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BMW Confirms X4 Production, Plant Expansion In Spartanburg

 
3 1,564 views Jan 12, 2012

2011 BMW X6

2011 BMW X6

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BMW will invest some $900 million into its Spartanburg, South Carolina plant over the next three years, creating 300 new jobs in 2012 alone. The expansion is a necessary response to growing global demand for BMW’s X-Model crossovers.

The investment in the Spartanburg facility will also allow BMW to build its new X4 crossover in the United States, a decision confirmed by Frank-Peter Arndt, BMW’s Group Board Member in charge of production.

BMW’s X4 crossover will borrow engines from the current X3, but will get its styling from the sloped-roof X6 and should slot between the two in size. As you’d expect, coupe-like styling will impact the X4’s ability to haul oversize cargo, and reports say that the X4 will have about 50 percent less cargo space (with rear seats up) than the theoretically-smaller X3.

Expansion of BMW's Spartanburg plant will also increase its annual production capacity to an estimated 350,000 units when the work is completed. By the end of 2012, with 300 new workers in place, that capacity is expected to be around 300,000 units.

Last year, Spartanburg built 276,065 vehicles, of which 192,813 were exported for sales in foreign (non NAFTA) markets. BMW just marked the completion of 2,000,000 vehicles at the plant, which opened in 1994.



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Comments (3)

  1. WizardsLore avatar WizardsLore Posted: 1/12/2012 3:31pm PST

    fingers crossed then that between the X3 and the X4 the quite horrifcally designed 3 series GT (bastard child of the 5 series GT) will never see the light of day !
     
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  2. fb_1491948054 avatar Kurt Ernst Posted: 1/13/2012 4:38am PST

    @WizardsLore, there seems to be an awful lot of near-redundant products in the BMW lineup these days. I'm thankful for job creation in the U.S., since the real unemployment rate remains disturbingly high, but can't really see the need for a crossover that slots in between the X3 and X5.

    Honda's Accord Crosstour and Acura's ZDX, which offer the same sloping-roof coupe styling in a crossover, have not sold well in the U.S. market. While the BMW X4 will likely be better looking, I'm not sure that's enough to move inventory.
     
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  3. WizardsLore avatar WizardsLore Posted: 1/18/2012 9:58pm PST

    BMW are trying to plug every concievable gap in the market. And where they already have done so they create a new one !

    i think an X4 would be successful. the 2 children young executive family would buy into the marque. It will probably then lead BMW to strategise for an X2, a 2 door version of the X1 with the slopey roof !

    oh and Honda / Acura are not BMW so more people woud follow the Blue propellor
     
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