BMWs X3 Production Scaled Up by 25 Percent

Onslaught of New Models Help to Keep BMW Sales Strong

It doesnt take a lot of creative thinking to figure out why BMWs new X3 is becoming so popular. After all, its good looking, fabulous to drive, extremely accommodating and priced lower than any SUV with a blue and white roundel on the hood to date.

Its popularity has caused problems for BMW, but nothing the plant cant handle. Production is being increased by 25 percent to keep up with demand, from 300 units per day to 400 in Graz, Austrias Magna Steyr facility. The plant, a production partnership for 4-wheel drive vehicles, will add a total of three shifts to keep pace with orders.

During the first quarter of this year BMW had delivered more than 11,000 units of the compact SUV, according to the premium automaker.

"After its successful introductory stage the BMW X3 is in vigorous demand in Europe and American markets," stated the German automaker.

BMW is expecting sales to rise with the introduction of the new model to the UK in May and Japan in June. The brands largest single market, the United States, delivered 4,500 units during Q1 with Germanys 2,500 sales making it the number two market. Italy managed 1,000 X3s sold.

The automaker on the whole sold 113,000 vehicles during March, which is a new record up 5.6 percent from the third month last year. Its all the result of strong sales of the core 3-Series, plus a massive onslaught of new products coming from the Bavarian brand including an updated X5, an all-new 5-Series and the X3.

BMWs product offensive hasnt seemed to tax quality, being rated among the highest quality European nameplates by respected third party customer survey firms Strategic Vision, J. D. Powers and Consumer Reports.