The boss of BMW M says Australia is a key market for the brand’s performance cars, with a high percentage of BMWs sold here wearing the fabled M badge.
Australia remains one of the biggest markets for BMW M cars in the world, according to global BMW M boss Frank van Meel.
In Australia for a flying visit, Mr van Meel told Drive our market ranks as one of the top markets in the world in terms of the percentage of BMW sales that are M cars.
“[Australia is] in the top three [with] 25 per cent M vehicle sales,” Mr van Meel told Drive.
“That’s more or less one of the strongest markets for M we have [in terms of percentage].”
In terms of raw volume, the United States remains M’s biggest market, with Germany and the UK in second and third place.
“Volume-wise [Australia is], of course not as big as the United States, but it is for us an important market [with] volume in the top 10 or top 15.”
While Mr van Meel wouldn’t be drawn on precise numbers, 25 per cent volume of total BMW sales in Australia translates to about 5600 M cars reported as sold in 2022, based on the German brand’s annual sales figure of 22,696.
Mr van Meel is predicting sales of M cars globally will continue to grow in 2023: “We’re quite optimistic we will hit the 200,000 [sales mark].”
BMW is banking on strong sales of its new for 2023 models, the all-new M2, the new M3 Touring station wagon and the XM, a V8-powered plug-in hybrid SUV. The XM is the first dedicated BMW M car since 1978’s original M1.
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