BMW Wants To Attack With New Models In The USA

2023 Author: Eric Donovan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-08-25 09:36

The car manufacturer BMW wants to stand up to the competition with new models in the highly competitive US market. The vehicles to be introduced also include the X1 off-road vehicle.

The Munich car maker BMW wants to pull away from the competition in the highly competitive US market with a larger selection of models. "We definitely have the plan to go to America with the X1," said the new North American boss Ludwig Willisch to journalists in New York. BMW does not currently offer the smallest of its SUVs in the United States. Even the compact 1 Series is only available as a coupé and convertible.

BMW relies on more diversity in the USA

Willisch, who started his job at the beginning of October, wants to offer US customers more variety overall. BMW recently brought the four-cylinder engines back to America, but initially only in the Z4 Roadster. So far, the engine range started with six-cylinder, smaller engines did not fit into the image of a premium supplier. Willisch sees it differently: “The Americans really only want torque so that they can quickly get onto the highway. They don't care what's under the hood."

In addition, Willisch is considering adding more diesel engines to the range. Many US drivers still consider them to be lame stinkers. But fuel prices have also risen sharply in the United States, and car manufacturers are also facing stricter regulations on consumption. "A third of all X5s already have a diesel engine", Willisch announced. "We're still a long way from the end of the flagpole."

With Mercedes-Benz, BMW is in a neck-and-neck race for the title of leading premium supplier in the USA. At the same time, the Stuttgart-based company has just surprisingly dismissed its US boss Ernst Lieb from his post without giving any reasons. It was extremely popular with US dealers. How this will affect sales in the future is not yet foreseeable.

Audi attacks too

Audi is also attacking and growing rapidly. "We have to see that we keep the customers and win a few new ones," explained Willisch. The Japanese competition with Lexus (part of Toyota), Acura (Honda) and Infiniti (Nissan) is also strong. There is also a US car brand that has a “certain sound” - by this Willisch means the GM subsidiary Cadillac. "It's a lively hustle and bustle here."

The 3-series sedan is decisive for BMW's success in the USA. At the beginning of February 2012, the new version of the Bavarian mid-range series will be launched in the United States. 40 percent of sales came from this model alone, said Willisch. So it would make sense to build the car on site. But the North American boss declines: "There are currently no concrete plans to start manufacturing the 3 Series in the USA."

Rival Mercedeshas just announced that it intends to manufacture a fifth model in its US plant in Tuscaloosa in addition to the off-road vehicle and the C-Class. At BMW, too, there is always speculation about an expansion of the Spartanburg plant in the south of the USA. This is where the Bavarians manufacture the X3, X5 and X6 off-road vehicles. An even larger car - such as a pick-up truck that is so popular in the USA - is out of the question for Willisch. "It always has to be compatible with the brand." And his imagination is not enough for a BMW pick-up. (dpa)