New elongated BMW X3 began volume production in China
The long-wheelbase variant of the new BMW X3 began volume production in China. It is 9 cm longer than the standard X3 for the global market. The new China-made German SUV will start sales in Q1 this year.
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BMW formed a joint venture with Brilliance Auto in 2003 to manufacture cars in China. Nowadays, the BMW-Brilliance JV operates two manufacturing plants in Shenyang. They form the largest production base in the BMW Group’s worldwide production network. The Shenyang’s Tiexi factory started mass production of the all-new BMW X3 with elongated wheelbase.
BMW X3 mass production in China
Chinese customers prefer vehicles with extra space in the second-row seats. Therefore, global automakers make elongated variants of their cars. There are some examples: Audi Q5L, Range Rover Evoque L, BMW X5L, etc. BWM-Brilliance have also created a long-wheelbase variant of the new X3. It has no ‘L’ letter in its name. However, its dimensions were seemingly enlarged.
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On January 7, BMW-Brilliance officially marked the production start of the BMW X3 (G48) at the Tiexi plant. This factory has the BMW’s largest paint shop with automatic optical inspection. According to the automaker, robots take over 100,000 photos of the paint surface of each vehicle, identifying impurities, fibers, scratches, etc. Its detection accuracy is 0.01 mm.
Another feature of the factory is an automatic wheel hub test station. The BMW X3 get to the test site right after rolling off the production line. The wheel hub system allows the vehicle to speed up to 150 km/h, verifying calibration of the electronics and powertrain. Afterwards, each BMW X3 passes a 2.5-lm test track with 12 sections, including asphalt patches, 8-shaped turns, etc. It allows to test the dynamic performance of the car.
More about the BMW X3
As mentioned, the BMW X3 for the Chinese market has a longer wheelbase. Its exact dimensions reach 4865/1920/1664 mm with a wheelbase of 2975 mm. The Chinese variant of the X3 is 90 mm longer and 30 mm wider than its sibling for global markets. Moreover, the wheelbase of the Chinese BMW X3 is on par with the standard BMW X5.
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The BMW X3 adopts the brand’s latest design language with a large glow kidney grille, flush door handles, a slanted roofline, and signature taillights. Inside, the new X3 adopts a 14.9-inch curved display and an interaction bar. The powertrain of the China-spec BMW X3 adopts a 2-liter turbocharged engine for 211 kW (283 hp) paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission. The new BMW X3 will start sales in China in Q1 this year.
