Has BMW Created A MONSTER? X1 Sales Eroding 3-Series Sales?

When Agent 009 reported BMW's sales numbers for March, I was looking through the digits when I realized something pretty...interesting.

If you take a close look at the year-to-date (YTD) 2012 figures for the 3-Series, you'll note it moved nearly 25,000 by this time last year. In 2013, that figure is closer to 21,000 units.

Enter the X1. Looking at the 2013 figures YTD, BMW has moved just over 5,400 units.

Could it be a coincidence, absolutely. BUT to see what is essentially an all-new product get hit with an attrition rate of 16 percent is a bit...odd.

Did BMW create a monster? Instead of selling more products overall, it appears the X1 is actually cannibalizing sales from the 3-Series.

We'll be keeping an eye on this throughout 2013.

What say you?

BMW4me4ever - 4/6/2013 10:49:17 AM

+3 Boost

no it doesnt cannibalize 3-series sales. The market is so much more competitive than it has ever been which is good for both the manufacturers and the consumers. And at certain times of the year a particular model line will lose ground. The 3-series covers the sedans, coupes ( are in short supply due to model changeover ), the convertibles ( also in model changeover year ) thus a protion is due to a major overhaul of the lineup ...

let the spam begin

TauronB2G - 4/7/2013 9:38:29 AM

0 Boost

How long is BMW going to claim short supply due to model changeover for the 3 series? That car has been on the market damn near 2 years now. It's their volume model and sales are down. There is a reason for that. I'm amazed that many people are spending 40-50k on the 3, it's small and very expensive.
T

ErnestHouse - 4/6/2013 8:48:02 PM

+2 Boost

Take a marketing course or two. Then play analyst. This is a "eat your own children" move. It's not a closed system where everyone buys a BMW. it's open and if you don't have the product, people will buy from someone who does and you lose. Those who bought an X1 would have purchased from someone who makes the vehicle they want. BMW sales would have gone down. Instead, BMW evolves and produces the car for what their customers want. The 5GT and 3GT are more examples. They don't eat at 7 series and 5 series sedans. People who buy the GTs are going to buy A7s and A4s or whatever suits them that's not an SUV.

BondMI6 - 4/7/2013 11:23:13 AM

+2 Boost

Probably true- no real cannibalizing here but I guarantee you the new X4 will eat it's X3 sibling...........



-Bond

HughJass - 4/7/2013 6:07:48 PM

+1 Boost

The X1 is a better value, basically the same car but with a hatch. I'd prefer to sedan though, better mileage and the trunk is probably bigger than the X1's hatch area.
Ride height isn't any different.

skytop - 4/8/2013 11:00:15 AM

+2 Boost

The less expensive models are suffering as the obama recession deepens and obamacare causes businesses to lay off people, reduce work hours, and lower wages.
Higher living expenses such as food, clothes etc. are way ahead of inflation due to the cost of doing business under the oppressive obama administrations requirement for endless forms, reports etc. The anti business pathology of obama is crushing the U.S. economy. That is a fact.