BMW Offers Sneak Peek at Future Cars
CARS.COM — Gather ’round, ye luxury shoppers. BMW Group announced dozens of new cars on tap for the next 20 months, from new SUVs to all-electric models and even an ultra-luxury sedan. In a conference with analysts and investors, CEO Harald Krueger promised more than 40 new or updated cars by the end of 2018 from the German automaker’s BMW, Mini and Rolls-Royce brands.
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It’s unclear which cars will make it stateside, given BMW sells cars in more than 140 countries, but most of the specifics seem likely candidates for U.S. sales. Some takeaways from Krueger’s prepared remarks:
- i8 convertible: A droptop version of the i8 plug-in hybrid supercar, dubbed the i8 Roadster, comes sometime in 2018.
- Redesigned X3: A redesigned X3 comes later this year, with an electric version arriving in 2020.
- New X7: An all-new X7 SUV targeted at the “upper-luxury class” will debut in 2018.
- New X2: The X2 concept, a small coupelike SUV, will become a real SUV in 2018.
- Mini EV: An unspecified Mini electric vehicle is coming in 2019.
- Electric models and plug-in hybrids: BMW’s “top priority is currently electrification,” Krueger said, as the automaker plans to make electric models and plug-in hybrids account for 15 to 25 percent of global sales by 2025. That’s up from just 2.6 percent today. Considerably longer battery range seems likely part of the plan: “Soon, range will no longer be a differentiating factor,” Krueger said.
- Fuel cells: BMW will introduce a “low volume” range of fuel-cell cars in 2021, Krueger said.
- New M5: Lest you think the efficiency push signals a hiatus for BMW’s monster sedan, Krueger promised that with the redesigned 5 Series, “there’s sure to be another M5 as well.”
- New Rolls: A redesigned Rolls-Royce Phantom that’s built on aluminum architecture comes late this year. Start buying those Powerball tickets: The outgoing Phantom sedan starts around $420,000.
