In recent years, BBA has made efforts to move upwards in flagship models, and the acceleration of localization is precisely the great importance that these overseas manufacturers attach to the Chinese market. From the information obtained so far, BMW will manufacture the X5, which has been popular in China, starting next year.
The X5 currently produced for the Chinese market is produced at BMW's Spartanburg plant in Greer, South Carolina, but given the strong demand for it in the Chinese market, it will soon be produced locally through BMW Brilliance as well.
A supplier source told that X5 production in China will begin in the second quarter of 2022. A BMW spokesperson also confirmed that the X5 produced in China will be sold exclusively in the local market.
Production levels for the X5 at the Spartanburg plant will not be affected, and the SUV is also being produced in Thailand, Indonesia, India, Malaysia and Mexico.
From January to September, BMW sold nearly 700,000 cars in China, up nearly 20 percent from the same period last year. Nicolas Peter, the company's chief financial officer, said in an interview as early as September that he was confident that sales in China would continue to grow in 2022.
"The market will not grow as fast as it has in the last 1 year, but we do expect it to grow, and Travel restrictions in China give local consumers more money to spend at their disposal, helping to boost sales growth," Peter said.
It is reported that BMW has been producing the fourth generation of X5 since 2018 and is currently undergoing a mid-term overhaul, which will arrive as soon as next year.