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2012 3-Series Sedan Will Help BMW Keep US Sales Lead

BMW and Mercedes have managed to top Lexus so far in US luxury sales, and the trend looks set to continue for the rest f the year. However, the Bavarians have a brand new 3-Series sedan that was unveiled last week and will arrive in the US starting with the third quarter of 2012.
As we mentioned in our latest editorial, the F30 generation stands a very good chance of widening the gap in the global market between BMW and its German rivals, Audi and Mercedes. The same car will also keep the current momentum in the US going, according to Ludwig Willisch, the new North American head of operations, who spoke to Bloomberg.

“We have a window to stay No. 1 in the first quarter. Our model lineup is broad. We have a lot of opportunities to get there,”
Willisch said.

Interestingly enough, this contrasts with the those of Willisch’s predecessor, who said that Mercedes will overtake BMW early next year. However, given the fact that the Bavarians currently enjoy about a 4 percent lead, we think that the current offering is enough to fight off the new C-Class Merc until the 3-Series arrives.

Even if the C-Class manages to power ahead, BMW’s top exec in North America isn’t concerned. “We’re not going to ask our customers to buy another brand,” he said yesterday in an interview at BMW’s dealership on 57th Street in Manhattan.

Indeed, BMW’s model cycle should prove to be more important than the sales charts in the long run.
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About the author: Mihnea Radu
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Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida.
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