Article Summary
- The BMW core brand sold 1,004,681 vehicles globally in the first six months of 2026. Demand in Europe and United States rose compared to H1 2025.
- MINI jumped by 11.7% to 149,538 vehicles while Rolls-Royce fell by 9.8% to 2,523 units.
- Across its three car brands, the BMW Group is down by 4.2% to 1,156,742 cars. The Motorrad motorcycle division moved 102,847 units in H1 2026, representing a 2.9% decrease.
The first six months of the year were something of a mixed bag for the BMW Group. On the one hand, sales rose by 5.4% in Europe to 496,651 units and by 3.9% in the United States to 200,661 units. On the other hand, demand in China fell by a worrying 20.4% to 261,773. The automotive conglomerate groups Asia-Pacific, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa into what it calls its Fourth Pillar sales region, where deliveries dropped by 9.6% to 151,751 through June.
Overall, the BMW Group posted a 4.2% decline compared to the first six months of last year, with 1,156,742 cars sold. However, it’s not all doom and gloom. While the core BMW brand fell by 6.2% to 1,004,681 units, MINI enjoyed an excellent first half of 2026. The Oxford-based marque saw sales jump by 11.7% to 149,538 cars, with EVs doing the heavy lifting.
Although the new iX3 is closing in on 100,000 orders, its early success wasn’t enough to fully offset the decline in EV sales. BMW and MINI sold 204,295 vehicles without a combustion engine, down 7.4% compared to the same period last year. Combined plug-in hybrid and electric vehicle sales also fell by 7.4% to 295,407 units.
BMW Grows Stronger In Europe And The U.S.
There was a silver lining. BMW grew by 1.5% in Europe and by 4.7% in the United States, where SUVs drove demand. However, 2026 is shaping up to be the year the M division’s 14-year sales record streak could come to an end. Compared to the first half of 2025, demand for M Performance and M models fell by 6% to 99,595 units.
It remains to be seen whether the so-called “world’s most powerful letter” can make up the deficit during the second half of the year. The new M2 xDrive could move the needle once its market launch gets underway at the end of summer.
As for the other BMW Group brands, Rolls-Royce posted a 9.8% decline to 2,523 vehicles. Meanwhile, the Motorrad division delivered 102,847 motorcycles and scooters, down 2.9% from the same period last year.
Looking at the competition, only Mercedes has published global sales figures so far. With 837,200 units shipped through June, BMW’s biggest rival trails by a wide margin after its sales fell 7% compared to the first half of last year. Audi has yet to reveal its numbers, but it typically trails its two domestic rivals. Like BMW, Mercedes posted gains in Europe and the United States, but also suffered a steep decline in China, where sales plunged by a whopping 30%.
