BMW retains sales lead over Audi and Mercedes-Benz

If we are looking at sales of vehicles produced by BMW Group then it is of course right to include BMW cars, MINI and Rolls-Royce but BMW also make motorcycles so shouldn't those vehicles be included as well? In the case of Volkswagen Auto Group (VAG) which includes Audi then again the article should look at Audi, Skoda, SEAT, Volkswagen, Lamborghini, Bentley, Ducati and Bugatti. But VAG also produce commercial vehicles so shouldn't these also be counted? Mercedes-Benz AG products should also include Smart cars and commercial vehicles too. I suspect that if the sales of all automotive vehicles produced by the 3 groups are totalled up VAG will be the biggest producer followed by Mercedes-Benz with BMW in a distant third. This is very likely the reason why BMW are trying to have an alliance with Toyota as in global terms they are quite small and need to spread R and D costs particularly as they chase volume sales in the hatchback sector where profits are thin. The lack of investment can be seen in BMW's poor engine strategy for markets outside Europe. Since ditching most of the petrol straight 6s they have tried to use the N20 4 cylinder turbo instead. In Europe where there is a harsh tax regime on fuel and cars this works to some extent but in markets where fuel is cheap like the Middle East and the USA customers do not want a 4 cylinder engine as it is not regarded as a "premium" product they still want the 3 litre 6s or even V8s. In some ranges such as the top end 5 Series, the 6 Series and so on that option is available but further down the range it is not because where BMW once used a V8 they are going for a turbo 6. This is very probably the reason why Bobstardeluxe sees many more AMGs in Dubai. The more I look at BMW in the 2010s I am reminded of Ford in the early 1980s. At that time FWD was very new for Ford as most of their range were RWD with large-ish engines. As FWD cars gradually replaced the old RWD ranges we were treated to a parade of mediocre badly built cars. Only when the first Mondeo arrived could a Ford be seen as a good car again. Perhaps BMW is about to go the same way. As Stephen Bayley points out in this month's Car BMWs are mostly average or below in their respective classes apart from perhaps the 3 Series and as the company pursues volume it is diluting excellence. Ford managed to survive because it is huge. BMW is not. Perhaps BMW is on the road to total decline. Perhaps in future BMW will only exist as the Euro-focused luxury arm of Toyota a sort of sporty Lexus building badge-engineered Toyotas.