BMW Plans More Niche Vehicles
MUNICH, GERMANY – BMW plans to develop more niche models to offset falling sales in its traditional segments. After the X6 crossover launched this year and the Progressive Activity Sedan, due in 2009, BMW expects to produce a derivative of the next 3 series.
MUNICH, GERMANY – BMW plans to develop more niche models to offset falling sales in its traditional segments. After the X6 crossover launched this year and the Progressive Activity Sedan, due in 2009, BMW expects to produce a derivative of the next 3 series, a company spokesman said, according to Automotive News.
A 3-series offshoot could allow BMW’s assembly plant here to operate more profitably. Because of falling demand in conventional segments, it will be hard for the company to use all of the plant’s daily capacity of 1,000 vehicles with just the 3-series sedan and touring models now built there.
A similar strategy also is planned for the new 5 series.
The BMW Group’s global sales rose two percent in August, helped by growth in China and Russia and gains for the Mini brand. Mini sales worldwide jumped 10.8 percent to 16,257, while BMW brand sales were up 0.4 percent to 85,315 vehicles, according to Automotive News. BMW brand sales in the United States declined 4.1 percent in August and are off 7.4 percent for the first eight months of the year.
More Operations
Fleet Has a Talent Pipeline Problem. What Comes Next? | AF News Recap
Where will fleet’s next generation of leaders come from? This week, we’re looking at the industry’s talent pipeline, what certification can add to a fleet career, how to build an award-worthy track record, and the return of Automotive Fleet’s Personal Use Survey.
Read More →
Smith System Launches Driver Risk Management Program
Fleets have more driver data than ever, but identifying risky behavior doesn't necessarily correct it. Smith System's new Driver Risk Management program combines monitoring, training, and follow-up coaching to help fleets connect risk signals with driver intervention.
Read More →
Automotive Fleet Opens 2026 Personal Use Survey for Commercial Fleet Managers
Less than two weeks left! Commercial and corporate fleet managers are invited to share how their organizations handle company vehicle personal-use policies, charges, and driver eligibility.
Read More →
From AI Prompts to AI-Generated Safety Songs | AF News Recap
Can better prompts make AI more useful for fleet managers? This week, we’re breaking down smarter fleet analysis, an AI-assisted experiment that turned safety training into music, and what happened to fuel prices in August.
Read More →
How to Write Better AI Prompts for Fleet Analysis
Include these six elements in your fleet prompts to generate more relevant analysis and accurate answers.
Read More →
Fleet Meets: Eric Kilgore
This edition of the Fleet Meets series features one of the industry's best leaders driving multi-market and national operations.
Read More →
Why Reactive Fleet Management Is Becoming Too Expensive to Sustain
Research highlights a growing need for proactive management strategies to address rising costs in fleet operations effectively.
Read More →
What Your Fleet KPIs Aren’t Telling You
Tracking fleet metrics is only useful when the data leads to better decisions. This guide helps fleet leaders assess cost, utilization, and downtime more accurately, identify performance gaps, and prioritize the actions that can improve operational results.
Read More →
Hidden in Plain Sight: Fleet Compliance Risks
Fleet compliance isn't just about having policies — it's about consistently enforcing them. This practical guide reveals six hidden compliance risks common in public sector and shared fleet operations and outlines proven strategies to improve visibility, accountability, and audit readiness
Read More →
Turning Fleet Payment Data into Executive Insights
Does data alone drive results in operations?
Read More →