VDL Nedcar plant to roll out new BMW series

DutchNews, January 23, 2017

German carmaker BMW has confirmed it will begin production of its BMW XI sports utility vehicle at the VDL Nedcar plant in Born in the southern province of Limburg.

BMW chief Harald Krüger said in an interview with the Automotive News Europe website that the SUV would be produced alongside the Mini Hatchback, Cabrio and Countryman models in the Dutch plant. 

The increase in production capacity at Nedcar is relatively simple because the BMW XI uses the same platform as the Mini Countryman. The extra production capacity in Born is needed because BMW’s capacity at its main plant in Regensburg cannot be further expanded despite adding another shift. 

The work at Born will create hundreds of jobs at the plant which was threatened with closure four years ago when it was owned by Mitsubishi, The plant started up operations again in 2014 after being acquired by the VDL Groep two years earlier.