The launch of the new BMW X3 marked the introduction of the third version of the popular SUV, but also a brand new chapter for the Bavarian brand. Lately, BMW’s sales have taken a hit as the SUV madness took over the world and buyers seemingly don’t want to buy anything else anymore. Since the blue and white roundel isn’t usually fixed on a high-riding car, the Germans had to adapt.
Now CEO Harald Krueger is determined to have his company climb back up the ladder with the introduction of the new X3. In a recent statement to Automotive News, he claimed that since the company he is running invented this segment with the original X3 it would only be natural for it to claim the number one spot in terms of sales too.
“We created that segment. The No. 1 approach and target I clearly have is, there shouldn’t be anyone besides us who is No. 1,” Krueger said last week after unveiling the redesigned 2018 X3 at BMW’s assembly plant here. “If somebody on my team is not performing to that, well, he has a problem.”
The demand was there with the previous generation as well, but it seemed like the Spartanburg plant, where the X3 used to be exclusively made, couldn’t make the cars fast enough for the global market. That’s all about to change now, as the new G01 X3 will also be built in South Africa and, most importantly, China. Since the latter is BMW’s biggest market, that should free up some very valuable slots in the production line at Spartanburg.
The BMW X3 was indeed the best selling car for quite some time when it was a new proposition on the market. Up until 2008 it was basically unchallenged in terms of sales and it managed to do the same in 2011 and 2012. However, with the competition getting better and more diverse every year, things have changed, prompting BMW to adapt. Hopefully, the new X3 will be a good enough proposition for the customers to become the king of its class once again.
