BMW is planning to offer a long wheelbase version of the 3-Series sedan for the Chinese market.
The new LWB 3-Series will compete with the hugely successful Audi A4L, the extended wheelbase version of the smallest Audi saloon in the lineup. The new BMW 3 Series LWB will be built at a brand new plant in the Shengyang economic zone its Chinese partner Brilliance Auto.
The new factory will have an installed capacity of manufacturing 100,000 units a year and will be ready by 2012 according to the Chairman of Brilliance Auto, Qi Yu Min. The new plant will also manufacture the X1 crossover which would also be launched in India shortly.
With the new factory in place, the BMW and Brilliance Auto alliance will be able to manufacture 300,000 cars a year in China with upto 60% parts sourced locally. The plant will also manufacture the soon to be launched X1 crossover.
BMW expects its sales to grow to 1,20,000 cars in China by 2012 which also means that the excess capacity of the plants will be used for exports.
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