BMW X1 to Be Built in China

The fast expanding Chinese market is opening new business opportunities for carmakers not traditionally linked with this part of the world. Having become in the past few years one of the fastest growing market for German carmaker BMW, China is also becoming the next El Dorado of vehicle manufacturing.

With that in mind, BMW announced today plans to build the new X1 locally sometime in the future. Also in China, BMW will manufacture the 5 Series Long Wheelbase starting this autumn.

"The BMW X1 could be one of the first products for our new plant in Tiexi in the Shenyang region. We are currently exploring this possibility together with the authorities here in China,” Norbert Reithofer, BMW chairman of the board said in Beijing.

In addition to the new models' production, a second manufacturing facility will be built by BMW here. Following a 560 million euros investment to be made together with partner Brilliance, the facility, whose construction will begin in June 2010, will start producing cars in 2012.

“With our new plant in Tiexi, we will be increasing our production capacity in China to 100,000 vehicles a year from 2012 on. Over the long term, we anticipate the two plants having combined potential for as many as 300,000 vehicles a year – depending on market trends. We may realistically need this potential over the long term," added Reithofer.

“China is, and will remain, one of the most attractive automobile markets in the world.”