RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – German luxury cars, produced by BMW, are making history in the Brazilian automotive industry. And the numbers are eloquent regarding the boom that the three-letter brand is experiencing in Brazil.
A little more than two years after starting production of the current generation of the 3 Series, the Araquari industrial complex in Brazil reached the production of 30,000 units of the BMW 3 Series.
Otávio Rodacoswiski, director of the Araquari plant, about the success of the 3 Series, highlighted: “It is the best-selling premium vehicle in Brazil, an example of the purest driving pleasure and technology of BMW and it is proudly produced by our team, which celebrates this new milestone in our history in the country”.
The automaker from Munich has been making great strides in the Brazilian market, and its Araquari plant has quickly borne fruit.
The reception among users that the current generation of the midsize sedan had is truly remarkable: on September 30, 2019, the Santa Catarina industrial complex celebrated, on the one hand, its first five years and at the same time began production of the current generation (G20) of the 3 Series, a model that to date has just achieved this new milestone.
The first unit was a 320i ActiveFlex – adapted to run on gasoline and ethanol – in white, while the 30,000th unit was a 320i in Portimao Blue. The 320i GP, 320i GP, and 320i M Sport versions are currently manufactured there, all equipped with the 184 hp 2.0 TwinPower Turb engine – adapted to run on gasoline or ethanol – associated with an 8-speed automatic gearbox and rear-wheel drive, with seven color options.
In addition to the 3 Series, the Brazilian plant produces the X1, X3, X4, and X5 SUVs, although only to supply the domestic market. In the framework of the celebration of the 26th anniversary of presence in Brazil, when a new investment of R$500 million (US$95 million) was announced, the company not only ratified the continuity of these products but also reinforced their importance in the future: as is already known, the BMW Group is facing a strong electrification strategy, especially in Europe.
When the entire range marketed in Europe is fully electrified, the Araquari plant will be responsible for vehicles with combustion engines.
The production of the new X3 and X4 will include all versions, including the sporty xDrive 30i M Sport and X4 M40i, which with its 387 hp engine, will be the most potent vehicle manufactured in Brazil. They will be joined by an “unpublished model” that has not yet been presented on the global market, which will be the new generation of the X1.
For this year, the brand’s objective is to manufacture some 10,000 units, a figure similar to that of 2021, to gradually scale up to 32,000 units per year, which is the maximum capacity of the industrial complex.