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2019 BMW 3 Series G20 Sedan Will Be Mexican

And that’s a wrap. Starting sometime in the near future, BMW’s 3 Series will no longer have South African origins, but Mexican roots. On Thursday, German manufacturer BMW announced the end of production for the model at the Rosslyn facility in Pretoria, South Africa.
BMW 3 Series No. 1,191,604 13 photos
Photo: BMW
BMW ends production of the 3 Series in South AfricaBMW ends production of the 3 Series in South AfricaBMW ends production of the 3 Series in South AfricaBMW ends production of the 3 Series in South AfricaBMW ends production of the 3 Series in South AfricaBMW ends production of the 3 Series in South AfricaBMW ends production of the 3 Series in South AfricaBMW ends production of the 3 Series in South AfricaBMW ends production of the 3 Series in South AfricaBMW ends production of the 3 Series in South AfricaBMW ends production of the 3 Series in South AfricaBMW ends production of the 3 Series in South Africa
For the past 35 years, the South African country has been manufacturing the 3 Series. In recent years, the plant accounted for one in four such models of the 3 Series sedan sold worldwide.

In the three decades+ of assembling cars there, the Pretoria plant spat out 1,191,603 units of the 3 Series, divided into five generations. Number 1,191,604 is the last one to roll off assembly lines.

Limited editions of the range, such as the BMW 333i and 325iS have also been manufactured in the South African plant.

Production of the new generation 3 Series sedan will start at the San Luis Potosi facility in Mexico, one which BMW will have ready sometime in 2019.

The South African facility will be reconverted to accommodate the assembly of the new BMW X3 after a hefty investment (one of the biggest in the local automotive industry) announced ever since 2015.

“We look back with great pride over an extraordinary career path of the production at Plant Rosslyn,” said Tim Abbott, CEO BMW Group South Africa.

“Over the years, the development of our production and export programme has been the catalyst for our sustainable growth and contribution to the South African economy.”

Production of the 3 Series sedan will continue at other BMW plants. The Germans are gearing up for the new G20 generation soon, with production scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter of the year.

The new version will use the CLAR architecture, providing for more cabin room and reduced weight. Power will come from several engines, including the 3.0-liter straight-six gasoline with 340 hp and the similar displacement diesel version offering 320 horsepower.
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About the author: Daniel Patrascu
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Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies.
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