Chasing after a sales record and a 10 percent rise in pretax profit for 2014, BMW looks to increase output at the automaker’s Spartanburg, S.C. plant.
Reuters reports the plant is undergoing the necessary work needed to increase annual production of the automaker’s X Series from 300,000 to 350,000, with BMW chief executive Norbert Reithofer explaining that the U.S. market was one of great potential; thus, the plan to increase capacity. This would be in addition to the 400,000 units BMW aims to assemble in China after necessary investments raised capacity from 300,000 a year ago.
Though Reithofer remained mum on exact figures for how many of the SUVs will exit Spartanburg, as well as whether or not the automaker will introduce the X7 large SUV, he reiterated BMW’s goal of selling over 2 million units this year, having come close with 1.96 million in 2013. He also expects “group profit before tax to rise significantly” this year in spite of “ongoing volatile business conditions.” BMW COO Friedrich Eichiner later clarified Reithofer’s statement, claiming the figure to be “somewhere in the range of a high single-digit and a double-digit amount.”
Augmenting the expanding production, 12 new models are set to debut in the second half of 2014, including the 2 Series, 2 Series Active Tourer, and the i8.
Just keep building cheaper cars!
That they will. Ugh.
I’m somewhat ashamed to admit it, but the possibility of an X7 is intriguing. My wife and I are expecting our third and we’ll probably have at least one more. When it comes to space, the 3-row crossovers can either hold lots of people or lots of stuff, but not both at the same time. Her Flex is one of the leaders at cargo space with all three rows up, and it’s still pretty tight. Neither of us have any desire to get something as big as a Suburban/Expedition EL. A minivan is the most like result, but nobody gets excited about a minivan except those who value pure practicality above all else. I’d still prefer something a bit more soul-stirring than a pure appliance.
As someone who has spent the last twenty years pursuing soul stirring cars, after becoming a father of only two, you can’t beat the minivan. I fought it with three row SUV’s – not even close. Low floors, high ceilings, automatic doors, seats, ignition, tons of storage with the three rows up, cavernous with the third row down. And they get better mpg than anything else for size and utility. Our Routan (with the great 3.6 Chrysler drivetrain) gets 28-30 mpg highway at 80mph. So melt away into the masses and enjoy motoring obscurity. We also have an X5.
There was to be an X7 partner to the X5 when it was very popular in the mid 00s. The idea was scrapped, for a reason I cannot recall at the moment.
Edit: Scrapped because of 08 financial crisis.
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kBH75i0nP2s/Uej8q6htWMI/AAAAAAAAARI/qZPZUfKIOcc/s1600/bmw+x7.JPG
Another vote for the minivan. Fully and specifically optimized to address all problems kids and (their) cargo present. Tamp down the need for mechanical “soul-stirring,” and think of the kids and the wife. They’ll be happy as clams in the minivan (no dinging parked cars with side doors, no strained muscles rasslin’ tykes into car seats, etc.) And, with your sacrifice made, you’ll have earned all the points necessary for some serious wheels once the kids have grown (and THAT happens in a hurry!) Good luck and enjoy your new minivan.
Personally I was treated rather poorly at the car show and at the dealer. Also it wouldn’t hurt that at least one 3 series wagon be available in Houston. Maybe they could of sold one more car.
I can’t hear “BMW aims to assemble in China” without thinking fake Rolex.
The above picture just made a Dodge Dart look that much better.
That X4 has different sized gaps between the tires and wheel arch in front vs. the rear. Gross.
That’s um… foreshortening… yeah.
Is this a SUS (Sport Utility(or lack thereof) Sedan?
Upon looking at lots of other photos of X4’s (and same X4 with this number plate), from many different angles, none of them have the same issue as the one in this photo. I think it’s that the wheels are turned.
I’ll shop the 2 Active Tourer. There’s nothing else like it.
An X7? That sounds interesting…because while Audi’s Q7 and Mercedes-Benz’ GL-Class are dedicated seven-seaters, the X5 is certainly not…meaning that BMW is missing out on a very profitable segment of the market.
Hmm would you chuck in the Discovery with those two?
I suppose I would…although the Discovery really competes in an almost non-existent class with the Lexus GX 460, aka “Luxed-Up Land Cruiser Prado”.
I kind of put the LR4, GX, and JX as well in this “medium sized, not Germanic” class. Though the JX is not truck based.