BMW plant in Debrecen (Hungary) to start production at the end of 2025
- The BMW assembly plant in Debrecen (Hungary) will finally start up at the end of 2025, producing a new generation of the BMW iX3, a battery electric D-segment SUV.
- It should be remembered that the current electric iX3 has been assembled in China since 2020 in a factory owned by its historic partner Brilliance, recently renamed Shineray. It is sold worldwide and could continue to be produced and sold in China after the launch of the new generation of the iX3 produced in Europe at the end of 2025 (It should be noted that the current battery electric iX3 is derived from the X3 model produced in the USA since 2010 and still currently).
- The new version of the iX3 will differ from the fourth generation of the BMW X3 (G45) assembled in the USA and launched in Europe in June 2024 because it will adopt a new platform dedicated to the carmaker's battery electric vehicles and a new style inspired by the "Neue Klasse" unveiled last year and seen again at the 2024 Paris Motor Show last October.
- The name "Neue Klasse" refers to the first BMW 1500 designed by designer Michelotti and presented in 1961 at the Frankfurt Motor Show, which marked a new beginning for the Munich brand after difficult years.
- The success of the future iX3 will depend mainly on the success of electric SUVs in Europe from now to 2030. The current generation produced in China at 45,000 units in 2021, 64,000 in 2022, 71,000 in 2023 and 50,000 in 2024 was mainly sold in China. The future iX3 will therefore have to expand its scope to Europe.