Board of Management Member for Production Oliver Zipse:
“Dingolfing remains our competence centre for upper-class BMW series”
Several hundred million euros in investment“
Dingolfing. The seventh generation of the BMW 5
Series will also be built at BMW Group Plant Dingolfing in Lower
Bavaria. Production of the new BMW 5 Series Sedan will ramp up before
the end of the year, ready for market launch in early 2017. In
preparation for the new model, there has been extensive refurbishment
and construction in all technologies at the Dingolfing plant in recent
months. Several hundred million euros have been invested in measures
including a new body shop to the west of the plant and restructuring
of drivetrain unit installation at the vehicle assembly facility.
“Dingolfing will remain our competence centre for production of
upper-class BMW series,” according to Oliver Zipse, member of the
Board of Management of BMW AG, responsible for Production. In addition
to manufacturing all BMW 7 Series and BMW 6 Series models, the site
will continue to produce all variants of the new BMW 5 Series and also
serve as the lead plant for the BMW 5 Series’ international production
network. For the first time, additional units of the new BMW 5 Series
Sedan will also be built by Austrian contract manufacturer Magna Steyr
AG Co KG at their plant in Graz.
“The high level of flexibility within our global production network
and reliable cooperation with our partner, Magna Steyr, will enable us
to respond swiftly to the strong customer demand we anticipate for the
world’s most successful business limousine,” adds Zipse.
The BMW 5 Series has been the market leader in the premium
upper-class segment for many years, with more than 347,000 units sold
in 2015.
Integration of new BMW 3 Series and 4 Series models means that
production volumes at the BMW Group plant in Dingolfing have risen
significantly. As a result, the site now produces around 350,000
vehicles per year. “The decision to build 3 Series and 4 Series
variants here proves that we are competitive and makes us less
dependent on the lifecycle of our large model series,” explains
Dingolfing Plant Manager Josef Kerscher. However, as a consequence of
this successful growth, the plant can no longer accommodate the
expected volumes alone. Nevertheless, the bulk of the BMW 5 Series
models will still be produced in Dingolfing.
“We are delighted to have a highly-professional partner like Magna
Steyr produce this successful model for us. They will certainly
benefit from our years of experience building the BMW 5 Series: Our
staff here in Dingolfing will work very closely with the plant in
Graz,” adds Kerscher.
The BMW 5 Series Sedan is the second BMW model to be produced by the
Austrian contract manufacturer; the first was the BMW X3, which was
manufactured by Magna Steyr between 2003 and 2010. Magna Steyr
currently also builds the MINI Countryman and the MINI Paceman for the
BMW Group.
Production of the new BMW 5 Series Sedan will get underway at the end
of the year at the main plant in Dingolfing and at Magna Steyr in Graz
in early 2017.