Premium car sales are accelerating across the UAE, with brands such as BMW and Infiniti targeting large increases this year.
BMW Middle East recorded a 22 per cent growth in sales during the first six months - its best start to a year ever.
The German brand sold more than 12,600 cars in the period, with Abu Dhabi and Dubai accounting for about half the volume.
"High position" cars such as the 6 Series make up about three quarters of the brand's sales in the region, with the 3 Series - the company's best-seller worldwide - accounting for just 12 per cent, said Jorg Breuer, the managing director for BMW Middle East.
It hopes to sustain the growth in the second half of the year with releases, including the 4 Series, which will launch in September, the M6 Gran Coupe and the new X5, which is due to go on sale in November.
Mr Breuer said BMW was not worried by Maserati's latest model, the Ghibli, which means "hot wind" in Arabic, and is expected to cost about £50,000 (Dh273,500) when it goes on sale in the UK later this year. "Competition is part of daily life and we welcome competition because we know where we are coming from and what we stand for," said Mr Breuer.
BMW's fellow competitor in the premium car segment, Infiniti, also aims to launch new models to increase its market share, with plans for four new vehicles over the next four years.
The Japanese brand sold just under 2,000 vehicles in the 2012 fiscal year in the UAE and is targeting an increase of about 25 per cent this year.
"We are aiming for 2,500 sales, which is a big jump but … we have a lot of new stories and a lot of things happening which will be supporting the brand growth in the UAE market specifically," said Badreiddine Mansouri, business manager for Infiniti Middle East.
