Part of a R6.1-billion investment first announced in 2015, the plant will not only relieve excess demand placed on the Spartanburg plant in South Carolina but directly and indirectly benefit 45 000 people employed by BMW Group South Africa.
Upgraded in October last year at an additional cost of R160-million, the plant has the capacity to produce 76 000 X3’s annually and comes after the 1 191 604th and final 3-series rolled through its doors on February 22nd in concluding production at BMW’s first plant built outside Germany.
“The allocation of production of such a crucial model to our plant is about as big a vote of confidence as it gets. The demand for the BMW X3 globally is powerful, and ramping up on time and to the right standards is vital to the model's success,” BMW Group CEO for South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa, Tim Abbott, said in a statement.
