BMW’s focus on growth and hopes for X1
Leipzig / Munich – The Munich carmaker BMW hopes for the universal sentence, paragraph dramatic slump again on growth. “We feel optimistic at the BMW Group in the coming year and in the fourth quarter,” said Human Resources Director Harald Krueger told reporters on Wednesday in Leipzig.
This was, however, also depends on the continuing economic development. How long will the crisis and whether the current situation is stable could tell no one, said Kruger. BMW had in September lean months within a year after the first time a slight increase in sales of 0.7 percent recorded and thus approximately 122 350 cars sold worldwide. For the full year BMW expects over 2008 but with a “moderate decline in sales» 10 to 15 percent. Krueger stressed that despite the crisis, the BMW Group in 2009 and 2010 about investing 1 billion euros in its German facilities.
Hopes now rest among other things, the new X1 model. The small SUV will be produced since the beginning of September and is the BMW plant in Leipzig from 24 October at the dealer. “With the X1, we want to attract new customer groups,” said Krueger. The demand is already considerable. The daily production will rise from 150 to up to 300 vehicles.
In addition to Leipzig three 1er-mounted 3 Series models as well as limousines. With the launch of the X1 series run in Leipzig, 730 cars daily updates from the tape – that’s according to company data record. After months of reduced working hours will be in Leipzig, as in other works also worked full again. 200 workers from the Bavarian works to strengthen the core workforce from 2,600 employees in Leipzig. Whether on-site total of 4,700 people are employed.
The group operates the Plus in September, only thanks to the British subsidiary brand Mini. In September, 24 759 were delivered to small, 9.5 percent more than the same month last year. At the core BMW brand sales declined by 1.2 per cent to 97 545 units. The decline sharply in recent months was that they were to be stopped. In the first nine months of 2009, sales of BMW at nearly 16 percent below the previous year. A total of 939 554 cars were shipped worldwide.