Categories: Cars

The New G45 BMW X3 Hits U.S. Production Lines: Exclusive Look At Assembly

Production of the new G45 BMW X3 began a few months ago at both the Spartanburg Plant in South Carolina and Plant Rosslyn in South Africa. While we’ve previously seen the South African production line in action, today brings a look at how the new X3 is assembled in the United States.

BMW has just shared a set of images and a video showcasing the G45 X3’s assembly process, providing insights into the production workflow. While Spartanburg handles most of the global X3 output, the plug-in hybrid xDrive 30e is produced exclusively in South Africa. This is likely due to the fact that North America doesn’t offer the PHEV option, with only two versions available: the X3 xDrive30 and X3 M50.

Two Models Sold In America

The starting price for the X3 xDrive30 in the U.S. is $50,675 without options. For those opting for the X3 M50 M Performance model, the price begins at $65,275. As previously noted, BMW won’t be releasing an X3 M variant for the new lineup, positioning the X3 M50 as the highest-performance model. Additionally, the M40d won’t be continued outside of America, as BMW is phasing out the performance diesel model.

Best Selling Model

BMW expects strong sales for the new luxury crossover. In 2023, the outgoing “G01” X3 achieved 355,000 sales, making it BMW’s best-selling model (excluding combined 3 Series Sedan and Touring sales). Since the first-generation “E83” launched 21 years ago, the X3’s primary market has been the United States, accounting for 41% of global demand. In 2023 alone, 63,172 units sold in the U.S., making up 17.4% of BMW’s U.S. volume, second only to the larger X5 with 72,573 units sold.

The new X3 will also be produced at a third facility in a slightly modified form. A long-wheelbase version for the Chinese market will be manufactured at BMW Brilliance Automotive’s (BBA) Lydia plant in Shenyang.