The BMW X3 has been around for almost two decades now. It falls into the compact crossover category and it was featured as a smaller and more efficient alternative to the X5.
The X3 has been a very underrated car over the years when you compare it to its bigger cousin. Despite this, it still manages to sell in great numbers.
There’s an important question though; where is BMW X3s made? The X3, like all of its SAV cousins except for the X1, is manufactured in the famous Spartanburg plant in Greer, NC. As far as production volume is concerned, this is the largest plant for BMW outside Germany.
Other locations where the X3 is built include South Africa and China. However, most of the North American X3 models come from the American plant. The following piece tells you all that you need to know and it answers some frequently asked questions:
Where are BMW X3s built?
The X3 is mainly built in the BMW Spartanburg plant in the portside city of Greer, South Carolina. It was unveiled in 1994 and the first-ever vehicle that rolled out of there was a 3-series.
The Spartanburg plant is a facility that employs around 11k people. These employees work in unison to make about 1500 cars every day, according to BMW.
When the company was celebrating the plant’s 25th anniversary, they revealed that it makes the 5 highest-selling X models along with their 4 performance M versions there every day.
Due to the sheer size of the plant (a whopping 7 mil sq ft) and its production capabilities, there’s a good chance that you’ve got an American-made X3. This is because the plant tends to export 70pc of what it makes to the world outside the USA.
BMW says that they chose the facility to be built in Greer due to the port of Charleston being available there. Another reason for the choice was that the city boasts an impressive resume when it comes to technical education and hard-working citizens.
Since it is the largest production plant outside BMW’s homeland of Germany, they have invested heavily into the building and running it. BMW has invested about $10.6 billion into the plant and the behemoth facility adds $38.5 billion to the US’s economy every year.
How to Know Where a BMW X3 was Manufactured
Let’s say that you own an X3, how do you find out where it was built? Well, it is rather simple. You just need to find out the VIN of your X3.
You can find this in the owner’s manual or much easier, on the frame of the front door (driver-side). It’s also at the windshield’s base on the driver’s side of the dash.
This is the number that is unique to every car. It tells you all of the important bits of info about the car. You just need to look at the first 3 digits on the VIN to identify the vehicle. It shows the vehicle’s country of manufacture and the plant where it was made. You can identify your Bimmer X3 here.
Where is the BMW X3 M40i made?
The X3 M40i is one of the best high-end X3 cars available today. Like all other X3s, the X3 M40i is built mainly at the Spartanburg, SC plant. However, they also build them in Brazil at the Araquari factory.
Is the BMW X3 manufactured in South Africa?
Yes, it is. As mentioned above, the X3 is built in South Africa, namely in the Pretoria plant. Its production there is a new endeavor that started last year. Of course, there is little to no chance that you’ll find one of those models in North American countries like the US and Canada.
Where are X3M built?
The X3M models are built in the aforementioned Spartanburg plant. This plant makes all of the X models and their M versions, except the X1. The X1 is built in many other regions such as India, Thailand, Indonesia, China, and Germany.
Where is BMW 3 series made?
The 3 series is related to the X3 and it is produced in Germany, Mexico, and China. The Mexican and Chinese plants are more recent expansions.
Japanese vs European BMW X3
This is a recurring question in all of the car forums. However, it doesn’t apply to BMW cars as none of them are made in Japan.