After 18 years in Thailand its time for BMW to celebrate.
The brand marketers at its closest rival are not having a happy new year celebration this week as BMW Thailand celebrates its trophy in the automotive market. Two weeks ago, on the 27th of January, BMW Group Thailand announced its sales numbers for both Mini and BMW and their total sales were some 1.7 percent lower over the year before. Well, there was a raging Covid-19 pandemic around the globe and it is not slowing down in Thailand.
Protests And More
Also, there were on going student protests around the capital and there were lockdowns that pushed many businesses to close, even till today. Despite all these obstacles, the premium car industry was still chugging along quite nicely and gave BMW Group the top position in the Thai premium car segment.
BMW Group Thailand marked the close of a historic 2020 as the Number One manufacturer in Thailand’s premium automotive segment. From January to December 2020, the company recorded a total of 12,426 BMW and MINI deliveries, increasing its segment share to over 51.2% percent amidst the most challenging year in the industry’s history.
Despite of the most challenging period in the history, a total of 11,242 BMW vehicles were delivered to Thai customers, a slight 4.3 percent decrease from 2019, while a total 1,184 MINI vehicles were delivered in Thailand, reflecting a small dip of only 1.7 percent drop year-on-year. BMW Motorrad Thailand maintained its performance despite difficult conditions in 2020 with 1,224 motorcycles delivered.
The milestone underlines BMW Group Thailand’s most successful year yet, and it is already seeking to build upon the previous year’s accomplishments with a customer-focused approach, including digitalization, expanded premium vehicle line-up, efficient assembly lines, and flexibility from the Power of Choice, alongside its continued commitment to drive forward responsible and sustainable initiatives in Thailand in 2021.
Global Sales
Globally, the BMW Group once again confirmed its position as the world’s leading premium automotive manufacturer, with a total of 2,324,809 BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce vehicles delivered to customers worldwide. Sales of electrified vehicles, however, climbed by a healthy 31.8 percent year-on-year with a total of 192,646 electrified BMW and MINI vehicles sold worldwide, reflecting strong customer interest in electromobility.
Meanwhile, BMW Motorrad was able to deliver 169,272 motorcycles and scooters to customers in 2020 and achieved the second-best sales figures in its history despite challenges resulting from the pandemic.
Mr. Alexander Baraka, President, BMW Group Thailand, said,
“The pandemic is a once-in-a-century challenge for all of us. Nevertheless, in the very same year that we faced this historic situation, we also achieved our most successful milestone and stepped forward as the Number One premium brand in Thailand.
We have outperformed the passenger car market’s overall performance, which declined by 31 percent, and at the same time outperformed the overall market in the premium segment with a magnificent 51.2 percent market share. Throughout 2020, we have continually offered a range of drivetrains, flexible aftersales services, and digital transformations to better respond to the changing needs of consumers.
Result of 2020 is clear.
“We have transformed how we think and work. We have digitalised many aspects of customer outreach, and we have figured out ways to build confidence in the brand while also fighting with our hearts and souls despite difficult circumstances. At the same time, I would like to thank our customers for their trust in our brands.
We are passionate about what we do, and the main driving force for us is our customers. We will continue our mission to bring the latest and greatest in automotive technologies and driving experiences to our customers. Additionally, I would like to personally thank our dealer partners for their relentless efforts throughout this most challenging period. With COVID-19 exerting enormous pressure on the automotive market, we banded together and weathered the crisis as one, and what we were able to accomplish was nothing short of astonishing,” said Mr. Baraka.
