No fewer than 330 X3s are built every day at the BMW Rosslyn plant in South Africa. Production of the “G45” began a little over a year ago when the first 30e xDrive rolled off the assembly line. It’s worth noting that the plug-in hybrid for all global markets will be manufactured exclusively in South Africa. A few months later, the electrified crossover was joined by the gasoline-powered X3 20 and the diesel X3 20d.
Like the PHEV, the six-cylinder X3 40d is also built exclusively in South Africa. According to Peter van Binsbergen, CEO of BMW Group South Africa, the electrified model is by far the most popular of the four variants and currently accounts for half of the Rosslyn plant’s production. In an interview with Cars.co.zathe local boss said production was “maximum capacity”.
BMW is pleased with the decision to shift production from the 3 Series to the X3. This change came in 2018 when the 3 Series “F30” was discontinued to make room for the X3 “G01”. Van Binsbergen calls it a “great strategy” because the company accurately predicted the crossover boom at the expense of sedans. The previous generation X3 proved this and remained sold out until the “G01” was discontinued in 2024.
Production of the “G45” is not limited to South Africa, as BMW also builds the upscale crossover in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Only the hot M Performance version (X3 M50) is manufactured there. This time there is no successor to the M Lite diesel model as the X3 M40d will not be returning. A full-fat X3 M with a combustion engine is also off the table.
BMW also assembles the X3 at other plants around the world, including in China, where the company produces the long-wheelbase “G48.” Despite its well-known name, the new iX3 has nothing to do with the combustion engine model and is built exclusively in Debrecen, Hungary. From 2027, the electric SUV based on the New Class will also be produced at the San Luis Potosí plant in Mexico.
In the first half of the year, combined BMW X3/X4 sales fell 24.6% to 145,663 units. However, the decline is not as dire as it looks. The “G45” is a new generation model whose production and availability was only recently fully ramped up. In addition, production of the However, a new class iX4 is coming next year.
Source: Cars.co.za
