BMW plans to produce the Mini Cooper in the country

Along with traditional automobiles and SUVs, a nice retro-styled subcompact will be produced by BMW in Brazil. The Mini Cooper, which is part of the German group's portfolio, is the automaker's production plans at the plant that is under construction in Northern Santa Catarina, as it was found the value. In addition to the Mini, is planned on the site of an Assembly model 1 series hatch, a 3-Series Sedan to the best-selling brand in the country-and two SUVs: the x 1 and the x 3.
Sought, BMW said that strategic decision, will only announce next month the models to be produced at the plant of the municipality of Santa Catarina of Araquari (SC), which should be ready by the end of next year after investments estimated at € 200 million.
The idea is to promote the automaker's models at the ceremony of cornerstone, scheduled for December 11 day-date still subject to change-to mark the start of civil works at the factory.
The production of Coopers in Brazil, however, can be aligned with the Group's strategy to assemble vehicles in two brands-Mini and BMW-on a same platform to reduce costs. The new generation of the Cooper presented on Monday, for example, it adopts in its input version the new family of three-cylinder engines of BMW in the future will also equip other German automaker's models. At the same time, the group, as reported by the media specialist, is already working on the development of flex-engine technology enshrined in Brazil by allowing the use of ethanol and gasoline-much to the Mini as to other models listed for the Brazilian factory.
The BMW minis landed in Brazil four years ago via import and found around the uncomfortable competition car alike-but much cheaper-produced by Chinese Lifan. The German group accused the Asian mark to clone your drive with the Lifan 320 model and took the case to court. For some time, the Chinese competitor had sales prohibited by injunction. However, in October of last year, the Justice of Rio has revoked the injunction, releasing again the marketing model.
Between January and October 2013, Mini brand sales in the Brazilian market totaled 1.6 million cars, representing a slight high of 2.7% compared to the same period in 2012. In Brazil, 24 dealerships already sell the Coopers, whose price of r $ thousand resident part. Two other stores have planned inauguration until the end of the year. A third of resales that network is dedicated exclusively to the marketing of the model. Other shops sell the model along with the BMW cars or bikes of Motorrad, the Group's brand in the segment of two-Wheeler.
The BMW factory in Araquari, announced in October last year, will have capacity to produce up to 32 thousand cars per year. The investment has already been enabled by the Government in the new automotive system, which allows the company to bring to the country-while the production line is not ready-up 12.8 thousand cars per year without the surcharge of 30 percentage points in the tax on industrialized products (IPI) charged on imports of vehicles.
Without including the account sales of the Mini, the expectation of BMW branded 2013 is to close record of 15 thousand cars sold in Brazil, an increase of 72% over the outcome of last year. The automaker pulled the investment of premium brands in vehicle production in the country. In the past two months, Mercedes-Benz and Audi did the same and it is expected that Land Rover also announce the construction of a plant in Brazil by the end of the year.