[r3dbimmer89]

Originally Posted by KGB_123_99

Could be nice but there is already the X1 in that segment. Seems like BMW is trying to fill in every hole it can find. While that may seem like a good idea, it actually isn't. GM tried this strategy in the late 90s and we all know what they went through.

I have thought long and hard about this because I too thought BMW was going in the direction of GM back in the 90s but the difference between GM and BMW is that GM had too many overlapping brands with mediocre badge engineering. A Pontiac Grand Am was almost identical to an Oldsmobile Alero with the same exact customer base. BMW on the other hand is filling a bunch of niche segments with vehicles under just three brands, BMW, Mini, and Rolls-Royce. There is very little overlap being that these brands are all so unique in what they offer. Underneath, the UKL platforms covers both Mini and BMW but attract two totally different customer base. This is why BMW's approach is unique and far different from GM's approach. Besides, BMW is 30 times smaller than what GM was so this is merely to stay as profitable as possible and to not be taken over by a larger firm. From Business 101, we all learned that in order for a company to stay profitable...yearly growth is needed....

BMW is unique in a sense where it is unique in its corporate structure....every other premium automaker has a partner...Audi has VW...Mercedes has Nissan/Renault....Jag/Landrover has Tata....Volvo has the Chinese...etc.....would you guys rather have BMW stick to 6 models and get taken over by a Chinese firm...or launch niche models to stay profitable...