BMW's X4 Era Begins

BMW USA reported their first X4 sales in July 2014, 262 in all.

Former and even current BMW fans are apt to be disgusted by the notion of a less practical, more costly X3, particularly if those fans are in the large group of onlookers who also believe the X4 is the less stylish option, as well.

Yet while the X6 hasn’t become a high-volume product for BMW, it hasn’t had a negative impact on its X5 donor vehicle. Likewise, it’s unlikely that the X4 will eat into the X3’s volume, at least not to the extent that lost X3 sales won’t be made up by the additional X4s.

Of the 26,409 BMWs sold in the United States in July 2014, 23% were X models (not including xDrive variants of BMW passenger cars.)

Sales of the X1 plunged 54% to 1003 units, the X1’s lowest monthly U.S. sales total since its first month on the market in August 2012. BMW USA averaged just over 2200 monthly X1 sales in 2013, but that average has fallen below 1800 units in 2014; below 1100 units over the last four months. Year-to-date, X1 sales are down 13%.

X3 sales are up 43% this year but slid 25%, a loss of 534 units, in July 2014. With 23,367 sales so far this year, the X3 leads the Mercedes-Benz GLK by 859 units and the Audi Q5 by 250 units. Acura has sold 25,881 copies of the RDX so far this year. It’s a hugely competitive sector.

Second quarter X6 volume slid 19%, but July sales shot up 216% to 669 units, 11% of BMW’s X model sales. July marked the third-highest-volume X6 sales month in the last two years. Annually, X6 sales peaked at 6749 units in the United States in 2012 but fell 18% in 2013, the model’s sixth year on the market. Contrast the X6’s 669 July sales with 384 6-Series sales, 544 7-Series sales, and 638 2-Series (and leftover 1-Series) sales to gain greater perspective on the X6’s relative popularity.

Even with a bit of help from the X4, BMW’s five SAVs declined 13% in July, although the three higher-end models – X4, X5, and X6 – combined for a 25% improvement. Through the end of July, these five models are up 11%.

Lexus generated a 23% improvement between the surging GX, LX, and preium-leading RX in July. With 11,861 sales, they produced 43% of Lexus’s U.S. sales total during a month in which Lexus outsold all other premium brands. Acura’s three crossovers, including seven ZDX sales, were up 3% to 9822 units, 79% of Acura’s July sales.

Mercedes-Benz sold 9038 Gs, GLs, GLKs, and MLs in July, a 9% improvement. These four vehicles accounted for 33% of the non-Sprinter Benzes sold in America last month. Cadillac’s new Escalade powered a 26% gain from the brand’s three high-riding products, the regular wheelbase Escalade, Escalade ESV, and SRX. 8493 were sold in total, 56% of all Cadillac sales.

Audi’s 5001 Q5 and Q7 sales represented a 1% increase, and 34% of the brand’s total July sales. Land Rover’s 4643 sales (up 15%) produced 80% of Jaguar-Land Rover’s volume. Aided by 1534 MKC sales, Lincoln’s four utilities were up 48%, or 1485 units, to 4557, 58% of Lincoln’s total volume.

Infiniti’s four SUVs and crossovers were down 5% last month to 3783 sales, 44% of Infiniti’s total volume. Porsche sold 2498 Cayennes and Macans, a 60% year-over-year increase. They accounted for 58% of all Porsche sales. Volvo sold 2112 XC60s and XC90s, a 17% decline. The XC60 and XC90 were responsible for 43% of Volvo’s July volume.