BMW to launch at least three models in China this year

Shanghai January 13 (Gasgoo.com) In light of its great sales performance in the Chinese market in 2010, BMW Group announced on Jan.10 that it plans to import the all-new BMW X3, new BMW 6 Series, Mini Countryman and other models to China this year, nfdaily.com reported Thursday.

The German automaker saw its China sales jump 87% from a year earlier to 168,998 vehicles in the past year, of which sales of the BMW 7 Series reached 26,553 units. The long wheel-base BMW 5 Series also had a pretty good performance in the country, with single-month sales surpassing 5,000 units in both November and December 2010. Total sales of the BMW 5 Series including its predecessor were in excess of 42,000 units in the year. Meanwhile, the Mini brand broke the one million mark for the first time with 10,509 units sold, an increase of 140% compared to 2009.

BMW has expanded its dealerships in China to more than 200. Its local joint venture with Brilliance China, however, has a limited capacity at present. The JV has thereby strengthened construction of its new plant, which will lift its annual production capacity to over 150,000 vehicles in early 2012.

China's luxury car market is expected to grow 20% to 30% this year, while BMW aims for even higher growth than that, meaning it will sell more than 200,000 vehicles in the country, approaching Audi, Dr. Daniel Kirchert, Senior Vice President of BMW Brilliance, said at last year's Guangzhou Auto Show.