Retail News CRM

Tag: BMW

  • BMW Group India Delivers 9641 Vehicles In 2019

    BMW Group India Delivers 9641 Vehicles In 2019

    The locally-made X3, X5 and X1 contributed significantly to the sales of BMW vehicles in 2019

    On the Mini front, the locally the locally-produced Countryman commanded a share of over 70 percent in Mini India sales.

    The momentum for BMW Motorrad India was primarily driven by the BMW G 310 R and the BMW G 310 GS motorcycles which commanded a share of over 85 percent in yearly sales. The BMW R 1250 GS / GSA, the BMW F 750 / 850 GS and the BMW S 1000 RR were also a favorite among motorcycle enthusiasts.

    Rudratej Singh, President and Chief Executive Officer, BMW Group India said, “2019 was not an easy year for the Indian automotive industry as various macroeconomic and structural conditions shook its foundations. Though the industry is still facing difficult times, we are well prepared for 2020. We will always be competitive by remaining focused on our customers.”

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • BMW Financial Services India Appoints Kathrin Frauscher As The MD & CEO

    BMW Financial Services India Appoints Kathrin Frauscher As The MD & CEO

    BMW India has appointed Kathrin Frauscher as the new Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of BMW Financial Services India. Before her new appointment, Frauscher was serving as the CEO of BMW Financial Services in Denmark and has been associated with the BMW Group since 2007. She has also worked as the Head of Sales Performance for BMW Financial Services in Northern Europe and has significant experience of working with the BMW Group in retail sales for BMW and Mini Cars.

    On her appointment, Ritu Chandy, Regional Chief Executive Officer of BMW Group Financial Services for Asia Pacific said, “Kathrin Frauscher made a major contribution to the success of BMW Financial Services Denmark in the last few years. We are confident that she will continue the successful development of the business as she takes charge of operations in India. Ms. Frauscher has significant knowledge and has demonstrated long-standing dedication and commitment to her markets which are the best prerequisites for good leadership.”

    Kathrin Frauscher has succeeded Andre Van Rheenen at the BMW Financial Services in India. BMW Financial Services India was started in June 2010 and operates with three business areas- Retail Finance, Commercial Finance and Insurance Solutions.

    Lees ook:

  • BMW Group Registers A Growth Of 1.4 Percent In Sales Globally In November 2019

    BMW Group Registers A Growth Of 1.4 Percent In Sales Globally In November 2019

    The BMW Group registered worldwide deliveries of 2,25,662 units in the month of November this year. The company registered an increase in sales of 1.4 percent over the same month last year. Deliveries in the year to the end of November were up 1.7 percent year-on-year, with a total of 22,96,174 units sold by the Group. Total sales of BMW brand vehicles grew by 2.9 percent in November to 1,94,690 units. In the year to date, BMW brand sales increased by 2.4 percent to 19,72,394. The 3 Series sedan and Touring registered double digit growth in the month of November.

    Electrified vehicles continued to draw the attention of the customers. In November, sales of BMW Group electrified models reached a new all-time high of 17,480 units. This includes 13,590 plug-in hybrid models which were a bump in sales of more than 20 percent. The BMW i3 and the BMW i8 too registered a growth of 18 percent in sales. Sales of the MINI Cooper S E Countryman ALL4 Plug-in Hybrid climbed almost 50 percent in November with 1,950 vehicles sold worldwide.

    Worldwide MINI brand sales for the year to the end of November trended lower at 319,125 units, a drop of 2.7 percent. In November, 30,509 units were sold which marked a decline in sales of 6.8 percent. In addition to its core models, John Cooper Works variants proved especially popular with customers.

    BMW Motorrad continued to post solid sales growth. In the first eleven months of 2019, a total of 161,368 BMW motorcycles and maxi-scooters were delivered to customers around the globe, marking a growth of 6 percent. However, sales in November were down by -4.4 percent.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • BMW India Launches New ‘BMW Smart Repairs’ Across Its Service Network

    BMW India Launches New ‘BMW Smart Repairs’ Across Its Service Network

    BMW India announced the introduction of ‘BMW Smart Repairs’ across its service network in the country. According to the company, the new repair service will ensure faster repairs and a reduction in cost for small and medium-size repairs. Targeted repairs without having to replace bigger parts will be carried out by the company.

    BMW Smart Repair includes body and paint related jobs including plastic parts, dents, spot paint job, headlight, alloy wheel, and leather works.

    Rudratej Singh, President and Chief Executive Officer, BMW Group India said, “BMW Smart Repair follows a technology-driven, targeted approach to ensure quality BMW service for small and medium repairs instead of replacing whole parts. It significantly reduces service-related costs and turn-around time, so our customers can enjoy complete peace of mind. Whether the job is big or small, they know that their BMW will receive the finest care.”

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • BMW Executive Markus Duesmann Tasked With Reviving Audi

    BMW Executive Markus Duesmann Tasked With Reviving Audi

    Volkswagen on Friday installed former BMW executive Markus Duesmann to reinvent Audi after the German premium brand lost key engineering know-how and influence in the wake of the 2015 diesel-cheating scandal. Duesmann will become chief executive of Audi as well as take on board level responsibility for research and development at Volkswagen Group on April 1 next year, the Wolfsburg-based multi-brand group said on Friday.

    Duesmann’s job will include injecting new meaning into the company’s advertising slogan “Vorsprung Durch Technik”, or “advancement through technology”, after Audi fired a raft of senior engineers in the wake of the diesel scandal. “Markus Duesmann will do everything to unlock the huge potential of the Audi brand,” Volkswagen Group Chief Executive Herbert Diess said at a press conference in Wolfsburg on Friday. Audi, based in Ingolstadt, Bavaria was a major research and development hub within Volkswagen, setting standards in aerodynamic efficiency, lightweight aluminum construction, dual-clutch gearbox technology and four-wheel-drive systems.

    But the premium brand struggled after it was discovered that engine management software, used to manipulate exhaust emissions tests at VW, was designed by Audi engineers, leading to the firing of engineering chiefs and its long-term CEO. After Audi chief Rupert Stadler was dismissed, Audi installed a sales expert, Bram Schot has interim CEO, and the brand struggled to redefine “Vorsprung Durch Technik.”

    “We need to partly refine the ‘Vorsprung’. We are working on it,” Audi’s sales chief Hildegard Wortmann told Reuters at the Frankfurt car show in September. “We don’t need little ‘Vorsprung’ stories, we need real ‘Vorsprung’ stories,” Audi’s current head of research and development, Hans-Joachim Rothenpieler told Reuters. Audi’s electric car e-tron, as well as fuel cell technology, are two pillars upon which Audi can resurrect its brand claim, Rothenpieler said. Audi’s works council chief, Peter Mosch, welcomed the appointment of an external manager. “From Markus Duesmann and his team, we expect the stable utilization of our factories and a more courageous approach.”

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • BMW M5 Competition Launched In India

    BMW M5 Competition Launched In India

    Well if you thought the BMW M5 was bonkers! Here comes the BMW M5 Competition which has arrived to further up the ante. The BMW M5 Competition has been launched in India as a completely built unit (CBU) at ₹ 1.55 crore, ex-showroom, India. The same 4.4-litre, twin-turbo V8 motor which powers the standard M5 is also the workhorse here but has been uprated to churn out 616 bhp at 6000 rpm and 750 Nm of peak torque. The engine is mated to the eight-speed M Steptronic transmission and takes 3.3 seconds to clock triple-digit speeds as opposed to 3.9 seconds of the standard M5. Just like the standard M5, the M5 competition also gets the M xDrive all-wheel-drive system with DSC and xDrive modes which enables the driver to choose between the 4WD, 4WD Sport and 2WD mode.

    In a bid to balance the performance and fuel efficiency, it also gets the BMW Efficient Dynamics featuring brake energy regeneration, auto start-stop function, a new differential transfer case with optimized warm-up behavior and aerodynamics. Additional standard equipment on the M5 Competition includes dynamic stability control (DSC) including anti-lock braking system (ABS), automatic stability control (ASC), M dynamic mode (MDM), cornering brake control (CBC), dynamic brake control (DBC), dry braking function and active M differential. Moreover, it is also equipped with the M exhaust system with electrically controlled flaps to minimize the exhaust pressure creating a throaty roar exhaust note along with optimizing the efficiency.

    While largely the M5 Competition looks similar to the standard car, there are certain highlights on the outside that tell it’s a bit more special. Elements like the radiator grille, wing mirrors, rear apron, rear spoiler and side air vents finished in BMW individual high-gloss black and the air vents also wear the Competition badge. The roof is made of extremely lightweight and high tensile reinforced carbon fibre plastic and the chrome-plated exhaust pipes get a mild yellow shine.

    On the inside, the M5 competition gets illuminated M5 logo on the sport seats and black seatbelts with the BMW M GmBH design. The double-spoke M steering wheel is borrowed from the standard car while it gets red start-stop button which adds a sense of sportiness as you fire the engine. Moreover, it is pretty well-loaded with almost all the equipment you get in a car of this class. So features like BMW gesture control, BMW display key, wireless charging, BMW head-up display and wireless Apple CarPlay, BMW operating system 7.0 which includes 3D navigation with a high-resolution instrument cluster behind the steering wheel with a 12.3-inch screen and a 10.25-inch control display. Other features include a 600 watt Harman Kardon sourced surround sound system with 16 speakers.

    The BMW M5 Competition is around ₹ 10 lakh more expensive than the standard M5 which is priced at ₹ 1.44, lakh, ex-showroom, India. Out in the marketplace, it will rival the likes of the Mercedes-AMG E 63S and the Audi RS7 Performance.

    Lees ook:

  • BMW Customers Can Give Real-Time Approvals For Service And Repairs With New Smart Video App

    BMW Customers Can Give Real-Time Approvals For Service And Repairs With New Smart Video App

    BMW India has announced introducing a new mobile application that will allow customers to give real-time approvals for service and repairs. Called the BMW Smart Video, the new BMW exclusive app allows the technicians at the dealership to make a video of the vehicle explaining the service/repair requirements and share the quotation online. Customers receive a link where they can understand the service requirements through the video and provide approval online without the hassle of visiting the dealership again.

    Designed to enhance BMW’s aftersales service experience, the company says by digitizing the aftersales service process, it ensures that there is complete transparency and offers faster turn-around time. In fact, BMW India claims that the new BMW Smart Video solution has already benefited more than 10,000 customers with a high rate of customer satisfaction.

    Talking about the new BMW Smart Video App, Rudratej Singh, President and CEO, BMW Group India said, “BMW is an immensely successful brand not only because of its best-in-class products but also because of its unparalleled aftersales service standards. Trust and transparency are the core BMW values that naturally extend in all our customer interactions. Leveraging new-age digital solutions, we are building numerous services and solutions that will further enhance interaction between our customers and their beloved machines. BMW Smart Video is a fine example of how an innovative solution helps our customers easily understand the technical aspects of their vehicles and its servicing. Thus, creating a joyful ownership experience.”

    The BMW Smart Video application is already live in the BMW network in 50 countries across the world, including Australia, US and UK, among others. Now, the new BMW Smart Video is also available at BMW dealerships in India.

    Lees ook:

  • BMW CFO Wants To Cut 5,000-6,000 Jobs By 2022

    BMW CFO Wants To Cut 5,000-6,000 Jobs By 2022

    BMW’s finance chief Nicolas Peter wants to cut between 5,000 and 6,000 jobs by 2022, mostly at the carmaker’s Munich headquarters, a German magazine reported on Thursday.

    Manager Magazin also said that Ilka Horstmeier was a favourite to head human resources, while Milan Nedeljkovic would take over as head of production.

    BMW, which declined to comment, has been undergoing a shakeup of top managers.

    In August, Oliver Zipse succeeded Harald Krueger to became chief executive officer, leaving vacant the production role he had overseen.

    On Wednesday, BMW announced that Milagros Caina Carreiro-Andree, the board member in charge of human resources, would not seek a new term, citing personal reasons.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • BMW Engine Development Expert Duesmann Set To Become Audi Chief In April

    BMW Engine Development Expert Duesmann Set To Become Audi Chief In April

    BMW’s engine development and purchasing expert, Markus Duesmann, is set to become the CEO of Volkswagen’s Audi premium brand, after BMW dropped its opposition to his early departure, a German newspaper reported on Saturday.

    The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung cited a person with knowledge of the appointment as saying Duesmann will start as Audi chief on April 1.

    It said BMW’s board would discuss Duesmann’s planned departure to Audi in the near future.

    Wolfsburg-based VW is on the lookout for clean-engine expertise as it struggles to overcome an emissions scandal that originated in Audi’s engine development department.

    Audi’s current CEO and VW board member Rupert Stadler was forced to step down temporarily after his arrest in June as part of an ongoing emissions investigation. VW is seeking to replenish its senior leadership while Stadler remains in custody.

    VW had said in July that Duesmann will take up his new position as soon as he is able to do so. He will be the second high-profile defection from rival German carmaker BMW after the poaching of Herbert Diess in July 2015.Duesmann’s BMW contract runs until Sept. 30, 2019, and it would also have a non-compete clause that BMW board members are required to sign.

    BMW had said that Duesmann had informed its chairman that he would not make himself available for an extension of his contract because of personal reasons.

    Lees ook:

  • BMW CEO Urges Staff To Narrow Sales Gap With Mercedes

    BMW CEO Urges Staff To Narrow Sales Gap With Mercedes

    BMW’s new chief executive urged employees to embrace change and to find innovative ways to help the Bavarian carmaker overtake rival Mercedes at a time when demand for luxury cars is waning. Oliver Zipse addressed staff in an internal email a day after his predecessor Harald Krueger stepped down. BMW has lost ground to Mercedes-Benz producer Daimler in the past five years and seen rivals such as Tesla jump ahead in electric car sales.

    “Instead of blaming the current situation, conditions, political landscape or particular individuals, a positive spirit will enable us to seize the opportunities available to us. Such a positive spirit will be reflected in our culture: the harder the job, the more innovative our solution,” Zipse said.

    “We don’t always have to be first, but we most certainly have to be far better than our competitors in everything that we do. This applies not only to our products and services but also to our processes and structures, as well as our costs,” he said.

    BMW has already narrowed the sales gap between BMW and Mercedes and is preparing to launch more models, Zipse said.

    BMW’s flexible production methods, which allow the carmaker to build electric and combustion-engined cars on the same production line, provide a major competitive advantage because it will allow the carmaker to scale up or slow down the production of electric cars in line with demand, Zipse said.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • BMW Doubles Battery Production Capacity

    BMW Doubles Battery Production Capacity

    BMW Group said on Wednesday it would double its production capacity for electric vehicle batteries at its U.S. plant in South Carolina as it ramps up manufacturing of plug-in hybrid vehicles to include the X3 vehicle in addition to the X5. BMW said it was investing $10 million in a new battery assembly line which will be capable of operating in a two-shift system ahead of the introduction of the BMW X3 plug-in hybrid vehicle by the end of the year.

    BMW made 15,000 batteries last year with a one-shift system and currently produces a plug-in hybrid version of the X5 offroader. A new version of the X5 will be produced at the Spartanburg plant from August onwards, the company said. BMW said it planned to employ 120 staff to manufacture different types of batteries, and the additional staff gave it the capacity to double production.

    In the past four years BMW workers assembled 45,000 batteries, the carmaker said.

  • 50th Anniversary Edition BMW R Nine T/5 Unveiled

    50th Anniversary Edition BMW R Nine T/5 Unveiled

    BMW has completed the 50th anniversary of the /5 Series motorcycle models, as well as 50 years of BMW Motorrad production in the Berlin Spandau factory. To celebrate both anniversaries, BMW Motorrad has introduced an exclusive BMW R Nine T/5 anniversary model. The R Nine T/5 uses the BMW R Nine T model as a base and incorporates several historical aesthetic touches, in addition to modern bits. The BMW R Nine T/5 anniversary model uses the classic silver and black finishes throughout the bike, as well as classic chrome on the mirrors, exhaust manifold, and rear silencer. The double seat with chrome decorative elements and white piping evoke the historic predecessor.

    The retro touch of the BMW R Nine T/5 is further accentuated by fork gaiters, spoked wheels and aluminium finished wheel hubs for the classic old-school look, as well as standard fork gaiters. Modern gizmos include standard ABS, ASC (automatic stability control) with heated seats and handlebar grips. There’s also the elaborate use of high-end details such as fork bridges and footrests in forged, clear anodised aluminium. The R Nine T/5 continues to be powered by the same 1,170 cc, twin-cylinder engine which puts out 110 bhp at 7,750 rpm and peak torque of 116 Nm at 6,000 rpm. Prices and availability are yet to be announced for the special edition motorcycle.

    The original BMW R50/5, R60/5 and R75/5 marked the beginning of a new production era at BMW’s new motorcycle operations in Berlin in the 1960s. The first /5 models went on to become popular choices for the customer well into the 1970s, with more than 12,000 motorcycles leaving the factory by 1970. When the /5 series was discontinued in 1973, BMW had built a total of 68,956 motorcycles in Berlin, and in that same year, the company celebrated “50 years of BMW Motorrad” with the manufacture of the 500,000th BMW motorcycle.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • BMW Group’s Global Sales Grow Marginally By 0.7% In June

    BMW Group’s Global Sales Grow Marginally By 0.7% In June

    Though sales of cars have taken a hit globally, the BMW Group sales continued their positive trend in June. The Group saw a marginal rise of 0.7 per cent in sales compared to the same month last year, with a total of 2,40,674 BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce vehicles sold worldwide. This brings the company’s total sales for the year to date to 1,252,837 which is up by 0.8 per cent. This is the first time the company has sold more than 1.25 million vehicles in the first half of the year.

    Overall sales of the BMW brand grew by 1.4 per cent in June, with a total of 2,03,523 delivered to customers worldwide in the month. That result brings the brand’s sales total for the first half of the year to 10,75,959 a growth of 1.6 per cent. Both these figures are a new record high for the brand. The new or revised BMW X vehicles continue to be the brand’s biggest growth drivers, with global sales of the BMW X2 up 19.1 per cent in June, while sales of the BMW X3 rose by 66.6 per cent and deliveries of the BMW X4 increased by 70.8 per cent. Less than three months after market launch, a total of 13,555 BMW X7 vehicles have been sold globally and now India too will get the car very soon. In the first half of the year, a total of 4,67,134 BMW X vehicles were delivered to customers worldwide, accounting for 43.4 per cent of the brand’s overall sales; that figure was just 35.8 per cent in the same period last year.

    As far as electric cars are concerned, BMW i sales increased by 22 per cent in the first half of the year, with demand for the BMW i3 increasing by 21.2 per cent in the same period. Sales of the BMW 5 Series plug-in hybrid models increased by 43.4 per cent in the first half-year, while deliveries of the plug-in hybrid MINI Cooper SE Countryman ALL4 rose by 55.8 per cent

    MINI brand sales in the first half of the year decreased slightly. Deliveries in the year to date were down by 3.9 per cent while sales in June decreased by 3.5 per cent.

    Rolls-Royce too delivered a total of 2,534 cars across the globe which showed a growth of 42.3 per cent. Growth was seen in every region worldwide, with sustained demand for all model families. Exceptional customer demand for Cullinan continues, resulting in a strong order book, already stretching into the first quarter of 2020. The marque remains on track for a strong year in 2019.

    BMW Motorrad sales continue to grow strongly, with year-to-date deliveries up 7.1 per cent. In June, a total of 18,230 premium BMW Motorrad motorcycles and maxi scooters were delivered to customers around the world which is a growth of 7.4 per cent.

    As far as regions go, the brand continued to buck the trend in USA, achieving growth of 7.5 per cent in the month, while strong growth of 21.8 per cent was achieved in China. Despite a decline in the premium market in Germany in June, deliveries of BMW vehicles were up 0.5 per cent in the month. The Asian market too showed a strong growth of 6.9 per cent (year-to-date) thanks to all the new launches by the group in various countries.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • BMW CEO Harald Krueger To Step Down From Board

    BMW CEO Harald Krueger To Step Down From Board

    The Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG, Harald Kruger, gave notice that he will not seek a second term of office. The Supervisory Board will address the matter of a successor during its next meeting on 18 July 2019. Until a decision has been made, Harald Kruger will hold his position as Chairman of the Board of Management. Harald Kruger assumed the position of Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG from Dr Norbert Reithofer on 13 May 2015.

    Under his leadership, the company put forward its new strategy which enabled the BMW Group to actively shape the transformation of the industry and the transition towards sustainable mobility of the future. With the largest model roll-out in the company’s history, vehicle deliveries reached new all-time highs, while at the same time the company systematically expanded its electromobility strategy. By 2023, the BMW Group will have 25 electrified models on the roads.

    As Chairman, Kruger further strengthened the significance of strategic partnerships – particularly in the area of breakthrough technologies such as highly automated driving. Additionally, the BMW Group has successfully merged its mobility services under a new entity. Moreover, the BMW Group significantly increased its role as a global player and, as the first international company, will be able to increase its share in its Chinese Joint Venture, BMW Brilliance Automotive, to 75%.

    Kruger said, “The BMW Group has been my professional home for more than 27 years. After more than ten years in the Board of Management, more than four of which as the CEO of the BMW Group, I would like to pursue new professional endeavours and leverage my diverse international experience for new projects and ventures. Over the last years, the automotive industry has been shaped by enormous changes, which have brought about more transformation than in the previous 30 years. This has demanded tremendous efforts from every employee within the company. For their outstanding commitment, I would like to personally thank each and every one of them. It has always been a true honour for me to work with this tremendous team and to set the BMW Group on a path towards a successful future during the most significant transformation of this industry.”

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • BMW X6 Revealed; Global Launch In November

    BMW X6 Revealed; Global Launch In November

    BMW took the wraps off the new-generation X6 sports activity coupe. It is the third generation model and has been updated completely. Beginning with the looks, the X6 gets a bigger kidney grille up front and the headlamps are more angular than rounded. Plus, the grille itself has a lighting function should you choose to switch it on. The X6 is now more chiseled and wears a sculpted look as compared to the more rounded look that the outgoing model had. The new X6 also grows in size with the length growing by 26 mm to 4,935 mm and the width growing by 15 mm to 2,004 mm. The wheelbase too increases by 42 mm to 2,975 mm, although the height is now reduced by 6 mm at 1,696 mm.

    The interior has been updated as well. It has a minimalist, sporty look thanks to Vernasca leather upholstery and new dashboard design which is driver focussed. Like any other BMW SUV, the new X6 too gets a bunch of standard and optional features which include multifunction seats with massage function for the driver and front passenger, four-zone automatic climate control, thermoelectric cup holders, Panoramic roof, interior fragrance package and a Bowers & Wilkins 3D Surround Sound System.

    BMW will offer four engines on the new-generation X6 including two petrol and two diesel engines. There will be V8 petrol and straight six petrol engines making 530 and 340 bhp respectively. And there is an in-line 6-cylinder diesel engine in two states of tune, making 400 bhp and 265 bhp. All new BMW X6 models come as standard with an eight-speed Steptronic transmission, while intelligent all-wheel drive maximises traction, agility and directional stability.

    Other features on the new BMW X6 include air suspension wherein one can alter the ride height of the SUV through 80 mm, and there is an off-road package on offer as well but not on the BMW X6 M50i and the BMW X6 M50d.

    The other interesting feature is the BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant, which responds to the command of ‘Hey BMW’ and users can choose the name for the digital assistant as well. The assistant will be able to explain all sorts of different functions provide up-to-date information and assist the driver. The range of functions and skills available will be constantly expanded as part of regular updates, which can be carried out seamlessly on a smartphone and in car via remote software upgrade.

    Lees ook: