Dutch VDL Nedcar Plant To Build Mini Countryman

By Henny Hemmes
Senior European Editor
The Auto Channel

THE HAGUE, October 26, 2016; BMW AG has confirmed that the VDL Nedcar plant in The Netherlands will also build the Mini Countryman. Next year there will also be a PHEV-model.

The rumors were already afloat for some time and today, BMW has made it official: VDL Nedcar will be the exclusive production facility for the Mini Countryman.

The plant, situated in Born in the south-east of the country, will start building its third Mini model as soon as next week, November 2. The first Mini that left the Dutch assembly line was the Mini 3-door, followed by 29,169 units in 2014.

Nedcar started production of the Mini Cabrio late October 2015, which added up to a total of 59,019 Mini’s produced last year. Just like the Countryman, the convertible is exclusively built at VDL Nedcar.

The Countryman is the first all-wheel drive model built at Nedcar, while the plant will get another ‘first’ next year with the production of the Mini Cooper S E Countryman All4 plug-in hybrid.

To accommodate production of he Countryman, 1200 employees are being hired, while the plant will switch to two shifts this year. With the new workforce, Born employs 4,000 people.

The new generation Countryman is the largest model ever in the 57-year history of the brand. The car has been new developed and should strengthen the position of the Mini brand in the premium compact segment.

The Countryman will make its world premiere on November 18 at the Los Angeles Auto Show and the SUV will arrive at Dutch Mini dealers on February 11, 2017.