BMW Claims All-Wheel Drive Lead

MULGRAVE, Australia – February 3, 2009: Sales of all-wheel drive equipped BMW’s reached a record high in Australia last year, and BMW retained the mantle of world’s most successful supplier of all-wheel drive automobiles, moving significantly ahead of its main competitors.

Over 323,000 vehicles fitted with the intelligent all-wheel drive system xDrive were sold throughout the world, including a record 4,929 vehicles in Australia.

Customers are becoming increasingly aware of the system’s superior qualities as compared to the competition and xDrive’s global lead over the manufacturer in second place in the segment was almost doubled as compared to 2007.

The global share of vehicles fitted with xDrive in relation to total sales of the brand BMW increased to 27 per cent in 2008.

Australian demand for BMW’s fitted with xDrive exceeded the global average last year, with 28.5 per cent of customers opting for the intelligent all-wheel drive system.

BMW offers 11 model variants in Australia in which the electronically controlled variable power distribution between the front and rear wheels ensure optimised driving dynamics on the road and supreme traction over rough terrain. The BMW X6 is available in three versions, the BMW X5 and BMW X3 are each available in four engine variations. In future, xDrive will be introduced to additional vehicle segments, including the BMW X1.

All-wheel drive vehicles have been part of BMW’s European model range since 1985, when the BMW 325ix was first launched. The arrival of the BMW X5 in 1999 added substantial growth opportunities for all-wheel drive vehicles.

With BMW xDrive, power transmission is controlled permanently by a distributor gear with an electronically regulated multi-disc clutch. In this way, drive power is distributed variably between the front and rear axle and is always available wherever it can be converted into movement most effectively.