Advantages of buying locally built vehicles like the BMW X3

In the modern automotive world the majority of cars are built for a global market, with the same cars using the same platforms and engines sold in 100s of markets. South Africans can therefore count themselves lucky that they are still able to buy vehicles that are built right here in South Africa. BMWs Rosslyn plant, located just north of Pretoria, has been producing BMWs for many years now, with a long run of 3 series production, more than 1 million of those models were built here. More recently the plant was switched over to produce the medium sized SUV in the form of the BMW X3. Buying a locally produced vehicle such as the BMW X3 offers a number of advantages.

It is more affordable

While vehicle pricing is determined by complex pricing strategies, with factors like segment, competitors and equipment levels taken into account, locally built vehicles do still represent some cost savings. This is due to the fact that locally built vehicles are devoid of import duties and transport costs are significantly less because as in the case of BMW they are built less than 50km from Pretoria and less than 100km from Johannesburg.

The waiting time is shorter

While each countries production allocation is predetermined, local buyers will be able to get their cars sooner as the transport times are so much shorter. In the current global supply chain crisis importing a vehicle from China or Europe to South Africa can take as long as two months. With a plant down the road in Rosslyn, local motorists can take delivery of their new X3 almost as soon as the paint has dried.

You are supporting the local economy

By buying a locally built vehicle you are supporting the local automotive industry. While modern vehicles plants are increasingly reliant on machinery they still employ thousands of people. In addition these manufacturing facilities rely on local suppliers for many of the parts used in the production of these vehicles. These locally sourced parts can include anything from windscreens and tyres to seats, carpets and even dashboards. These suppliers employ a significant workforce in order to meet the parts demand of big vehicle manufacturing facilities. The upgrading of BMWs Rosslyn facility ahead of local production of the X3 totalled R6.2 billion, one of the biggest in the local automotive industry at the time.

Wider model range

The number of different X3 models built is literally in the hundreds with each market specifying their vehicles from a pool of trim, engine, paint and wheel options. The knock on effect is that it is very easy for all these configurations, or many of them, to be made available in the local market giving local buyers a wide range of derivatives to choose from.