Brussels Motor Show: 542,000 visitors, many eager to buy
In spite of increasing congestion, which is costing the Belgian economy millions every year, Western Europe's central-most country remains car crazy. The 96th Brussels Motor Show, which closed its doors just a few hours ago, welcomed more than 542,000 visitors. That is about one in every twenty Belgians.
It is not known as a high mass of world premieres, or even European firsts. The only true showstopper was in fact the BMW X2 (pictured), which was simultaneously unveiled in Detroit (NAIAS). Still, the BMS (or European Motor Show Brussels, as he organisers insisted we call it until recently) is unique in its kind. It is an event visited by both dreamers and prospective buyers, for whom BMS forms one giant showroom in which they can literally step from one car into another and compare.
Discount frenzy for 2 months
For NSCs, Brussels is of capital importance. Get it right in January - by offering the right discounts, special series or free model upgrades - and you're in for a good year. Get it wrong and the backlog is very difficult to make up. Many consumers indeed postpone replacing their car until the beginning of the new year and the opening of the motor show, as that is when discounts are the highest - or at least believed to be so.
Even company car drivers sometimes wait for the BMS to open, because some NSCs give a little extra to push fleet sales as well. This little extra sometimes takes the shape of lower interest rates for finance offers, or a few free options. In most cases the BMS offers last longer than the show itself, incidentally. NSCs usually advertise that the discounts are valid until January 31st, only to announce on the 1st of February that ther special deals are prolonged until the end of February.
The BMS also has an impact on the used car market. With over 100,000 new cars being ordered in January and February, used car channels are being flooded with part exchange vehicles from March through May. This is most definitely not good news for residual values, unless demand in this period equals supply. This is unlikely to be the case in 2018, as many consumers turn in old diesels.
Petrol and SUV
Belgians are clearly turning their back to diesel. According to VTM News, some 80 percent of cars ordered during the Brussels Motor Show were petrol-powered. One of the factors contributing to this phenomenon is the fact that diesel is no longer significantly cheaper as a fuel than petrol. Today, petrol costs €1.45 per litre, while diesel is €1.40 per litre. Ten years ago, the prices were €1.44 and €1.15, respectively (source: petrolfed.be).
Also, what was a trend just picking up momentum a decade ago is now commonplace: SUVs. Every single carmaker has at least one model on offer. In the case of BMW, there are even 6 'X'-carlines today (conveniently carrying the numbers one through six), with number seven (indeed, the X7) arrivng later this year. This unquestionably contributes to the success of the brand in Belgium. Rather atypically, BMW ranks third in the country's sales top ten.
