BMW Group deliveries fell 6.3% in the third quarter of 2026 as a sharp decline in China outweighed growth in Europe and the United States. The automaker delivered 551,075 vehicles worldwide during the quarter, down from 588,140 a year earlier, while its revised financial outlook points to a significantly weaker profit margin for the full year.

Through September, BMW Group deliveries reached 1,707,802 vehicles, a 4.9% decline compared with the same period in 2025. MINI was the only Group brand to record year-to-date growth, while BMW, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad all reported lower deliveries.

The third-quarter results, released Wednesday in Munich, also included a reduced 2026 profit forecast and plans to retire some older electric models earlier than previously expected.

BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce Sales in Q3 2026

BMW’s main brand accounted for most of the Group’s decline, delivering 479,294 vehicles in the third quarter, down 6.8%. Its deliveries through September totaled 1,483,963, representing a 6.4% decrease.

MINI delivered 70,712 vehicles in the quarter, down 2.4% year over year. However, its nine-month total reached 220,247, up 6.8%, making it the only Group brand ahead of its 2025 performance.

Rolls-Royce recorded 1,069 deliveries in the third quarter, an 18% decline. Its year-to-date total fell 12.4% to 3,592 vehicles.

BMW Motorrad delivered 46,605 motorcycles during the quarter, down 12.5%. Through September, motorcycle deliveries reached 149,452, a 6.1% decline.

The BMW brand delivered 35,128 fewer vehicles than in the third quarter of 2025, accounting for nearly all of the Group’s overall decline of 37,065 units. BMW-badged vehicles represent almost 87% of total Group deliveries, but the brand’s decline was steeper than the overall result.

MINI’s Growth Slows as Other Brands Lose Ground

MINI’s year-to-date growth was built during the first half of 2026. Deliveries increased nearly 12% from January through June before falling 2.4% in the third quarter.

Rolls-Royce recorded the steepest percentage decline among the Group’s brands during the quarter, delivering 235 fewer cars than a year earlier. Its decline also widened from approximately 10% in the first half.

BMW Motorrad experienced a similar slowdown. Motorcycle deliveries fell about 3% in the first half before declining 12.5% in the third quarter.

BMW now expects motorcycle deliveries for the full year to finish slightly below 2025 levels, replacing its earlier forecast that they would remain flat.

China Remains BMW’s Biggest Sales Challenge

BMW identified China as the main reason behind its third-quarter delivery decline. Sales in the country fell by approximately 25%, broadly matching the contraction of the overall Chinese market.

The company described market conditions in China as challenging and pointed to strong competition, particularly in the country, as a factor behind a 6.5% decline in quarterly revenue from its automotive business.

BMW is counting on its Neue Klasse lineup to help address the situation. The iX3 LWB, a long-wheelbase version developed for China, is scheduled to go on sale there in November, with additional Neue Klasse models expected to follow in China during 2027.

BMW Sales Grow in Europe and the United States

Europe and the United States remained areas of growth for BMW in the third quarter. Deliveries in Europe increased 2.6% during the quarter and 4.5% through September.

In the United States, deliveries rose 2.5% in the third quarter and 3.4% for the first nine months of the year, despite tariffs on imported vehicles.

Those duties reduced the automotive business’s margin by approximately 1.25 percentage points in the third quarter. That was an improvement from the roughly 1.75-percentage-point impact recorded during the same period in 2025.

Electric Vehicles Account for 20% of Global Deliveries

Fully electric vehicles represented 20% of BMW Group deliveries worldwide in the third quarter. When plug-in hybrids are included, electrified vehicles accounted for 27.4% of total deliveries.

Electrified vehicle sales represented a much larger share in Europe. Across the region, 46.9% of BMW Group deliveries were electrified, while fully electric models accounted for 34.7%.

BMW Cuts Its 2026 Profit Margin Forecast

BMW Group reported third-quarter profit before tax of €2.08 billion, down 10.6% year over year. Revenue declined 5.8% to €30.45 billion.

The automotive business generated €901 million in earnings before interest and taxes, a 39.7% decrease. Its EBIT margin fell to 3.4%, compared with 5.2% in the third quarter of 2025.

BMW now expects its automotive EBIT margin to range between -0.5% and +0.5% for 2026. Its previous forecast had called for a margin between 1% and 3%.

The revised outlook includes an estimated 2.5-percentage-point impact from portfolio and structural measures, in addition to approximately 1.25 points from tariffs and 1.2 points from accounting charges related to assets held by its Chinese joint venture, BMW Brilliance Automotive.

Before restructuring costs, BMW still expects its automotive operating margin to exceed 2%. The company also maintained its forecast for more than €2.5 billion in automotive free cash flow.

BMW expects full-year vehicle deliveries to finish moderately below 2025 levels, with weaker demand in China, pressure on its automotive business and a lower profit outlook shaping its 2026 performance.