| The Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, popularly | | | | BMW will introduce the Mini Clubman and a new |
| known as the BMW AG, is the world's largest | | | | Rolls-Royce car this year. |
| premium carmaker and it increased sales by | | | | |
| seven percent to 128,408 vehicles in May. The | | | | Audi's sales rose more than ten percent last |
| increase in sales is helped by a sharp rise | | | | month to more than 87,000 vehicles, a record, |
| in demand for the X5 sport-utility vehicle | | | | as demand surged in China and in the United |
| and the revamped Mini, the company announced | | | | States. |
| last Friday. | | | | |
| | | | The relaunch of its popular X5 offroader as |
| The sales of its core BMW brand increased 5.8 | | | | well as the 3 Series coupe and cabrio |
| percent to 108,488 units, while Mini | | | | derivatives should help spur growth this |
| deliveries rose just over 14 percent to | | | | year, BMW has said. "Demand for these models |
| 19,864 cars. The deliveries helped the | | | | is above expectations," the company said in a |
| company's retro-styled model to break the one | | | | statement, saying deliveries of the 3 Series |
| million mark in sales since its introduction | | | | coupe had nearly quadrupled versus a year ago |
| to the market in mid-2001. The automaker | | | | and the cabrio model more than doubled. |
| overtook DaimlerChrysler AG's Mercedes | | | | |
| division as the world's biggest luxury-car | | | | The X5, a midsize luxury crossover SUV, |
| maker two years ago with the debut of the | | | | features all wheel drive and a line of |
| 1-Series small car, the X3 SUV and a new | | | | straight-6 and V8 engines. For non-US models, |
| version of the 3-Series sedan. | | | | the vehicle features the 3.0 L diesel engine |
| | | | mated to a BMW cold air intake. The 3 Series, |
| In the first five months of 2007, deliveries | | | | on the other hand, is an entry-level luxury |
| of BMW, Mini and Rolls-Royce brand vehicles | | | | car manufactured by the German automaker |
| rose by 2.1 percent amounting to 580,043 | | | | since 1975. In 2005, the 3 Series is the |
| units. BMW Chief Executive Norbert Reithofer | | | | company's best selling luxury sedan in the |
| has forecast overall group sales will rise at | | | | United States with 98,000 units sold. |
| a high-single-digit percentage rate in 2007 | | | | |
| to over 1.4 million vehicles, with all three | | | | BMW has also refreshed the 1 Series compact |
| brands posting delivery records. BMW-brand | | | | and 5 Series full-sized models in March and |
| sales rose 5.8 percent from a year earlier to | | | | rolled out a 3-door version of the 1 Series |
| 108,488 units, while Mini sales increased 14 | | | | last month. By comparison, smaller rival Audi |
| percent to 19,864 cars. The automaker sold 56 | | | | earlier this week reported a ten percent |
| Rolls-Royce super-luxury cars however that | | | | increase in deliveries to some 87,000 units, |
| seems unchanged from a year ago. | | | | as VW's premium brand maintained its average |
| | | | monthly sales growth rate of about ten |
| BMW introduced the new X5 and Mini at the end | | | | percent this year. The sales are sustained by |
| of 2006. The company expects sales to reach a | | | | the demand for its new Q7 sport utility |
| record of at least 1.4 million vehicles this | | | | vehicle. |
| year, Reithofer said in April. Additionally, | | | | |