Smart Manufacturing Enables Smart Driving Pleasure.
The All-New BMW X3 Officially Enters Mass Production at BMW Brilliance’s Plant Tiexi Lydia Site

(Beijing) January 7, an all-new BMW X3 rolled slowly off the final assembly line in the assembly shop at BMW Brilliance’s Lydia Site in Plant Tiexi, marking this premium mid-size Sports Activity Vehicle (SAV), known for its unparalleled driving pleasure, officially mass produced in China. With unceasing innovation aiming at unwavering driving pleasure, the all-new BMW X3 is equipped with cutting-edge technologies that elevate BMW X’s driving pleasure to a new dimension. The benchmark premium quality embodied by this vehicle stems from a robust R&D system and rigorous validation and testing, ultimately underscored by BMW’s smart production.

Exceeding Industry Standards with Rigorous Dynamic Performance Testing for "Human-Machine Unity"

"Exceptional mechanical quality" is how Bimmers define BMW's sheer driving pleasure, referring to the outstanding hardware performance of the powertrain, transmission, suspension, steering, and braking systems. A car, much like the human body, relies on its hardware akin to muscles, and its extensive electronic control system functioning as nerves. Only through the coordination of both can a sense of unity between the driver and the car be achieved in driving. To ensure that the "muscles" and "nerves" of the all-new BMW X3 work in perfect harmony, providing users with driving pleasure, BMW's final assembly shop not only completes vehicle assembly but also conducts a vast amount of scientific, rigorous dynamic testing.

The first checkpoint for the all-new BMW X3 after rollout: fully automated hub dyno testing. During this process, the vehicle's speed surged to 150 km/h to precisely verify the detection and calibration of the powertrain-related electronic and electrical systems and ABS, ensuring accurate speed control and braking safety. During the road test, when the vehicle first "loosens up" on an undulating road, stress is released between components, preparing it for the subsequent demanding road tests in its "complete" state, a crucial step in ensuring driving pleasure.

The long road test track embodies BMW's century-long automaking expertise and the brand's commitment to "sheer driving pleasure." Constructed according to BMW Group's unified standards, the track features a modular layout with meticulously detailed specifications. Not only do larger dimensional and design parameters such as radius of curvature, lane width, and test zone lengths need to be consistent, but even the details are measured to the millimeter.

The 2.5-km long road test track encompasses 12 types of road sections such as manhole covers, asphalt patches, and figure-eight turns, comprehensively evaluating the vehicle's dynamic performance. Extreme driving conditions are not required during testing; only regular driving scenarios are simulated. Based on accumulated expertise, BMW enforces strict speed limits for each section, such as 10-15 km/h for manhole cover sections and 20-25 km/h over Belgian setts, leaving no issues undetected and aiming for "zero defects." Additionally, vehicles of the same batch undergo road tests at different times of the day—morning, noon, and evening—to account for varying temperatures, ensuring compliance with BMW's stringent quality standards.

At the Shenyang production base, meticulous planning guarantees that testing continues uninterrupted. When outdoor conditions are unsuitable, a shorter indoor test track adhering to the same standards in the general assembly shop takes over the test, so that every vehicle passes dynamic testing before delivery to customers. Various intelligent devices are integrated into end-of-line testing, with robots completely overseeing the illumination range, angle, and brightness of the welcome light carpet, alongside extensive workstations for electronic and electrical system inspection. This "early detection and early correction" approach guarantees that customers enjoy sheer driving pleasure with absolute peace of mind.

Creating a New Benchmark for High-quality Smart Manufacturing for Millions of Units

The all-new BMW X3 exemplifies the essence of modern minimalism—"less is more". Drawing inspiration from the "Monolithic" architectural design concept, its body's sleek lines, sculpted like raw stone, retain classic design elements while crafting a cohesive, streamlined, and pure structural aesthetic. The precise curved surfaces pose significant challenges in terms of component stamping, joint precision, and painting quality, showcasing BMW's forward-thinking and innovative approach to aesthetics while demonstrating its robust capabilities in body materials and engineering manufacturing.

The flared wheel arches of the all-new BMW X3, resembling sharp cuts, enhance its dynamic appeal while adding complexity to the panel transition with the doors. To address this, the body shop introduces the segmented hemming process for the first time, which not only avoids adding weight but also strengthens the white body's wheel arch edges. This process also improves the adhesion of the electrophoretic coating in these areas, resulting in superior corrosion resistance. Real-time camera monitoring during the hemming process helps correct the position of the hemming rollers based on plate thickness and real-time deformation and crafting a monolithic body akin to a raw stone cut, thereby optimizing aerodynamic drag and maximizing driving pleasure.

At BMW Brilliance's Shenyang production base, AI and digital technology are widely utilized, with approximately 100 AI applications currently deployed. AI is instrumental in elevating the standard of quality control and consistency, facilitating real-time process monitoring and instantaneous data analysis in routine production. The birthplace of the all-new BMW X3 utilizes an industry-first AI-aided smart quality inspection system to monitor components production quality in the press shop. The “tireless” AI-aided smart quality inspection system, developed in-house by BMW, can inspect every component on the production line and analyze a single photo in just 0.01 seconds. With continuous improvements, its inspection accuracy approaches 100%. Even the tiny gaps invisible to the naked eye can be found, ensuring the optimal components for subsequent production stages.

Through fluid dynamics design, the all-new BMW X3 exudes a blend of mechanical power and modern technology amidst light and shadow, highlighting the unique allure of the BMW X. The BMW Shenyang Production Base utilizes automatic optical inspection (AOI) robots to capture over 100,000 photos for each painted body in the paint shop. With an inspection accuracy of 0.01 mm, they identify impurities, fibers, scratches and other minor process defects; the professional digital scanning equipment serves as the “piercing eye” that conducts comprehensive, multidimensional experimental tests in areas such as consistency, uniformity, ductility, and gloss. It strictly adheres to BMW’s globally standardized color paint value standards.

Green Production: Crafting Superior Driving Pleasure with "Environmentally-Friendly" Techniques

The BMW production base in Liaoning, Shenyang, handles nearly one-third of BMW’s global production annually, and has been awarded the title of "National Green Factory" by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology for seven consecutive years. BMW has always adhered to the principle of green intelligent manufacturing in producing every BMW vehicle, offering customers high-quality "green" cars, and reinforcing its steadfast commitment to "At Home in China.”

In the painting shop of Lydia Site, advanced intelligent production technologies bring the all-new BMW X3’s vibrant exterior to life while adhering to the BMW iFACTORY production strategy, creating a premium travel experience for users through more environment-friendly methods and processes. For instance, the new model employs innovative foam materials that enhance noise reduction by 45%; the Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) emissions and odors during production are reduced by 75% and 50%, respectively, making it more friendly to the health and well-being of production line workers, customers, and the environment.

Focusing on High Quality, BMW iFACTORY Strategy Sets New Benchmark in Manufacturing

As one of the representative models in the BMW X family, the BMW X3 has garnered over 3.5 million users globally since it pioneered the premium mid-size Sports Activity Vehicle (SAV) segment in 2003. It has firmly established itself as the top-selling model in the family, with China being its largest single market worldwide. The production of X3 commenced at Plant Dadong in 2018, which also marks the starting point of BMW Group's localized production in China. Today, the all-new BMW X3 rolls off the production line at Lydia Site. From Dadong to Lydia, the journey embodies BMW Brilliance's 22 years of experience and expertise in crafting high-quality premium vehicles for Chinese customers. As the best showcase of the BMW iFACTORY strategy, the Shenyang production base has become synonymous with advanced production and top-notch quality. No premium is possible without high quality. BMW will continue to uphold this core principle, setting new standards in production flexibility, sustainability, digitization, and efficiency, and it is dedicated to creating the best-quality premium vehicles for its customers.