Going into 2020, BMW had momentum on its side. The automaker had bested rival Mercedes-Benz to grab the U.S. luxury sales crown in 2019 — BMW's first annual U.S. luxury win since 2015. BMW also had come off a strong product offensive last year, highlighted by the introduction of the X7 flagship crossover and 8 Series convertible and Gran Coupe.

"If you and I would have had this conversation before the coronavirus crisis, I would have said I'm looking forward to one of the best years," BMW of North America CEO Bernhard Kuhnt told Automotive News . "It's a year where we've got a great product lineup in place; it's a year where we have dealer relations going in a positive direction."

That was then. Now, for Kuhnt and his team, it's about managing their way "through the storm" and learning from the crisis.

While unsure about whether the American economic recovery will be U-, V- or L-shaped, Kuhnt said: "I am confident that if there's no second wave of corona, slowly but surely we'll come back to more normal business."

But it will be a new normal — one in which customers will do more of the shopping process online, Kuhnt said. Dealers will have to respond to those expectations — offering vehicle pickup and delivery for service appointments and rethinking store layouts to ensure physical distancing for customers and employees.