Due to strong global demand for the BMW X1, the BMW Group announced that they will expand its SUV production at VDL Nedcar in Born in the Netherlands.
Starting August 2017, VDL Nedcar will share production of the BMW X1 for the world market with BMW Group Plant Regensburg. VDL Nedcar has built three MINI models in Born since 2014, and the BMW X1 will be the fourth BMW model to roll off the production lines at VDL Nedcar. Over its lifecycle, the main volume of the BMW X1 will still be produced in Regensburg, however.
With 8 different models built on a single line, production volumes at BMW Group Plant Regensburg have risen significantly in recent years. The plant is also where the second generation BMW X1 has been manufactured since July 2015.
BMW Group Plant Regensburg and VDL Nedcar are partner plants since early 2014 and have established a close and successful collaboration. VDL Nedcar has many years of experience manufacturing high-quality cars and is a trusted and reliable partner for the BMW Group production network. The involvement of VDL Nedcar as a contract manufacturer gives BMW the flexibility to respond quickly to market demand for the BMW X1.
Peter Haug, Marketing Director of BMW Group Netherlands, “In the Netherlands, demand for BMW X models has been very strong, especially for the BMW X1. Last year, a total of 1,946 units were registered, making it the best sales result since the first generation was launched in 2009. In 2016, no less than 62.2% of all X models sold in the Netherlands (3,131 in total) were BMW X1s, which means that 1 in 6 BMW models sold was a BMW X1.”
In 2016, BMW sold a total of 2,003,359 vehicles (an increase of 5.2% compared to 2015), of which 644,922 were X models (an increase of 22.3% compared to 2015). 1 in 3 BMW models sold in 2016 was an X model.
The BMW X1 sold in Malaysia on the other hand are locally assembled at BMW Group Malaysia’s plant in Kulim, Kedah. Thanks to its localization and customized Energy Efficient Vehicle (EEV) status, the X1 is much more affordable, with a starting price of RM230,800.00.
