January 2021
Press Release | 2021.01.27

BMW GROUP THAILAND HAILS LANDMARK 2020 AS IT ATTAINS THE NUMBER ONE SPOT IN THE THAI PREMIUM AUTOMOTIVE SEGMENT.

  • BMW Group Thailand marked a historic year as the leader of Thailand’s premium automotive segment with 12,426 BMW and MINI vehicles delivered in 2020
  • Reflected an increase in segment share to 51.2% despite the significant decline in overall Thai passenger car market
  • 2020 also saw strong performance recorded by BMW Group Manufacturing Thailand with 32,052 BMW cars and BMW Motorrad motorcycles built at Plant Rayong
  • BMW Financial Services Thailand enter 2021 the year the company celebrates its 20th anniversary as it reaches again an all-time high in New Business volume at 16.77 billion baht and a new portfolio record at 50.5 billion baht based on the business success in 2020.

 

Bangkok. BMW Group Thailand marked the close of a historic 2020 as the Number One manufacturer in Thailand’s premium automotive segment. From January to December 2020, the company recorded a total of 12,426 BMW and MINI deliveries, increasing its segment share to over 51.2% amidst the most challenging year in the industry’s history.


Despite of the most challenging period in the history, a total of 11,242 BMW vehicles were delivered to Thai customers, a slight 4.3% decrease from 2019, while a total 1,184 MINI vehicles were delivered in Thailand, reflecting a small dip of only 1.7% drop year-on-year. BMW Motorrad Thailand maintained its performance despite difficult conditions in 2020 with 1,224 motorcycles delivered.


The milestone underlines BMW Group Thailand’s most successful year yet, and it is already seeking to build upon the previous year’s accomplishments with a customer-focused approach, including digitalization, expanded premium vehicle lineup, efficient assembly lines, and flexibility from the Power of Choice, alongside its continued commitment to drive forward responsible and sustainable initiatives in Thailand in 2021.


Globally, the BMW Group once again confirmed its position as the world’s leading premium automotive manufacturer, with a total of 2,324,809 BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce vehicles delivered to customers worldwide. Sales of electrified vehicles, however, climbed by a healthy 31.8% year-on-year with a total of 192,646 electrified BMW and MINI vehicles sold worldwide, reflecting strong customer interest in electromobility. Meanwhile, BMW Motorrad was able to deliver 169,272 motorcycles and scooters to customers in 2020 and achieved the second-best sales figures in its history despite challenges resulting from the pandemic.


Mr. Alexander Baraka, President, BMW Group Thailand, said, “The pandemic is a once-in-a-century challenge for all of us. Nevertheless, in the very same year that we faced this historic situation, we also achieved our most successful milestone and stepped forward as the Number One premium brand in Thailand. We have outperformed the passenger car market’s overall performance, which declined by 31%, and at the same time outperformed the overall market in the premium segment with a magnificent 51.2% market share. Throughout 2020, we have continually offered a range of drivetrains, flexible aftersales services, and digital transformations to better respond to the changing needs of consumers.


“The result of 2020 is clear. We have transformed how we think and work. We have digitalised many aspects of customer outreach, and we have figured out ways to build confidence in the brand while also fighting with our hearts and souls despite difficult circumstances. At the same time, I would like to thank our customers for their trust in our brands. We are passionate about what we do, and the main driving force for us is our customers. We will continue our mission to bring the latest and greatest in automotive technologies and driving experiences to our customers. Additionally, I would like to personally thank our dealer partners for their relentless efforts throughout this most challenging period. With COVID-19 exerting enormous pressure on the automotive market, we banded together and weathered the crisis as one, and what we were able to accomplish was nothing short of astonishing,” said Mr. Baraka.

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BMW GROUP THAILAND’S 2020: DIGITALISATION, POWER OF CHOICE, AND THE NUMBER ONE LEADER IN THE PREMIUM SEGMENT.

Driven by consumers’ needs, BMW Group Thailand transformed its customer experience extensively in 2020. Digitalisation played a crucial part in how products and services were offered in response to ‘new normal’ behaviour, from a virtual platform alongside physical events at the Motor Show and Motor Expo to livestreamed product launches with unprecedented financial offerings. To underpin its customer-centric approach, 2020 also saw the introduction of the new edition of BMW Xpo to bring the BMW experience closer to customers at four shopping malls across Bangkok.


The Power of Choice remained at the heart of BMW Group Thailand’s offerings to cater to the growing and eclectic needs of customers. For drivetrains, BMW and MINI launched over 20 new models covering every automotive need from internal combustion engines, plug-in hybrid powertrains, to all-electric drivetrains. A wide range of handles, from saloons to SAV and high-performance sports cars, were introduced to the Thai market alongside four plug-in hybrid models – BMW 745Le xDrive M Sport, BMW 330e M Sport, BMW X3 xDrive30e M Sport and BMW X5 xDrive45e M Sport – together with the first all-electric MINI Cooper SE. The commitment to sustainable mobility was also reflected through the expansion of ChargeNow public charging stations, with over 111 public charging outlets currently available at 67 locations nationwide.


On top of its flexibility of choice and product offerings that cover both Thais’ automotive and lifestyle needs, BMW Group Thailand collaborated strongly within its dealership network to provide efficient, convenient and world-class services, delivering further proof of its leading position in the Thai premium automotive segment.

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ROBUST PRODUCTION REAFFIRMS BMW GROUP MANUFACTURING THAILAND’S RESILIENCE.

Despite great disruption in the supply chain, BMW Group Manufacturing Thailand proved as strong as ever with uninterrupted and agile vehicle production throughout 2020. Enabled by robust demand from Asian markets and Thailand specifically, coupled with strong belief in the BMW brand, the Rayong Plant remained resilient during 2020 with the production of 23,177 BMW vehicles, and BMW Motorrad motorcycles production specifically at 8,875 units.


In response to strong customer interest in drivetrain variants and the journey towards e-Mobility in the country, BMW Group Manufacturing Thailand is the first and only manufacturer in Thailand to offer and deliver vehicles with internal combustion engines, plug-in hybrid powertrains, and all-electric drivetrains since 2015. The BMW plant in Rayong locally assembles a total of 16 BMW car and motorcycle models, including five plug-in hybrid variants and nine models of BMW Motorrad motorcycles.


To bolster Thailand’s potential as a global automotive production hub, BMW Group Manufacturing Thailand has been running its BMW Dual Excellence Program since 2015 to hone the skills and expertise in Mechatronics among higher vocational students in Thailand. 35% of students from this program are now working at BMW’s Rayong facility, of which 27% are female students. Such results display BMW’s long-term contribution to the Thai economy and its continued effort to drive diversity and equality in the workplace.

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BMW FINANCIAL SERVICES THAILAND LOOKS AHEAD TO 20th ANNIVERSARY AFTER SETTING NEW RECORDS FOR NEW BUSINESS AND OVERALL PORTFOLIO IN 2020.

Mr. Björn Antonsson, Chief Executive Officer, BMW Financial Services Thailand, is proud to announce that BMW Financial Services Thailand has again reached a new record high in New Business of 16.77 bn THB in 2020 despite the overall COVID-19 Pandemic situation in Thailand.


“We have supported and are still supporting our customers and dealerships with the right measurements in the COVID-19 pandemic. For instance, payment moratorium for customers, extending credit terms and extension of payment plans. Together with our partners at the dealerships we were still able to deliver Premium Customer Service”.


Premium customer experience and products are in our focus as we strive to offer innovative solutions:

  • Our Freedom Choice product increased in numbers of contracts by 3 times (vs. 2019).
  • For Used Car and Corporate Customers, BMW is driven to the top in terms of value, quality and service. 
  • BMW is investing heavily into a new system landscape to enhance our processes and customer service.
  • Over 600,000 friends on the LINE Official Account, which is delivering additional services to and better focus on our existing customers.
  • Enhancing our digitalisation approaches with Preference Finder (where customers can find the best BMW model according to their lifestyle), Augmented Reality experience on 3 Series and 2 Series, and fully launching the virtual Motor Show & Motor Expo together with BMW Thailand.

 

“As a result, our total portfolio has reached a new record high of 50.5 billion baht in value. 2020 was a very challenging but also successful year, and we are very happy to celebrate our 20th anniversary of BMW Financial Services Thailand in 2021. We will come up with very special offers in this year of celebration – so please stay tuned,” Mr. Antonsson concluded.


BMW Group Thailand furthered its mission to bring clean water to communities in need across Thailand in 2020 through the Care4Water initiative by providing sustainable access to clean water. Since the project was launched in 2015, BMW Group Thailand has delivered 6,918 water filters to 93 communities in 32 provinces, giving as many as 691,800 community members simpler access to clean water through the Care4Water project.

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ADDITIONAL PHOTOS

The BMW Group  
With its four brands BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad, the BMW Group is the world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles and also provides premium financial and mobility services. The BMW Group production network comprises 31 production and assembly facilities in 15 countries; the company has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.

 

In 2020, the BMW Group sold over 2.3 million passenger vehicles and more than 169,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax in the financial year 2019 was € 7.118 billion on revenues amounting to € 104.210 billion. As of 31 December 2019, the BMW Group had a workforce of 126,016 employees.


The success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term thinking and responsible action. The company has therefore established ecological and social sustainability throughout the value chain, comprehensive product responsibility and a clear commitment to conserving resources as an integral part of its strategy.  
  
BMW Group Thailand  
BMW Group Thailand, a subsidiary of BMW AG, Germany, was established on the 3rd October 1998. The three entities of BMW Group Thailand are BMW (Thailand) Co., Ltd. with responsibility for wholesales & marketing of BMW Group products, BMW Manufacturing (Thailand) Co., Ltd. with responsibility for BMW and BMW Motorrad local production, and BMW Leasing (Thailand) Co., Ltd. with responsibility for financial services offerings to both wholesale and retail customers.  

In 2020, BMW Group Thailand recorded a stable performance with 12,426 BMW and MINI deliveries. A total of 11,242 BMW vehicles were delivered to Thai customers, a slight 4.3% decrease from 2019, while a total 1,184 MINI vehicles were delivered in Thailand, reflecting a small dip of only 1.7% drop year-on-year. BMW Motorrad Thailand maintained its performance despite difficult conditions in 2020 with 1,224 motorcycles delivered.

On the production side, the BMW Group Manufacturing Thailand plant was founded on BMW Group’s strong belief in the growth potential of Asian markets and Thailand in particular with its unique location, strong manufacturing base, and ready supply of skilled automotive labor, being an automotive hub for ASEAN. On-going investment has been put into the expansion of plant Rayong in terms of assembling processes, aiming to meet growing customer demand. In addition, with approximately 4 billion Thai Baht representing the amount of annual purchasing in Thailand, the BMW Global Purchasing office has been established in Thailand. This is to source various components from local suppliers in Thailand and the broader ASEAN region, in order to supply the entire BMW production network of 31 production and assembly facilities, located in 15 countries worldwide.  
  
BMW Group Manufacturing Thailand produces the following 16 models: BMW 2 Series, BMW 3 Series, BMW 5 Series, BMW 7 Series, BMW X1, BMW X3 and BMW X5. For BMW Motorrad, the BMW F 900 R, BMW F 900 XR, BMW F 750 GS, BMW F 850 GS, BMW F 850 GS Adventure, BMW R 1250 GS, BMW R 1250 GS Adventure, BMW S 1000 R and BMW S 1000 RR are also locally assembled at the plant. In addition, BMW Group Manufacturing Thailand now assembles five BMW plug-in hybrid models; BMW 330e, BMW 530e, BMW X3 xDrive30e, BMW X5 xDrive45e and BMW 745Le xDrive.
 
For further information, please contact: 
BMW Group Thailand

1397
www.bmw.co.th     
www.mini.co.th     
www.bmw-motorrad.co.th      

 

Media Contacts: 
Carl Byoir & Associates 
Suthatip Boonsaeng (08-7685-1695 or0-2627-3501 ext.102) 
Thornthawat Thongnab (08-3225-4567 or 0-2627-3501 ext.206) 
Pawalisa Thanawajeran (08-6564-4726 or 0-2627-3501 ext.125) 
Pichanan Toonkamthornchai (08-5157-7557 or 0-2627-3501 ext.101) 
sboonsaeng@carlbyoir.com, tthongnab@carlbyoir.com, pthanawajeran@carlbyoir.com, ptoonkamthornchai@carlbyoir.com 

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