Diesel sales on the rise for BMW

With the LCT (Luxury Car Tax) rise looking more favourably upon frugal luxury cars, the growing trend towards diesel-powered luxury vehicles has intensified, according to the latest BMW sales figures.

Year to date sales show 4,055 BMW customers opted for a diesel model, representing a 65 per cent increase compared to the same period last year. As a result, the proportion of diesel buyers has also grown from 19.6 per cent to 30.6 per cent of all BMW sales.

“Our high-performance diesels offer low emissions, low consumption and the benefit of far greater torque to deliver a typically dynamic BMW driving experience,” said Guenther Seemann, Managing Director of BMW Group Australia.

Seemann predicts Australian customers will continue their burgeoning love affair despite the higher pump price for diesel.

“Even with a 30 cent price differential for diesel at the pump, a customer who purchases a 530d and travels 15,000 km in the course of a year will still spend less on fuel than their petrol counterpart in a 530i. Given that some diesel models will now be subject to less tax, due to the change in the Luxury Car Tax, diesel sales will continue their rise in the short to medium term,” he said.

Seemann also says the new tax landscape will encourage premium manufacturers to continue to roll out more new diesel models which are incredibly frugal yet deliver outstanding performance.

“The newly unveiled six-cylinder BMW 330d, boasting 180 kW and 520 Newton metres of torque, yet consuming 6.8 litres per 100 kilometres is now under serious consideration for Australia,” he said.

BMW currently offers nine diesel models in Australia across the following series: 1 Series Hatch; 3 Series Sedan; 5 Series Sedan; X3 Sports Activity Vehicle; X5 Sports Activity Vehicle; and, X6 Sports Activity Coupé. Of these model ranges, diesel sales account for, on average, 40 per cent of all deliveries.