PressClub Global · Article.
BMW Group Introducing New Models for China
Wed Oct 04 22:15:00 CEST 2006 Press Release
The new BMW 523Li, 525Li and 530Li
Press Contact.
Andreas Lampka
BMW Group
Tel: +49-89-382-23662
Fax: +49-89-382-20626
send an e-mail
Munich/Beijing. Introducing new high-class Business Saloons, the BMW
Group is
enlarging its range of models for the Chinese market.
These new models are Long
Wheelbase versions of the successful
BMW 5 Series specially developed by the
German premium carmaker
and will be presented for the first time at the
international
Auto China 2006 Motor Show in Beijing (18 - 27 November, 2006).
The new BMW 530 Li, BMW 525 Li, and BMW 523 Li have been
specially developed
for the particular demands and requirements
of the Chinese automobile market,
combining sporting driving
characteristics with superior interior comfort. A
stylish
ambience inside the car is ensured by high-quality Dakota leather on
the seats and door linings. The BMW 525Li and BMW 530Li also
come as standard
with a newly developed rear console complete
with an integrated entertainment
system with a DVD-player,
eight-inch screens fitted in a console on the back of
the front
seats, as well as a cooling box.
The most striking feature when
looking at the new BMW 5 Series Saloon from
outside is no doubt
the extension of the car's wheelbase by 140 millimetres,
all of
this extra space being provided between the B- and C-pillars. This
increase in size benefits the passengers at the rear, with the
new, Long
Wheelbase BMW 5 Series offering an unprecedented
standard of grand touring
comfort.
The new models are
powered by straight-six power units ranging in output from
130
kW/177 hp to 190 kW/258 hp.
The new BMW 5 Series Long Wheelbase
for the Chinese market was developed at
BMW's Development
Headquarters in Munich, creating outstanding models
specifically
tailored in their overall concept to the Chinese market while at
the same time fulfilling all of BMW's demanding standards and
requirements.
Production of the new Saloons is at the Shenyang
Plant in the Province of
Liaoning in the north-east of China,
which also builds the BMW 3 Series for the
Chinese
market.
The BMW Group has been represented in China since 1994
and has consistently
expanded its operation and engagement over
the years. In May 2004 the BMW Group
and Brilliance China
Automotive opened their joint plant in Shenyang, and
shortly
thereafter BMW established a separate Sales Region for China also
including Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, in order to boost sales
to an even
higher level.
BMW has achieved enormous growth
in the Chinese market in recent years, with
sales increasing in
the first half of 2006 by approximately 66 per cent to
almost
18,000 units, making China BMW's fastest-growing country in percentage
terms.
China now ranks high up as the world's second most
important sales market for
the BMW 7 Series.