No, that’s not a typo. After losing the sales crown to Mercedes-Benz for the first time in more than a decade, BMW Group is seeking to revatilize the company’s growth by rolling out 40 new or updated models by the end of 2018 across its three brands – BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce with plenty of investment in electric and autonomous technology. The group sold 2,367,603 vehicles last year, a 5.3% increase over 2015.
“We are launching the biggest model offensive ever,” said Harald Kruger, Chairman of the BMW Group. “We have started a transformation unlike anything our company has seen before.”
Following the launch of the latest 5-Series in February, which is slated to be launched here next week, over the next two years, BMW Group plan to debut a new X2 compact SUV, while an all-new version of the X3 is also in the pipeline. This will also include the launch of the latest BMW SUV – the X7, based on the 7-series luxury saloon. Last year, one of three BMW models sold globally were SUVs.
Rolls-Royce is expected to debut the new Cullinan, entering the SUV segment for the first time, plus the Phantom is due for a replacement.
BMW Group will also invest heavily in the ‘i’ electric sub-brand. All-electric versions of the X3 SUV and MINI are on the way and in addition to the new models, BMW will introduce the fully autonomous car, iNEXT in 2021, which is expected to take the form of a luxurious Tesla-fighting saloon.
Source: Automotive News
