BMW to add three additional car models in China

BMW will be adding three additional car models for China, including a new compact. BMW confirmed plans to expand the capacity of its two manufacturing plants in China.

“We are strengthening our focus on meeting the needs and aspirations of our Chinese customers,” said Friedrich Eichiner, BMW’s chief finance officer, according to the text of a speech he delivered in Beijing. “We are going to double our range of locally produced models in the future—from three to six.”

The company’s plants in Dadong and Tiexi can produce up to 300,000 vehicles combined a year. BMW plans to expand that capacity to a combined 400,000 cars over the next two years. The plants now produce the 5 Series sedans, the 3 Series sedan, and the X1.

The new compact car to be built in China is rumored to be a new luxury compact to compete with rivals from Nissan and Mercedes-Benz.

BMW also will roll out a variant of its X3 SUV, made especially for China, and an as yet unidentified model targeting Chinese families that Mr. Eichiner described as “a high functionality car that combines usability and typical BMW dynamics.”

Source: NYTimes