BMW Begins Assembling 7 Series Sedans in Indonesia

BMW AG has begun low-volume local production of its top-of-the-line 730 Li luxury sedan in Jakarta, Indonesia. Sales in the country will begin next year.

The 7 Series car is the sixth model being assembled from imported kits at BMW’s Gaya Motor facility. The factory has capacity to make six 730 Li sedans per day, according to The Nikkei.

The newspaper notes that BMW current markets an older version of the 730 Li in Indonesia. That model is imported from Thailand, where it also is assembled from kits. BMW sold only eight units last year, mainly because high Indonesian import tariffs that can double the selling price of a vehicle.

The company hasn’t set a price for the locally assembled 730 model. But The Nikkei says the car is likely to retail for about 2 billion rupiahs ($148,600), or 10% less than the previous-generation Thai-made car.