Majority of BMWs Sold in Germany Now Feature All-Wheel Drive Technology

The Rise of xDrive: BMW Dominates the German Market

The first quarter of 2026 saw a significant milestone for BMW in Germany, with over 60% of new registrations featuring the xDrive technology. This marks a steady increase from the previous year’s 54.9%, indicating a growing trend towards all-wheel drive vehicles in the market. In comparison, Audi’s Quattro units lag behind at 49.5%, while Mercedes stands at 44.7% for 4Matic.

The success of BMW can be attributed to the popularity of their X-series SUVs, where rear-wheel drive options have become increasingly rare in Germany. With an xDrive rate of around 80% in the SUV segment, the brand has established a strong foothold. However, the shift towards all-wheel drive extends beyond SUVs, with 41.9% of BMW’s sedan and coupe registrations also opting for xDrive.

The evolution of xDrive within BMW’s lineup is evident when looking back to 2009 when only 14.9% of BMWs sold in Germany featured the technology. Fast forward to Q1 2026, and the figure has skyrocketed to 60.2%, marking a fourfold increase over 17 years. Despite some stagnation in growth between 2014 and 2016, the overall trajectory has been upward, culminating in a majority threshold crossing in 2021.

The shift towards xDrive is evident at the model level as well, with the 8 Series and other high-output variants overwhelmingly opting for all-wheel drive. BMW’s strategic move to remove rear-drive options from these models has influenced customer decisions, driving the adoption of xDrive across the range.

Furthermore, BMW’s upcoming release of the M2 M xDrive signals a new era for compact sports cars, offering a rear-biased all-wheel-drive system with a full rear-wheel-drive mode. This innovation aims to attract skeptics and solidify BMW’s position as a leader in the all-wheel-drive segment.

[Source: BimmerToday]