BMW to produce the next Mini Countryman in-house
Seeing that the Countryman has just received a mid-cycle update this year, the next-gen in-house produced Countryman could still be a few years away from launch.
VDL Nedcar’s Netherlands factory has been producing the Mini Countryman since 2016. However, it seems the next-generation Countryman will be produced in-house by parent company BMW.
Since 1967, The third party assembling plant has produced about 5.5 million cars for several brands including Volvo, Smart, Mitsubishi, DAF and of course, Mini. In fact, the factory has the capacity to produce 200,000 cars per year when operating in 2 shifts.
However, the next Mini Countryman will not be produced at the plant as an effect of the Coronavirus Pandemic. According to a release by VDL Nedcar, BMW has not sent a follow-up order for the next Countryman.
“VDL Nedcar will not receive a follow-up order for the new Mini Countryman from BMW Group for the longer term. Due to the corona pandemic and disruptive developments, BMW has decided to produce the successor model of the current Mini Countryman in house,” the Dutch company said in the release.
Seeing that the Countryman has just received a mid-cycle update this year, the next-gen in-house produced Countryman could still be a few years away from launch.
VDL Nedcar, the Countryman is also produced in BMW’s international assembly plants in India, Malaysia, and Indonesia. With the withdrawal from VDL Nedcar and the subsequent move to produce the Countryman in-house, all models of the crossover will now be produced by BMW itself and not from a third-party provider.
VDL Nedcar has been working hard to sustain the current employment in its plant, which will also be affected by BMW’s withdrawal. BMW adid state however that “VDL Nedcar’s quality, delivery reliability, and competitiveness were not the basis for the decision.”
