Faced with a rising Euro, BMW AG is planning to build the next generation X3 at its present North American plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina. It is presently assembled in Austria by Magna Steyr, a unit of Magna International.
Last year, 105,000 X5s and Z4s were assembled at the plant. Maximum production capacity is presently set at 140,000 units. With the imminent arrival of the new X6 and now, the plans to shift the next X3's production, the plant's capacity will be increased to 200,000 units over the next 2 or 3 years. Since its introduction in January 2004, the 114,000 X3s have been sold worldwide.
photo: BMW