BMW India rolls out 50,000th car

50,000th locally-assembled BMW rolls out of the Chennai plant

BMW India’s manufacturing unit in Chennai has rolled out the 50,000th locally produced car – a BMW 7 Series - in the country.  The German luxury car maker achieved this feat in about 9 years since it started local assembly of its cars in India in 2007. BMW currently assembles 8 models in the country including the 1 Series, 3 Series – sedan and GT, 5 Series, 7 Series, X1, X3 and X5 for sale in the domestic market.

Last year, BMW stepped up parts localization at its production plant in Chennai to 50 per cent. Subsequently, the firm reduced the prices of its models in the country. The BMW Chennai facility is capable of assembling 14,000 units per annum. In July 2015, BMW announced a partnership with Force Motors for assembling its four- and six-cylinder engines for BMW cars sold in India. This is the German luxury car marque’s first engine assembly unit outside Germany.

Commenting on the development, Dr. Jochen Stallkamp, Managing Director, BMW Plant Chennai said, “It is with great pride that we are rolling-out the 50,000th car locally produced at BMW Plant Chennai. Each and every BMW that is locally produced is of the same international standards as anywhere else in the world and brings a smile on the faces of our customers. Highly skilled employees, advanced manufacturing processes along with state-of-the-art machinery and technology provide all the necessary ingredients to achieve these tough standards. We are proud of this achievement and look forward to many such milestones in the future.”

Earlier in 2016, BMW launched the all-new 7 Series and X1 in the country. While BMW is currently the number 1 luxury car manufacturer in the world (sales wise), its sales in India are only third best in the segment as it trails behind its arch-rivals Mercedes-Benz and Audi.

In order to push sales in the country, BMW recently launched the petrol version of the 3 Series in India. It is also expected to bring a petrol variant of the 5 Series sedan in the near future.

Also read: BMW brings back 3 Series petrol