BMW-Brilliance Auto, a joint venture between Brilliance China Automotive Holdings and BMW, announced on Wednesday expansion of engine output to 400,000 units a year by 2016.

The company, based in Shenyang in northeast China's Liaoning Province started to make BMW's latest in-line 4 cylinder N20 series engines in 2012, producing 200,000 units in 2013.

Lei Xiaoyang, senior vice president of BMW-Brilliance, said the engine plant is a strategic move to produce of core components in stead of just assembly.

Lei said half of BMW's 390,000 vehicles sold in 2013 in China were made by BMW-Brilliance.

BMW 5 series Long Version is the best seller with sales of 120,000 units in 2013. The latest 3 series model has monthly sales of 6,000 units.

Founded in 2003, the Shenyang joint venture had an annual production capacity of 300,000 cars in 2013.

On Jan. 17, the company opened its first showroom to promote its all-electric Zinoro (Zhinuo in Chinese) in Beijing, which is expected to hit the market this year.

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