The German concern "BMW" became the first large automobile enterprise that decided to start assembling cars in Russia. Avtotor is located in Kaliningrad and today this company supplies the largest number of BMWs entering the Russian market. At the same time, many people have doubts: is it worth taking a car assembled in Russia, how much better will a German-assembled BMW be? Opinions on the forums can be found directly opposite, moreover, it is difficult to provide objective evidence for both points of view.
What attracts a Russian buyer to truly German cars
One of the main advantages of a truly German car is the quality of the engine. As a result, the durability of the entire structure depends on the reliability of the motor, and it was German technology that was ahead of many manufacturers around the world in this parameter. And it is reliability that, ultimately, is lacking in the products of the Russian automobile industry. BMW has already become a symbol of practicality, quality and comfort all over the world.
Distinctive features of this car: excellent handling due to the well-coordinated work of complex electronic systems, efficient brakes, a comfortable interior in which a driver of any build will feel comfortable. With all the positive qualities, BMWs are focused specifically on city traffic, so they are not designed for difficult road conditions. After the company began assembling cars at the Kaliningrad plant, heated debates broke out among fans of this brand regarding the quality of cars.
Features of "BMW" assembled in Russia
How to distinguish a BMW of German assembly from Kaliningrad? The Russian assembly is equipped with a number of design differences. Since Avtotor's products are primarily aimed at the Russian buyer, a special "Russian package" was supposed to adapt them to non-standard local conditions. The main distinguishing features of the "Russian" BMW:
- The clearance increased by 22 mm made it possible to achieve increased cross-country ability. Given the situation of Russian roads, such an addition can hardly be called superfluous.
- Stiffer shock absorbers and reinforced stabilizers (both front and rear). This will allow the machine to keep working longer.
- Electronics allows you to start the car even in conditions of quite severe frosts.
- Many motorists note that the Russian assembly is less sensitive to the quality of gasoline, which is important, given the quality of fuel at most gas stations.
Thus, the traditional BMW has become more durable, designed to overcome difficulties and travel on those routes for which the car was not originally intended at all. You can check the exact place of assembly of the car using the VIN code. This is a marking that is placed on the engine, and in which the country of origin must be reflected. Russian cars are marked with the letter "X". You can go shopping with a friend who knows where to look at the VIN.
What to choose: German or Russian assembly
So far, for the production of BMWs at the plant in Kaliningrad, almost completely imported components are used. That is, it is difficult to talk about the discrepancy in the quality of cars, since in the end they pass the same quality control. At the same time, many note that when driving on a vehicle of Russian assembly, noise is heard more, and the car as a result turns out to be less durable. However, these shortcomings can be attributed both to the quality of service and to compliance with the rules for operating the machine.
Cars assembled in Kaliningrad end up undergoing triple quality control: the parts are first checked by the manufacturer, then they are checked when they arrive at the factory, and, ultimately, they pass the final check after assembly. The probability of marriage in this case is minimized, so the "Russian" BMWs are not much inferior to the German ones. The Russian assembly has been on the market for 13 years.
An important factor determining the purchase of a Russian assembly is its cost. The question is often asked on the forums, is it possible to buy a new German-assembled BMW from a dealer? New German cars are still supplied to the Russian market, but their cost is very high. For example, the updated BMW 520i series has been available from official sellers since September last year at a price of 1.825 million rubles. Cars assembled in Russia are not subject to customs duties, so there is much less markup on prices.
German used car or new domestic
What is better to buy: a used car from Germany or a new domestic one? For the price, cars made in Russia are almost equal to models with low mileage that are transported across the border. It is difficult to say what exactly will be better for a Russian driver:
- Used BMWs with low mileage, with proper operation, are not much inferior to new ones. The Germans have always been a frugal people, and used cars arrive from abroad in very good condition, making them a bargain.
- However, the new car can not be compared with anything. It is always more pleasant to be behind the wheel of a car that no one else has owned before you. The purchase of new cars may fall into preferential lending programs aimed at supporting the manufacturer. This will help you save more.
- The new machine has a warranty card that will allow you to correct any factory defects, if any. A lot of owners also speak positively about the Russian assembly: the cars are quite high-quality, they are in no way inferior to their German counterparts, and the build quality in them is no worse.
Prejudice regarding the quality of Russian cars, of course, have serious grounds. At the same time, times are changing, and we can expect that the Russian assembly will soon be at a quite decent level, gradually ousting Western representatives of the automotive industry. So far, the choice remains only for the opinion and taste of the buyer.
BMW is planning to build a full-cycle car assembly plant in Russia. This was reported on Friday, October 6, by the Vedomosti newspaper, citing a person familiar with the managers of the German company. According to him, we are talking about a plant where assembly, welding and body painting will take place.
At the same time, the production of engines and transmissions at the enterprise is unlikely to be carried out for stamping of body parts due to its low, according to plans, capacity comparable to sales of brand cars on the Russian market (in 2016, BMW Group sold in Russia, according to Avtostat, 28,867 cars).
The fact that the German automaker is going to increase the level of localization of production in Russia was confirmed to the publication by BMW Senior Vice President Hendrik von Künheim. “State regulation of foreign companies in Russia will change in the coming years. And this will require us to have deeper localization in order to fully conduct business,” he said.
According to him, in Russia, cars are produced in several technological zones located in the Moscow, Kaluga, Leningrad and Kaliningrad regions. Munich has studied all these locations and is now in the decision-making stage, which can last from several weeks to several months. "I want us to dot the i's - whether we go alone or with someone in partnership," Künheim explained. He noted that BMW's investment in new production could reach several hundred million euros.
Kaliningrad again?
According to a Vedomosti source, BMW management considers the Kaliningrad region to be the main option for locating a new car plant, since there is a special economic zone (SEZ), whose residents receive budget subsidies comparable to customs payments paid when importing components.
“We cannot comment on events that have not yet happened,” a representative of the Russian company told Forbes about the possible construction of a full-cycle BMW plant in the Kaliningrad region in cooperation with Avtotor.
Sergey Udalov, executive director of Avtostat, believes that the choice of the Kaliningrad region for the construction of a full-cycle plant by the German automaker would be justified. BMW has a well-established cooperation with Avtotor. “We can talk about the development of an already existing project, which is much simpler and will require less investment,” Udalov told Forbes.
Since 1999, BMW has been manufacturing its cars at the facilities of Avtotor (No. 49 in the Forbes ranking of the 200 largest Russian companies) in the Kaliningrad region. Production is carried out by the SKD method. The main owner of Avtotor is Vladimir Shcherbakov. In 2016, Avtotor produced 94,354 vehicles. 19% of them - about 18,000 - are BMW cars (3, 5 and 7 series sedans and X1, X3, X4, X5 and X6 crossovers).
Since 1997, the company has been working in the preferential regime of the Special Economic Zone of the Kaliningrad Region.
BMW and Avtotor have not previously ruled out the construction of a full-cycle car plant in Russia. In April 2014, the companies even signed an agreement on cooperation and the construction of a new car plant in Kaliningrad. “The contract with BMW has been signed, the development of the site is underway, the plant is being designed,” Valery Draganov, president of Avtotor Holding, said at the time. But things stalled.
“Unfortunately, colleagues from BMW are pulling the cat by the tail very strongly,” Anton Alikhanov, head of the region, said at the beginning of 2017 (quoted from RNS). Alikhanov said that the region is waiting for the arrival of BMW and has already prepared the entire infrastructure, there is a completely ready site.
Later, the management of Avtotor announced that for the construction of a full-cycle plant for the production of BMW in the Kaliningrad region, it is planned to sign a special investment contract (SPIC), which means admission to state support in exchange for investment. In May 2017, the founder of Avtotor, Vladimir Shcherbakov, announced that at the upcoming negotiations in Munich he hoped for a final discussion of the SPIK project in order to present the draft contract to the governor in June. On September 6, a representative of Avtotor told Forbes that the investment contract had not yet been signed and was "under negotiation and other, so to speak, processes." He declined to comment on the details of these processes, citing certain obligations.
Deputy head of the Industrial Development Fund, which is the operator of investment contracts, Sergey Vologodsky told Vedomosti that Avtotor worked out the conclusions of the SPIC in 2016. And BMW did not apply for the conclusion of the SPIC and did not seek advice on its preparation. “There are no applications for the conclusion of a special investment contract from both companies,” Vologodsky said.
The conclusion of the SPIC is the main step towards the construction of a plant in Russia. This has already been done by BMW's competitor, Mercedes-Benz. On June 9, 2017, the Ministry of Industry and Trade approved the conclusion of a special investment contract for the project for the production of Mercedes-Benz cars in the Moscow region. The corresponding agreement was signed in early June 2017 during the St. Petersburg Economic Forum. On June 22, Deputy Chairman of the Government of the Moscow Region German Yelyanyushkin announced that production at the Mercedes-Benz plant in the Solnechnogorsk district would open in 2019. The design capacity of the plant is 25,000 E-class sedans and GLE, GLS and GLC crossovers per year. The cost of the project is €250 million.
BMW is a German manufacturer of modern and functional cars. They are not only presentable in their appearance, but also have the most modern technical characteristics, which makes them so popular and in demand. But where are BMWs made? The company's production facilities are located in Germany. Among the main producing cities are Regensburg, Leipzig, Munich and Dingolfing. And cars are assembled at enterprises located in Thailand, India, Malaysia, Egypt, South Africa, Vietnam and the USA (Spartanberg). BMW assembly in Russia is carried out at the Avtotor enterprise, which is located in Kaliningrad. BMW assembly in Kaliningrad is not inferior in quality to other producing countries.
Where is bmw x3 assembled
The second-generation crossover, namely the BMW x3, is produced at the BMW plant in Greer, South Carolina, USA. It was deployed on September 1, 2010, after the last X3 body style (E83) rolled off the assembly line.
Where is bmw x5 assembled
The car is produced at a factory located in Spartanburg, South Carolina (USA). Release is made both for the American, and for the European market. In the USA, the start of sales falls on 1999; in Europe, a car of this brand appeared a year later - in 2000.
Where is bmw x6 assembled
Like the previous model, the BMW x6 is assembled in the USA - Spartanburg (South Carolina, USA). In Russia, this process takes place in Kaliningrad. Also, the collection of cars of this model is carried out in Egypt, India, Thailand and Malaysia.
Where is bmw x1 assembled
The production of cars of this model began in October 2009 in Germany, Leipzig.
Where is bmw 7 series assembled
This series of BMW cars is marked as "BMW Individual". Assembly is carried out at the plant in Dingolfing. This is a truly unique car, you can understand this by looking at the appearance of the car. The side pillars, the strip that sits above the glove box, and the headrests emblazoned with The Next 100 Years emblem are a truly modern and stylish car.
Where is bmw 3 series assembled
Cars of this series have been produced since 2012 in Germany, in Munich.
Where bmw i series is assembled: i3, i8
Assembly of cars bmw i series: i3, i8 is also carried out in Leipzig, Germany.
"Thus, BMW is the optimal choice for those who value comfort and modern technology."
Basically, car production is concentrated abroad. Thanks to this, each car has all the necessary technical characteristics and many other important advantages.
As a result, BMW cars are becoming more and more popular because they meet all the needs of users.
Well, at least that's what Avtotor claims.
Such a scandal in the Russian automotive industry has never happened, perhaps...
The Kaliningrad plant "Avtotor", which specializes in assembling BMW cars, was abandoned by the Russian representative office of the German brand after a number of customers filed lawsuits against it.
The myths about the high quality and reliability of Bavarian cars assembled in Kaliningrad are debunked by auto expert Sergey ASLANYAN
The site of the plant states in detail that "Product quality is assessed according to 10,862 parameters." For the key model 5 of the E39 series, the quality reached “the highest rate at BMW enterprises”, and when the new “five” E60 was launched in 2004, the plant provided an exorbitant level and therefore “the management of the concern decided that all new foreign assembly projects would be tested at Avtotor. Finally, in our country, there were people, technologies and the ability to overtake foreigners and make a product like a human being, along the way giving the native consumer a product that is superior in quality to the original. And all this is the Avtotor plant, the leader of the automotive industry, the locomotive of the industry, the standard of quality.
The deception was revealed gradually, but on a large scale. When the unattainably high quality of cars assembled at Avtotor turned into a series of warranty repairs, some customers wished to return the broken cars to the company and receive money. But the dealers quietly hid the work orders confirming the fact of warranty repairs, and the Russian representation of the Bavarians explained that BMW Russland Trading LLC is not a seller (manufacturer, importer or authorized organization) of your car. We do not have legal grounds to consider your request for a vehicle replacement or refund, we hope for your understanding, Sincerely, BMW Russland Trading LLC, Filippov, Customer Claims Specialist.” That is, BMW has nothing to do with what people are doing in Kaliningrad and on what basis they assemble BMW cars there is unknown.
BMW customers do not suffer from excess patience and, having paid two, three, four, five million rubles for Kaliningrad counterfeit goods, they went to court and won them crushingly. Representatives of the concern held the onslaught, like the Germans near Koenigsberg, skillfully explaining to the court and clients that they have nothing to do with these cars produced in Kaliningrad, and they have no authorized organization in Russia, but in the end they repeated the historical outline and retreated from the field fight, indemnifying clients for losses.
The list of claims against Avtotor's BMWs turned out to be incredibly extensive and includes everything that a car consists of - from exhaust system gaskets to jammed steering and the need for engine overhaul with a ridiculous mileage of 10,000 km. Marriage both in components and in assembly, made by the hands of the domestic proletariat, which has survived the TUV control audit in droves and is adorned with the ISO 9001:2008 quality certificate. The site of the plant exudes pride: “Considerable efforts and funds have been spent on improving the skills of the management and operating personnel. Several leading plant quality auditors have been trained in Germany at BMW plants. Avtotor received a certificate of compliance with the international quality standard ISO 9002 from TUV Management Service in February 2001 and became the first machine-building enterprise in Russia to have such a certificate.
It turned out that the horse was not fed. There are a lot of papers, but the quality is domestic, familiar ... AVTOVAZ. And even the list of problems echoes. On the Kalina, the electric power steering of the Korean company Mando wedges, on the BMW, the power steering of all possible European manufacturers, which are difficult to calculate, but, for example, on the X3 model, the sixth replacement of the supplier has already happened.
It turns out that the system for obtaining certificates has been worked out, but it is still not possible to achieve quality from workers. Personnel shortage, low qualifications and the question "What to do?"
And then clever Bo Andersen came to AVTOVAZ, starting with the inevitable layoffs. He knows perfectly well that 15,000 workers are enough in his new field instead of the current 80,000 people. Layoffs have already been announced and the first tranche of 7,500 people are sent out of the gate, of which 5,000 are the same proletariat. At their native AVTOVAZ, they are superfluous, worthless, useless and dangerous for production. But right outside the outskirts they turn into experienced specialists, skillful and responsible, useful to the cause. The role of an exile in Russia historically commands respect. A kick in the ass raises the status and finishes either the aura of a martyr, or the image of a hero who has taken a sip of injustice and received more than he deserved. In general, in our country they love the poor, thrown over the fence and wandering in search of a better life. Where do the fired go? Moreover, this is the first tranche, and soon several tens of thousands more specialists of comparable level will be thrown from AvtoVAZ into the wild. As expected, it turned out that in the halo of high qualifications, suitability for work and good craftsmanship, i.e. in the tale of the great martyrs, in our country they still believe.
Ramzan Kadyrov called these people to Chechnya. It's hard to imagine their reaction. Perhaps, after such an invitation, one would want to seriously respond to Dmitry Medvedev's idea for the development of the Far East.
And then an invitation came from Avtotor. Director Alexander Sorokin addressed the exiles and dispossessed through the newspaper and affectionately outlined the prospects for the upcoming 15 factories for the production of components and a working settlement for 50,000 people.
If the courts lost by BMW were already forgotten in the distant past, or the quality of Togliatti was not systemic, but random, and the country did not know about the equal sign between BMW and Zhiguli, inviting workers from the useless AVTOVAZ to the Europeanized Avtotor would be bewildering, turning into a quiet panic. After all, people in whose hands solid "Lada" are obtained should not be allowed near real BMWs. There is an abyss between brands in everything, including the most important parameter - quality. And calling the poor to a decent place is possible only secretly, hiding the fact, fighting in every way with leaks to the press.
But this is still a symbol of quality for the inhabitants of BMW, Avtotor is a worthy bearer of certificates, and the representative office of the company is an honest partner of the consumer. Reality annulled all three stereotypes. BMW has fallen to the level of Zhiguli in quality, Avtotor has nothing to do with the Bavarian concern and makes counterfeit cars, there are no representative offices of the company in Russia, and the client is despised, removed from the RF Law “On Protection of Consumer Rights” and deprived of the opportunity to use BMW cars without the support of the court without any problems. Therefore, there is nothing surprising in inviting Togliatti residents to Kaliningrad. Former VAZ workers at Avtotor are the place. Invaluable personnel will logically join the team, find themselves in their own environment and continue their familiar business.
