Mixed fortunes for Midlands motoring companies
THE UK new car market may have had its best month this century during March but not all manufacturers enjoyed success.
Registrations of new Jaguars were down almost 6% last month, while close rival BMW also saw a decline – albeit a very small one (0.19%).
Market leader Ford saw a relatively flat month, sales up just 0.5% overall, while closest challenger Vauxhall was down by 2.75%.
There was better news for Land Rover, which saw its sales rise almost 30% for the month. The company benefiting from the launch of its new Discovery Sport.
However, the off-road brand will be keeping an eye on rival Jeep, which saw a near 400% increase in its sales last month as it pushed hard its new Renegade.
Jaguar is unlikely to be too disappointed by the results as it is preparing for what promises to be a pivotal few months in the famous marque’s history.
It is gearing up for the launch of its new entry-level executive model, the XE, while its brand new XF has also been unveiled to audiences in the United States and featured in a hair-raising stunt in London involving the crossing of the River Thames on a high wire.
BMW opted to put the spin on its UK performance by proclaiming new sales records for both its own-brand vehicles and those of MINI.
In total 37, 887 BMW and MINI vehicles were registered last month, an increase of 12% over March 2014. BMW registrations reached 26,925 (2014: 26,977) and MINI sold 10,962 vehicles – its best monthly sales performance since the vehicle’s UK launch in July 2001. Both brands also achieved new quarterly sales records with 40,024 BMWs and 14,961 MINIs sold in the first three months of 2015.
Combined, the twin brands achieved a UK market share of 7.68% (BMW 5.46% and MINI 2.22%). The performance was bolstered by the introduction of the new BMW 2 Series Active Tourer and Convertible, the BMW 4 Series Convertible and Gran Coupé, and MINI models including the MINI Hatch 3 and 5-door vehicles.
Graeme Grieve, Chief Executive Officer, BMW Group UK, said: “BMW Group has had a great start to the year breaking records with both its BMW and MINI brands in the UK with sales of nearly 38,000 vehicles in March and 55,000 vehicles in the first quarter. We have seen strong sales growth driven by particularly high demand for new models launched in both the BMW 2 Series and 4 Series ranges.
“The iconic MINI is also celebrating its highest ever monthly and quarterly sales result thanks to strong performances from the new 3 and 5-door Hatch models. We are attracting new customers to both brands with our exciting new model portfolio and we have also been working closely with our retailers to ensure our retail environment reflects changing consumer needs.”
The strong sales are also good news for the group’s engine plant at Hams Hall, which manufactures power plants for both brands.
Nevertheless, BMW – and to some extent Jaguar – will both have been disappointed to see that Mercedes-Benz saw its sales rise 19% in March. The company has also been bolstered by a clutch of awards for its new C Class, with which the new XE will be in direct competition.
In the luxury sector, Gaydon-based Aston Martin saw sales rise more than 6.5% to 212 vehicles (2014: 199). The performance will give the sports car company a boost as it prepares to ramp up sales in new export markets.
Near rival Bentley saw a flat month, with its sales total (250) exactly mirroring the same month last year.
Longbridge-based MG continues to reap the rewards of the roll-out of its dealership network, with sales up more than 83% last month.
The company has also used the tenth anniversary of the collapse of the former MG Rover Group to launch the latest version of its award-winning MG6.
