The first BMW car to be assembled in a new South American automobile plant in Araquari, Santa Catarina State (Brazil) was announced today by the BMW Group.
The plant is scheduled to produce the MINI Countryman, BMW 1 Series 5-door model, BMW 3 Series Sedan, BMW X1, and BMW X3.
Over the course of the next few years, more than 200 million Euros (A$289 million) will be invested in the plant, resulting in a production capacity of more than 30,000 vehicles annually. The first car to roll off the assembly line in Araquari is a BMW 328i ActiveFlex.
The new site will create around 1300 new jobs; 500 new employees are already on board. Further jobs will be created within the supplier network of the new plant.
All construction on the production site is due to be completed by September 2015, by which time the site will comprise also a body shop and a paint shop. The facility will also include administrative and auxiliary infrastructure as well as logistic activities.
By adding a new plant in Brazil, the BMW Group is further expanding its global production network, which now includes 30 production and assembly sites in 14 countries on four continents.
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