BMW Malaysia's Aims to Sell 1,800 Best-Selling 3-Series Model This Year

KUALA LUMPUR (Malaysia), March 22 (Bernama) -- BMW Group Malaysia aims to sell 1,800 of its best-selling BMW 3-Series this year, Managing Director Geoffrey Briscoe said on Thursday. The car, which comes in three variants, will be the major driver of the anticipated double-digit sales growth this year, he said. "The BMW 3 series is the best-selling sports sedan in the premium segment that has ever been with well over 12 million units sold worldwide since the car's creation in 1975. "We are confident that the all sixth generation BMW 3 Series will continue to set a higher benchmark in the local automotive history," he said at the car's launch in Seri Kembangan here on Thursday. The all-new BMW 3 Series was introduced in three variants -- BMW 320d, BMW 328i and BMW 335i -- with a price tag (without insurance) of RM268,800 (US$87,244.40); RM309,800 (US$100,551.77) and RM488,800 (US$158,649.78), respectively. Briscoe said the predecessor to the new car, which was launched in Malaysia in 2006, generated a total sales volume of 10,743 units. "To date, we have received some 500 pre-launch bookings. So far, BMW has brought in 350 units of this series from Germany. We are hoping to locally assemble the new 3-Series at our plant, three months from now. "Once the completely knocked-down operations start, the car's price will be revised downwards," he said. On another matter, Briscoe said the new financing guidelines introduced by Bank Negara early this year have not dampened luxury car sales. "When the whole automotive sales in January was down 25 per cent, the luxury car segment was up 10 per cent. This shows the impact on the high-end models is very minimal. "Give the guidelines some time, and we believe the whole ecosystem will understand and later, get use to it," he added. -- BERNAMA