TheC-Class has been the German company's most successful vehicle with sales of over two million worldwide. In the Gulf it has sold over 1,000 units a year for the last five years and won numerous awards. BMW targets buyers who believe that, irrespective of their achievements, they still have somewhere to go or new challenges to aspire to. Bailey-McEwan says the Bavarian company's share of the luxury segment of the car market in the Gulf is 35 per cent and rising every year. A total of 6,509 vehicles were sold in the GCC, Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Palestine, Yemen and Pakistan.
Typical customers come from both luxury saloon and luxury off-road vehicle segments.
Bailey-McEwan added that the luxury 4x4 market was getting immensely competitive with manufacturers compelled to provide more features and benefits as standard in order to attract customers. Increasingly, other manufacturers are noting that it is beneficial to include a luxury 4x4 in their range of vehicles. The X5 has created a totally new market segment, which has already sparked response from other manufacturers. One of those manufacturers is Porsche, which plans to introduce its luxury off-road vehicle, the Cayenne, in 2002. Bishop says he expects a 15 per cent increase in sales by the end of the year and a similar figure next year as the luxury sports car brand continues to expand slowly in the Middle East.