The first new MINI 5-door Hatch comes off the production line at Plant Oxford. The new 5-door will go on sale in autumn this year and will open up a whole new market segment. This 5-door hatch is a second car to be built on the new platform which increases the flexibility of the body manufacturing process, allowing more models of greater variation to be produced more efficiently.
Preparations for the new generation of MINI have seen the building of a new bodyshop at Oxford and significant investment in facilities and technologies at Plant Swindon, where the car’s body panels are pressed and a number of sub-assemblies made. Plant Oxford’s assembly employees also went through a programme of training to support the launch of the new model generation.
Frank Bachmann, managing director of MINI Plants Oxford and Swindon, said, “This is an exciting day for us with the first ever 5-door MINI for the plant, which opens up a whole new market segment for the brand.” He added, “BMW Group has invested in creating state-of-the-art technology and facilities at Oxford and Swindon for the launch of this new generation of MINI, demonstrating the company’s commitment to a long-term future for its UK production sites.”
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