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Customer LoginsBMW launches new 3-series to hold on to leadership position
The BMW 3-Series continues to be the heart and soul of BMW. This small BMW encapsulates in one vehicle the driving characteristics, styling and image that define the BMW brand. The 3-Series registration results illustrate its success. In the past 12 months (September 2010 - August 2011), BMW dealers have delivered 96,292 3-Series, 41% of all BMWs. This total is 66% more than the Infinity G, the runner-up in the small car segment of the luxury market.
Determined to maintain the leadership position of the 3-Series, BMW will unveil an all-new version at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit this January and launch it globally in February. This new 3-Series will be slightly bigger than the current version and have an available turbocharged four-cylinder engine and a hybrid powertrain.
As it has done in the past, BMW will launch the new 3-Series in stages. Only the sedan will come to market in February, followed eight months later by the station wagon and two years later by the coupe and convertible versions (per Automotive News, October 3, page 33). A five-door hatchback similar to the 5-Series Gran Turismo is also in the works.
This gradual launch of the 3-Series will present some challenges for BMW. The sedan version of the 3-Series does well versus its competitors, but not nearly as well as the total model (all body types). That's because the current 3-Series is also available as a coupe, convertible or wagon - body types most of the competition does not have. Without these additional body types, the 3-Series outpaces its rivals by a much smaller margin.
So, with just the sedan body type coming to market early next year, BMW will have less of an edge versus its competitors. And, importantly, its competitors are expanding their product portfolios in the same way BMW did many years ago. The Mercedes-Benz C-Class coupe (the first legitimate Mercedes-Benz competitor to the 3-Series coupe) is now hitting the market and could propel the C-Class past the 3-Series during the time period when the latter is only available as a sedan. The Cadillac CTS recently has gained ground on its German competitors, thanks in part to the launch of both a coupe and a station wagon. Until the full slate of 3-Series body types is on the market, this iconic BMW model may fall behind one or more of its rivals, a rare occurrence.
Posted by Tom Libby, PolkInsight Advisor, Polk (10.27.2011)