Daimler has begun production of its 9G-TRONIC nine-speed automatic transmission at its Sebes factory in Romania. The production is being handled by its Romanian subsidiary Star Assembly.
The German luxury car-maker has invested about €300m to expand the production capacity at the facility and creating 1000 new jobs in the process. The facility will spread across area roughly ten times that of a football pitch.
The production at Seres facility was officially inaugurated by Romanian Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Economy, Costin Borc and Mercedes-Benz Cars member of the Divisional Board Markus Schfer and other members.
Schfer said: "With the expansion of transmission production in Sebes, we are able to respond more flexibly and efficiently to the growing demand for automatic transmissions."
"The development of our transmission production in Romania is an ideal addition to our global powertrain production network with its lead plant in Untertürkheim."
Romanian Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Economy Costin Borc said: "Today's start of production, together with the associated investment in the site in Sebes, offers excellent future prospects for the region.
"We are thus writing another chapter in the success story of cooperation between Daimler and Romania as a production location."
Mercedes-Benz Cars Powertrain production head and Untertürkheim site manager, Frank Dei said: "Our two Romanian subsidiaries are an important part of our global powertrain production compound. They produce reliably, flexibly and in top quality."
"The start of production of the high-volume 9G-Tronic transmission in Romania increases the competitiveness of our international production network."
The Romanian plant manufactures automatic transmission of Mercedes-Benz in a flexibly integrated production network.
The employees at the Romanian subsidiary were trained intensively in all assembly process for several months.
BMW uses the nine-speed automatic transmission on its premium vehicles with rear-wheel, all-wheel, hybrid or plug-in hybrid drive. After launching the 9G-TRONIC, it was initially available in the E 350 BlueTEC.
The GLE Coupé (C 292) was the first model series to come with the nine speed transmission and it has now been expanded to all new E-Class drive models.
BMW is planning to make available 9G-TRONIC in all model series with a longitudinally mounted engine, in future.
Image: Daimler Romania facility where it began 9G-TRONIC nine speed automatic transmission production. Photo: Courtesy of Daimler.
