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BMW's Chinese manufacturing operation rolled its 7 millionth vehicle off the line in Shenyang — a long-wheelbase 3 Series "Horse Edition" sedan built to mark the occasion. The joint venture, BMW Brilliance Automotive (BMW holds a 75% stake since 2022), now accounts for roughly 25% of BMW Group's global annual sales. None of the milestone vehicle or the new China-exclusive models tied to the announcement will reach US showrooms.
Two plants, one massive footprint
BMW runs two factories in the Shenyang region: Dadong and Tiexi. Together they make Shenyang the largest single BMW Group production base in the world, responsible for about 22% of BMW's global output.
The numbers tell a split story. Dadong — which builds the iX3, 5 Series, i5, and X5 for China — turned out 205,783 vehicles in 2025, a sharp 40.2% drop year-over-year, yet still ranked second globally among BMW Group plants. Only BMW's Spartanburg, South Carolina plant built more, assembling 412,799 SUVs in the same period. Tiexi, meanwhile, went the other direction: output climbed 16.4% to 330,691 units in 2025, producing the 2 Series, 3 Series, i3, X1, iX1, and iX3.
China gets longer wheelbases and richer interiors
BMW has long offered stretched versions of its sedans for China, where rear-seat space is a priority for buyers. That approach now extends to the brand's next-generation electric lineup. At the 2026 Beijing Auto Show, BMW debuted long-wheelbase versions of its Neue Klasse EVs: the i3 L (internal code NA8) and the iX3 L (NA6), both riding on wheelbases exceeding 3 meters. The i3 L reportedly targets more than 1,000 km of range under China's CLTC test cycle — a local Chinese standard that typically reads higher than the EPA ratings used in the US, so direct comparisons aren't meaningful. Pricing for both models has not been announced.
China-market BMWs routinely receive premium interior materials and longer feature lists than equivalent global versions. That pattern holds for the Neue Klasse variants, which also incorporate AI software co-developed with Chinese tech firm Momenta.
What's next for Shenyang
BMW's next China-focused project is a long-wheelbase X5, internally coded G78, which is expected to spawn a fully electric iX5 variant. Both are anticipated to be China-exclusive. The previous production milestone — 6 million vehicles — was celebrated in May 2024 with a Frozen Pure Grey electric i5.
For US shoppers, the standard (non-stretched) versions of the 3 Series, X5, and the upcoming Neue Klasse models remain the relevant lineup — built in part right in Spartanburg.
