BMW says that strong demand for its X1 means that production of the popular crossover will be split, with an automotive manufacturing company based in the Netherlands set to pick up the slack.
With eight different models currently being built on a single line at the BMW Group Plant in Regensburg and “strong global demand” for the X1, the brand says additional production capacity has become essential.
VDL Nedcar, which is based in Born in the Netherlands, will thus from August 2017 share production of the X1 with the Regensburg factory. The Munich-based automaker, however, emphasises that “the main volume of the BMW X1 will still be produced in Regensburg”.
VDL Nedcar has been a BMW partner since 2014. The Dutch manufacturer is currently responsible for building three Mini models: the three-door Mini hatch, the Mini Convertible and the new Mini Countryman. The X1 will thus be the fourth BMW Group model to roll off the production line in Born.
X models have become increasingly important for the brand, with one in three BMW models sold globally in 2016 featuring an X-badge. In South Africa last year, BMW sold 2 138 units of the X1, making the model its third-best-selling range (after the 3 Series and 1 Series).
