are powered by the latest turbocharged engines locally produced in Liaoning province.

The luxury brand's advanced B family engines entered local production in January at BMW Brilliance Automotive's new engine plant in Shenyang.

The plant serves as the BMW Group's first competence center outside of Europe, and its fourth after those in Germany, Austria, and the United Kingdom.

With it BMW has been realizing full localization in China of core engine components to assemble the latest generation of BMW 3- and 4-cylinder engines.

In addition, the BMW Group plans to expand the BMW ChargeNow pillars to 1,000 in China by the end of 2016, for customers of the new-energy vehicles of the i series and the joint venture's Zinoro.

The BMW team in China has expanded to 17,000 employees, with 16,000 based in Shenyang.

"'In China, by Chinese, for China is the guiding principle of our strategy," Kastner said.

haoyan@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 04/25/2016 page3)