BMW Group’s sales were down 5.5% to 323,064 in the three months to September 30 compared to the same period last year.

However, the German manufacturer’s pre-tax profits increased 9.4% to €720m (£482m) from the same time last year, below the average analyst target of €742m (£496.4m).

Despite this, BMW said was still on target to beat last 2005’s full-year profit levels. The company reaffirmed its forecast to see 2006 pre-tax profits total €4bn (£2.7bn).

BMW put the third-quarter decline in sales down to ‘model life-cycle factors’, and said the fall was expected.