BMW diversifies lineup with new EVs and redesigned ICE models

BMW's product strategy over the next few years will require the balancing prowess of a Cirque du Soleil acrobat.

While rival Mercedes-Benz vows to go all-electric globally early next decade, BMW is taking the more complicated road of simultaneously investing in both carbon- and electric-powered vehicles while also experimenting with hydrogen power.

Over the next four years, BMW will redesign and freshen its combustion engine and hybrid moneymakers while launching a fleet of battery-powered sedans and crossovers on a new all-EV architecture called Neue Klasse.

The multi-powertrain strategy adds cost and complexity, but BMW executives say it's more pragmatic given the uneven adoption of EVs globally.

"We are a global company operating in markets with a 10 percent EV mandate for 2030 or 100 percent," BMW of North America CEO Sebastian Mackensen told Automotive News. Diversification, he added, "allows us to fulfill current demand and be flexible to adapt."

BMW's EV offensive in the key U.S. market begins in earnest in the decade's second half with several X-line battery crossovers planned. In Greer, S.C., the automaker's largest factory, BMW is investing $1.7 billion to build at least six battery-powered crossovers.

XM: The new plug-in hybrid is the first standalone vehicle from the M performance brand since the BMW M1 launched almost five decades ago. A 4.4-liter TwinPower turbo V-8 engine with an electric motor puts out 644 hp and propels the vehicle from 0 to 60 mph in 4.1 seconds. The 29.5-kilowatt-hour lithium ion battery pack provides roughly 30 miles of electric-only range at up to 87 mph.

An exclusive performance package arrives in the fall. The 2024 XM Label Red cranks out up to 738 hp from a twin-turbo V-8-powered hybrid drivetrain. The extra power comes from new tuning on the 4.4-liter engine.

A freshen could happen as early as 2026.

iX: The X5-size battery-electric crossover arrived last year as part of a pair of next-generation BMW EVs. A 111.5-kilowatt-hour lithium ion battery pack sits in the middle of the iX's 118.1-inch wheelbase. The front motor produces 268 hp while the rear has 335 hp.

The 2023 iX M60, a more powerful version of the iX electric crossover, delivers up to 610 hp and an EPA-estimated 280 miles of driving range on a single charge. A freshen could come in the second half of 2025.

iX3: BMW previously shelved plans to export its first electric crossover to the U.S., reportedly because of inadequate range and the need for all-wheel drive. But the BEV's second generation could arrive here in 2026 and will be based on the Neue Klasse platform.

i7: In the fall, BMW will expand its electric 7 Series lineup with a single-motor, rear-wheel- drive variant. The i7 eDrive50 rear axle-mounted motor delivers 449 hp. A more powerful 650-hp, dual-motor i7 M70 xDrive arrives in the second half of 2023.

i5: BMW will roll out several variants of its newest electric nameplate, including rwd and all-wheel-drive variants. The all-electric midsize sedan arrives in October.

The flagship i5 M60 xDrive delivers M performance, producing 590 hp and a 0-to-60 mph acceleration in 3.7 seconds. The entry i5 eDrive40 rwd sedan trades horsepower for range, delivering 335 hp and 295 miles.

i4: The four-door sporty EV launched last year is based on the 4 Series Gran Coupe.

For the 2024 model year, the lineup expands to include the awd i4 xDrive40 with 396 hp. Dual electric motors propel the sedan from 0 to 60 mph in 4.9 seconds. The driving range is estimated to be up to 307 miles.

Expect a freshen in the second half of 2025.

X7: The large crossover and an Alpina-tuned variant received a sporty design and eco-friendly powertrain for the 2023 model year. Both models gained a new V-8 engine with 48-V mild hybrid technology. The top-of-the-range X7 M60i xDrive pumps about 523 hp, while the X7 xDrive40i delivers up to 380 hp.

A redesign could arrive in 2026, followed shortly by an all-electric variant.

X6: The midsize crossover coupe, freshened for the 2024 model year, features an updated headlight design and daytime driving light elements. The power unit of the X6 xDrive40i is part of a new generation of inline six-cylinder engines. The 3.0-liter powerplant delivers 375 hp, an increase of 40 hp compared with its predecessor, and goes from 0 to 60 mph in 5.2 seconds.

The standard M Sport package features an octagonal design element below the kidney grille and prominent side apertures. The V-8 engines in the M60i models have 48-volt mild hybrid technology. The top-of-the-line X6 M60i xDrive features the same new twin-turbo 4.4-liter V-8 engine as its smaller X5 sibling.

A full redesign could come by 2027.

X5: The workhorse midsize crossover has been freshened with an updated engine, advances in digital technology and new design details. BMW's best-selling U.S. nameplate now sports a narrower headlight design with arrow-shaped daytime driving light elements pointing outward that double as turn signal indicators. Sculpted surfaces border the BMW kidney grille.

The X5 xDrive50e plug-in hybrid receives an improved combustion engine and BMW eDrive technology that bumps horsepower by nearly 100 hp and EV-only driving range by 10 miles.

The top-end X5 M60i xDrive is powered by a newly developed twin-turbo 4.4-liter V-8 engine that produces 523 hp and accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in 4.2 seconds. A battery-electric version of the X5, built on the Neue Klasse platform, is planned for the U.S. in early 2027, according to AutoForecast Solutions.

A redesign could follow in 2027.

X4: The compact crossover received a freshen late last year, delivering updates to the exterior design and drivetrain. The X4 xDrive30i, powered by a 2.0-liter four-cylinder, delivers 248 hp. The X4 M40i sports a 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder engine that puts out 382 hp. And the X4 M variant delivers 473 hp, and a Competition version boosts it to 503 hp.

Production of the U.S.-made model could end in late 2025 with no next-generation model planned, AutoForecast noted. But an all-electric iX4, based on the Neu Klasse platform, will go into production in Hungary in late 2026, with U.S. deliveries likely in early 2027.

X3: BMW's next-generation X3 compact crossover arrives in the second half of next year. It will feature the brand's more prominent signature kidney grille and slimmer LED lights, according to photos of a heavily camouflaged prototype spied in Germany this summer. BMW will offer multiple versions of the upcoming X3 globally, including an all-electric, plug-in hybrid and an M performance variant.

X2: Early next year, a significant redesign of the sporty crossover should deliver a sloped roof and a more raked rear hatch. With a higher beltline, the latest X2 adopts styling similar to the X4 and X6. Based on spy photos of the camouflaged crossover undergoing road tests, the front features a more expansive, deeper grille and smaller headlights.

Several variants were spotted in Germany last fall, including a 300-hp M35i model powered by BMW's turbocharged 2.0-liter engine. An all-electric version of the small crossover coupe, built on the same platform as the gasoline-powered X2, will be produced in early 2024 but is not planned for the U.S.

X1: BMW's diminutive crossover was supersized late last year. The redesigned X1 is roomier and features updated technology and a beefier powertrain.

The X1 now bears a rugged look, with BMW's large kidney grille bookended by standard LED headlights with cornering lights. A narrow rear window and flared wheel arches emphasize the body's width, while a long roofline flows into a spoiler extending far over the back glass.

The 2.0-liter TwinPower Turbo four-cylinder engine makes 241 hp, and the X1 can sprint from 0 to 60 mph in 6.2 seconds.

A high-performance variant X1 M35i xDrive arrives in October. The 312-hp model runs on a 2.0-liter four-cylinder motor that accelerates the compact crossover from 0 to 60 mph in 5.2 seconds.

A freshen will arrive by 2026.

8 Series: The 8 Series received a mild freshen for the 2023 model year, which included an illuminated grille and a new 12.3-inch center display. The series production will end in 2026 with no next-generation model planned, per AutoForecast.

An all-electric variant could arrive in the latter half of the decade.

7 Series: BMW expands its recently redesigned 7 Series lineup with two electrified variants for the 2024 model year. The 750e xDrive pairs a 308-hp TwinPower Turbo 3.0-liter six-cylinder engine with a transmission-mounted electric motor to deliver 483 hp and an electric-only range of more than 35 miles. The variant arrives in the fall.

Meanwhile, the six-cylinder 375-hp 740i is now available in awd that quickens the sedan's 0 to 60 time to 4.9 seconds from 5.1 seconds.

A freshen should arrive in 2026.

5 Series: BMW's redesigned midsize sedan is supersized — longer, wider, and taller than the outgoing model. It will go on sale globally in October.

The latest generation of BMW's 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder engine features updated turbo technology with an exhaust manifold integrated into the cylinder head.

Two plug-in hybrid models will join the lineup in 2024 with an electric range of up to 62 miles. BMW will redesign the M5 performance variant in the second half of next year. The plug-in hybrid is powered by a 4.4-liter TwinPower turbo V-8 engine paired with a 29.5-kilowatt-hour battery.

4 Series: The nameplate packages the capability of the 3 Series sedan in a sporty form. The 2024 lineup includes the 255-hp 430i Gran Coupe with 382-hp M440i xDrive. The 4 Series gets freshened in the second half of 2024.

Z4: The two-door roadster, which shares a platform with Toyota's Supra sports car, received exterior design accents and more standard equipment this year. A next generation is not expected.

3 Series: BMW's sedan received a midcycle update last summer.

The 2023 330i features a 2.0-liter TwinPower turbo four-cylinder engine, while the M340i and M340i xDrive sport a 3.0-liter TwinPower Turbo inline six-cylinder engine with mild hybrid technology. The sedan has a wider, more muscular stance with horizontal lines, slimmer light units and flared rear wheel arches.

A redesigned 3 Series and an all-electric variant should arrive in late 2025 or early 2026.

2 Series: The second-generation BMW M2 coupe, redesigned and reengineered for 2023, is powered by a turbo inline six-cylinder engine with 453 hp. The Mexico-made model also got upsized. The latest M2 is 4.1 inches longer and 1.3 inches wider than its predecessor.

The 2 Series Gran Coupe, built on the same platform that underpins the Mini Clubman and Countryman, should be redesigned around mid-decade. It will retain a front-wheel-drive setup with transverse engines, sources told BMWBlog.

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