Only one month has passed since BMW ended production of the X3 “G01” in South Africa. On October 1st, its successor model, the G45, rolled off the assembly line. The Roslyn plant will be the only plant in the world that produces the plug-in hybrid model “X3 30e xDrive.” The first vehicles to roll off the assembly line were built for export markets, specifically right-hand drive countries.
When the last previous-generation X3 rolled off the assembly line on August 28, BMW counted 403,114 cars assembled at its Roslyn plant since 2018. Only time will tell if its successor can match the popularity of its predecessor. The German luxury brand believes it will be a commercial hit, given that production runs in three shifts.
This first X3, painted Fire Red (Vegas Red in the US), is a plug-in hybrid. However, BMW will also build the conventionally driven X3 in South Africa. The M50 will not be produced at the Roslyn plant. Only the Spartanburg, South Carolina, U.S. plant assembles M Performance models. Let’s not forget that there will also be a long-wheelbase version, but it will only be manufactured in China for the domestic market.
“G45” has a simpler lineup compared to the old “G01”. First, BMW has discontinued the rear-wheel-drive version with the sDrive badge. Additionally, the X3 M40d is not getting a replacement, but a six-cylinder diesel is expected to arrive in 2025. As previously reported, a full-fat X3 M with a gasoline engine is not planned. The Chinese-made iX3 also won’t be making a comeback, at least not on the CLAR platform. Its successor will be produced at the Debrecen plant in Hungary and will be built on the Neue Klasse platform.
Speaking of China, the previous generation X3 is still produced as the iX3. BMW Brilliance Automotive’s (BBA) Shenyang Lidya plant is scheduled to continue producing the G08 until the second quarter of 2025. However, BMW told us earlier this week that the electric crossover is no longer available due to full orders.
Source: BMW South Africa
