BMW Can't Make Crossovers Fast Enough

Aaron Cole
by Aaron Cole

Speaking to Automotive News, BMW of North American CEO Ludwig Willisch said the company expects that nearly half of their 2016 sales will be of crossovers for 2016 — and it’ll only go up from there.

“In the first nine months (of 2015), across the board, we had too few X1, X3 and X5s,” he said.

For this year, BMW expects that 40 percent of its sales will be crossovers, up from 34 percent last year.

“In a couple of years when we have the X7, it will be even higher,” he added. BMW’s crossover lineup consists of the X1, X3, X4, X5, X6 and soon-to-arrive X2 and X7. Are there any numbers BMW can invent between 1 and 8?

Willisch’s revelation is hardly controversial: crossover sales are key to many automakers’ profitability, but BMW apparently has a plan to capitalize right away.

According to Automotive News, BMW will increase production at its Spartanburg, South Carolina facility by nearly 30 percent in the next year to capitalize on the demand in the U.S. and slowing demand in China.

That would seemingly be at odds with U.S. CAFE standards demanding better fuel economy from automakers’ fleets — unless the i5 is a crossover.

The good times can never end.

Aaron Cole
Aaron Cole

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  • Whatnext Whatnext on Jan 03, 2016

    Americans don't like hatchbacks* *Unless they're ungainly elephantine lumps that "give them a better view of the road" LOL.

  • Mandalorian Mandalorian on Jan 03, 2016

    BMW needs something bigger than the X5. X5 isn't very big, it's a midsizer. They need something to take on the Mercedes GL.

  • Richard Chen Richard Chen on Jan 03, 2016

    "Are there any numbers BMW can invent between 1 and 8?" Well, there are a couple of named irrational numbers they could use. How does BMW X∏ sound?

    • WheelMcCoy WheelMcCoy on Jan 03, 2016

      "Well, there are a couple of named irrational numbers they could use. How does BMW X∏ sound?" Irrational numbers for irrational vehicles! I like that!

  • C P C P on Jan 03, 2016

    I don't get it, nor do I want it.

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