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      05-30-2011, 05:43 PM   #12
SF Dede
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Zirenz2006 View Post
I am so bummed they aren't bringing this to the US. I'd get one in a heartbeat.
I've never read the business case for not bringing it to the US. All people say is American's don't like hatches, which is BS. Enough do. Scouring online sources, I find the following:

Audi A3 - US sales rate of over 500 per month with over half TDI (with an ancient platform!)
VW GTI - US sales rate of over 1500 per month
Mini Cooper S - US sales rate of over 3300 per month
Mini Clubman S - US sales rate of over 800 per month
Lexus CT 200h - US sales of over 2000 in first month with annual target of 12,000

What this tells me is that Audi does reasonably well with such an old vehicle, and their customers will pay for efficiency. Mini has over half the market and VW 20%. Americans supposedly don't like hatches, let alone premium hatches. Yet Lexus found 2000 customers in a month that were not served by Audi, VW, or Mini and these customers were willing to pay a premium. Is BMW afraid sales of the F20 hatch would cannibalize Mini Sales or other BMW sales?

In the US, the BMW 1 series currently sells at the rate of 1000-1200 per month, and the BMW Z4 only sold just over 3800 (+300/month) last year.

Given these numbers, is it reasonable that BMW would be able to sell 500 F20 hatches in the US? 1000? 1500? At what point is it enough for BMW to bring the F20 to the US?

BMWNA learned a hard lesson with the anemic E36 318ti, but they learned the wrong one. BMW learned that people in the US don't like premium hatches. What they should have learned is that in the US, people don't like premium underpowered hatches.

Bring the F20 hatch to the US with the 2.0L Twinpower Four, and the 23d. With that, and Mini, BMW should continue to own well over half the premium hatch market in the US. Those two engines have plenty of power and efficiency to spare. The F20 would be well received here with these two engines on offer.

BMWNA, please bring these great cars the the US!
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