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Carmaker in record race

May 13, 2013

The Munich-based luxury automaker BMW has said the company is on track for a new record this year. It reported strong figures for April, with sales rising even in the crisis-stricken European market.

https://p.dw.com/p/18Wmz
A BMW logo is seen on a jacket at the BMW plant in Regensburg, Bavaria, Germany Photo:Armin Weigel/dpa/lby/ef/au
Image: picture-alliance/dpa

The German carmaker BMW sold considerably more than 155,000 cars in April, including its three brands BMW, Mini and Rolls Royce, the company reported on Monday. It thus logged a 6.8 percent jump in sales year-on-year.

Since the beginning of the year, the automaker sold 603,000 units, marking a 5.7 percent jump over the same period in 2012.

Sales chief Ian Robertson said he was optimistic that the momentum could be upheld in the next couple of months, not least because of a number of new models hitting the market that may help ensure the carmaker a new full-year sales record.

BMW Joins VW With Record Sales

Strong demand

The Chinese market once again proved to be the strongest for BMW in April. Monthly sales in the Asian country soared by 11 percent, while 8 percent more cars left showrooms in the United States.

The company even managed to up its performance in the sluggish European market, where sales increased 3 percent despite the unresolved debt crisis.

BMW reported that its SUV X1 emerged as its best-selling model in April, with the 3- and 5-series cars also proving a major hit.

The Volkswagen subsidiary Audi sold 133,500 units globally in April, while Daimler's Mercedes took third place in the luxury segment with 116,560 cars sold last month.

hg/mkg   (dpa, Reuters)