BMW exec explains why less is more for Mini brand - Automotive News

BMW's board member in charge of Mini, Peter Schwarzenbauer, is reducing the brand’s range to five models -- dropping the slow-selling Roadster, Coupe and Paceman. Schwarzenbauer admits that the move is controversial because it runs counter to the belief that more models mean more volume. What was the reaction to cutting Mini to five models. Mini is a brand that will prove the opposite can also be effective. I believe it is good for a brand to concentrate on a few strong characters, but we should also be asking ourselves whether steadily increasing volumes is the only way to go. That’s something premium manufacturers in particular need to consider. But we now see that other manufacturers are also thinking about reducing the number of models. It is important that the models are clearly defined and our customers know what each model stands for. We will concentrate on five core models, which we refer to as “superheroes. The first Minis made outside of Europe will be Countrymans assembled in Brazil from semiknockdown (SKD) kits. We already build Minis in Brazil, Malaysia and Thailand for local markets. Source: www.autonews.com