With three premium brands under its watch, the BMW Group has reported record sales worldwide In February totaling 169,073 units, which represents a 3.1 percent increase over last year.

Out of these, 147,789 were from the BMW brand, a 3.0 percent increase compared with the same month in 2016. Contributing to this number were the X1, X5 and 7-Series flagship, whose sales increased by 36.1 percent, 15.8 percent and 34.7 percent, respectively.

“The first two months of the year have seen growth in all major sales regions, despite the model change-over of the 5-Series. February was an important month for us, with the market launch of the new BMW 5-Series. Initial sales of this benchmark car are strong and we’re confident that this model in particular will ensure increasing momentum as the year continues“, said BMW chief Ian Robertson.

But the BMW brand isn’t the only one to have achieved an increase, as MINI’s 21,045 deliveries to customers around the world were up 3.2 percent. The automaker’s main growth drivers were the Convertible and Countryman, and they expect increased numbers throughout the year after the launch of the Countryman.

Year-to-date, the BMW Group shipped 332,369 cars, a 4.9 percent increase, out of which 291,347 were BMWs, up 5.0 percent, and 40,611 were MINIs, up 3.5 percent.

Sales of electrified vehicles have also shown strong growth in YTD, reflecting an increased customer interest in alternative drivetrain cars. Since the beginning of the year, more than 10,000 electrified vehicles have been delivered worldwide, a massive 110.1 percent increase.

More growth is expected in this segment, as the BMW 530e iPerformance goes on sale in mid-March, and the MINI Cooper S E Countryman ALL4 will start delivery in June.

Overall sales of BMW and MINI in Europe, in the first two months of the year, are up 3.3 percent to 138,666 units. In the Americas, sales remain stable with a 0.2 percent increase, at 58,277, while in Asia, a 9.0 percent growth has been witnessed, with 123,851 cars delivered. Mainland China is the region’s biggest market, with 92,045 vehicles, up 14.7 percent.

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