BMW New Zealand is pushing to regain its top spot in the premium market with a $82 million investment in its national network, including the newly-opened East Auckland BMW and Mini.
BMW NZ’s managing director Karol Abrasowicz-Madej announced at a media event this week about “having plans for market share in luxury vehicles” here.
Year to date, BMW NZ has had 1154 vehicles registered, compared with competitors’ Mercedes-Benz’s 1478 and Audi’s 1094. Last year, Mercedes retained its top spot with 2251 registrations, with Audi at 1811 and BMW with 1649, according to Motor Industry Association figures.
But BMW NZ has a busy last quarter for 2019 with the launch of the X1, two new X5 variants, the X6, X7 M50i, and the all-new 1 Series.
Mini NZ’s Chris Roe says 2019 will be “the strongest year ever for Mini for 59 years in New Zealand” with 700 registrations, a 25 per cent increase.
Roe says the five-door Countryman made up half its sales.
For BMW NZ, the focus for the next few years will be electrified vehicles, with 20 new model variants of plug-in hybrid electric (PHEV) or full electric vehicles by the end of 2020.
On the back of that, there will be 25 electrified vehicles by 2023, says Abrasowicz-Madej, “and half of these will be pure electric”.
For Mini, that means a new PHEV Countryman next year, joined mid-year by the newly announced Mini EV.
East Auckland BMW and Mini dealership will have plenty of product to fill its floors in the coming years.
Positioned between three thriving suburbs; Botany, Mt Wellington and Clevedon/Whitford, the new facility was designed to reinforce the high-quality service and unique retail experience BMW and Mini deliver to their customers.
East Auckland BMW and Mini Garage is a “sister dealership” to New Zealand’s most popular and successful BMW and Mini dealerships — Auckland City BMW and Auckland Mini Garage.
Built on an 8000sq m site, the building boasts almost 4000sq m of indoor space where customers can see more than 30 vehicles. This includes showroom spaces for specialist BMW and Mini models including the high-performance M brand and John Cooper Works.
The service workshop alone is more than 1000sq m with 14 high-tech workshop bays and will prepare and deliver more than 1000 new BMW and Mini vehicles a year.