BMW i Series News

BMW is taking its electric car technology to the next level with the reveal of its new-generation iX3 EV.

BMW has globally unveiled some tweaks to its Tesla Model 3-rivalling i4 electric liftback that are set to go into production from July.Gone is the high-performance BMW i4 M50, and in its place is the new i4 M60.This dual-motor all-wheel drive flagship now produces a total system output of 442kW of power, which is up 42kW on the outgoing i4 M50.BMW claims the i4 M60 is capable of doing the 0-100km/h sprint in 3.7 seconds, which is 0.2 seconds faster than the i4 M50. Total speed is unchanged at 225km/h.While there is extra power, it has come at the expense of claimed range. The i4 M60 is claimed to be able to travel up to 433km, according to WLTP testing, whereas the i4 M50 was claimed to be able to travel up to 480km, according to WLTP testing.This is despite all i4s from July production onwards getting silicon carbide semiconductor components, which in the entry-level i4 eDrive35 is claimed to reduce energy consumption by 4.5 per cent and add up to 22km of range.These latest additions and changes to the BMW i4 line-up follows a minor facelift that was unveiled in April 2024.At this stage this updated model still hasn’t arrived in Australia."Any updates regarding the BMW i4 line-up for Australia will be announced in due course," said a BMW Australia spokesperson.This update brought subtle exterior revisions including new grille designs, different LED headlight signatures, new alloy wheels, as well as more paint colours.The car also received the option of Laserlight rear lights in the style of the M4 CSL.Inside there was a new steering wheel, reduced physical buttons and controls on the instrument panel, new interior trim elements, CraftedClarity glass applications, as well as ambient lighting as standard.The BMW i4 launched locally back in 2022 as an all-electric counterpart to the 4 Series Gran Coupe, which has been subsequently axed in Australia.In the first four months of 2024, BMW sold a total of 382 i4 examples, which is down 42.4 per cent year-on-year.For context, Tesla sold a total of 2266 Model 3 examples over the same period of time. Hyundai also sold 58 Ioniq 6 examples and Polestar sold 179 Polestar 2 examples.

BMW has revealed pricing and details for its updated iX electric SUV ahead of its arrival in Australian showrooms by the middle of this year.Just one variant – xDrive 45 M Sport – has been announced for now, which replaces the outgoing xDrive40 Sport as the base variant.It starts at $142,900, before on-road costs, a rise of $6000 on its predecessor. The price hike widens the gap even more over key rivals in the Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV and Polestar 3, which start at $134,900 and $116,754, respectively, both at before on-road costs.In return for the price rise, however, it adds a suite of technical and luxury upgrades. Headlining those changes is a 30 per cent larger lithium-ion battery pack, which ups its size from 77kWh to 94.8kWh.For the first time in a BMW, the bigger battery also features silicon carbide semiconductor components, or SiC inverters, for more efficiency and heat resistance compared to conventional silicon semiconductors.The result is an extra 177km unlocked in driving range under the WLTP cycle, which sees total range rated at 602km, up from 425km on its predecessor.That means it now comfortably exceeds the claimed driving ranges of the Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV (539km) and a Cadillac Lyriq (530km), but falls short of the Long Range Dual-Motor Polestar 3 (706km).Fast-charging capacity has also been upped to a maximum of 175kW, up 25kW from its predecessor, while home charging can be carried out at 22kW.BMW said fine-tuning and further development of the iX’s twin electric motors also boosts power and torque by 60kW and 30Nm, respectively. A full second has been shaved off the iX’s 0-100km/h sprint time, which is now just 5.1 seconds.In terms of design, the iX sports a new kidney grille with standard contour lighting and diagonally striped accents. The LED headlights and indicators have also been redesigned from horizontal to vertical, while adaptive and cornering light functions are now standard.Standard M Sport packaging adds sporty front air intakes and vertical reflectors at the rear.New metallic paint colours are also available at an additional cost, including Arctic Race Blue, Tanzanite Blue, Dune Grey and Frozen Deep Grey. Two additional colours – Frozen Pure Grey and Space Silver – will be added in Q4. There remains six non-metallic paint colours as no-cost options.In the cabin, a panoramic glass roof is now standard, while there are new M multi-function leather seats, a new M leather steering wheel with heating function, M pedals, anthracite headlining, Dark Silver trim finishes and a high-gloss finish on the centre console. A tyre pressure monitor is also now standard.As before, standard kit includes an 18-speaker Harman/Kardon surround sound system, heated and massage front seats, wireless phone charging, a 12.3-inch twin-screen panoramic display with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, 21-inch aerodynamic alloy wheels and a tyre repair kit.Customers can upgrade to Executive interior luxury packing for $6500, Integral Active Steering for $3000, Adaptive 2-axle air suspension for $4000 or a 30-speaker Bowers and Wilkins Diamond Surround Sound system for $9500.22-inch M alloy wheels are $2500 extra, while 23-inch ‘Individual’ aerodynamic wheels will set you back an additional $5000.More variants will follow the xDrive 45 M Sport to complete the iX line-up later in 2025.

Four years after its debut, BMW has given its iX electric SUV its first facelift.For 2025, the updated model sees a suite of upgrades to the powertrain, exterior and interior, along with a new entry grade.Production will commence at the brand’s Dingolfing factory in Germany in March, with deliveries expected to start in Q2.CarsGuide has contacted BMW’s local operations for further information on an Australian launch date. An update to the story will follow with a response.Three variants remain in the line-up, starting with the new xDrive45 that replaces the xDrive40. Battery capacity swells from 71kWh to 94.8kWh, boosting the combined driving range by nearly 180km to 602km (WLTP).It also gets a 60kW power bump for its single rear-mounted electric motor to 300kW thanks to a drive system "fine-tune" and further developments to the car's power electronics.The xDrive60 replaces the xDrive50, which grows its battery capacity from 105.kWh to 109.1kWh. BMW notes a range of up to 701km on the combined WLTP cycle when fitted with standard aerodynamic wheel covers.For comparison, that comfortably exceeds the driving range of an Audi Q8 e-tron (484km), a Mercedes-Benz EQE (539km) and a Cadillac Lyriq (530km), all of which have been tested according to the WLTP cycle.Power on the dual-motor xDrive60 also increases by 15kW for a total output of 400kW.Last but not least, the dual-motor M70 replaces the M60 as the model's flagship sport variant. Its battery capacity grows from 105.2kWh to 108.9kWh for a maximum WLTP-certified range of 600km.It gains a 30kW power boost, pushing its total output to 485kW. BMW says a 0-100km/h sprint time of just 3.5 seconds can be achieved using the "one-foot rollout method", while top speed is limited to 250km/h.Looking at the exterior, the iX welcomes a refreshed front end, inclusive of a new front bumper, restyled grille and revamped headlights that feature new vertical daytime running lights and indicators.Customers can also opt for an illuminated grille on the entry-level xDrive45 or the mid-spec xDrive60, while it will come standard on the top-spec M70 xDrive.At the rear, BMW has integrated a new diffuser as standard on the M70, while customers can also opt for this upgrade through additional M Sport packaging.It adds further styling accents, distinctive air intakes and new M alloy wheels, while the M Sport Professional package adds "Shadowline" headlights, black exterior mirror caps, a unique M kidney grille and exclusive 22-inch M alloy wheels.Once again, M packaging adds exclusive interior features to the M70, which are optional for the xDrive 45 and xDrive60.Those include M multi-functional seats with optional ventilation, a leather steering wheel, M pedals, high-gloss black centre console trim and a two-tone instrument panel.BMW sold 566 examples of the iX in Australia last year, a decrease of 32.4 per cent on the previous year.

BMW has shown the first images of a close-to-production concept of its new 2026 iX3 and 3 Series interior design.

BMW’s next-generation iX3, the first vehicle expected to adopt the brand’s ‘Neue Klasse’ platform, has been revealed in leaked patent drawings.

Is Tesla’s electric car sales dominance starting to falter?

BMW has used China’s Beijing motor show as the launch pad for updated versions of its i4 medium EV sedan and combustion-powered 4 Series Gran Coupe four-door ‘coupe’ models.Scheduled to enter production in July this year at the BMW Group’s main plant in Munich, headline news is the new all-wheel drive i4 xDrive40 model producing 295kW/600Nm while delivering a range of up to 548 km (WLTP). All i4 and 4 Series variants feature a revised version of the brand’s iconic ‘kidney’ grille (“half enclosed” on the i4 EV) and new design LED headlights with adaptive function, matrix high beam, ‘urban lights’ (wider light distribution at speeds below 50 km/h) with ‘Laserlight’ tail-lights optionally available.On M Performance combustion models, and as part of the ‘M Sport’ option package, a black high-gloss diffuser and larger (100mm) tailpipes are added, with a carbon-rich ‘M Sport Package Pro’ also offered.Two new metallic colours, ‘Cape York’ (green) and ‘Fire Red’, have been added to the model range palette, while inside, a new flat-bottom steering wheel with illuminated multifunction buttons (plus gearshift paddles on combustion models) is now standard.Synthetic leather sports seats are standard, with ‘Vernasca’ leather trim available, new ‘Dark Graphite’ interior trim elements have been added and several ventilation and climate functions have been shifted to touch-sensitive controls on the central screen (also accessible via voice-command).Ambient lighting (with additional contour lighting around the central vents) is now standard on all models.For global markets the i4 range consists of four grades - eDrive35, eDrive40, the new xDrive40 and the M50 xDrive, while the 4 Series Gran Coupe line-up spans five models - 420i, 430i xDrive, M440i xDrive, 420d and 430d xDrive.In response to a request for details on local specification, pricing and likely arrival timing BMW Australia told CarsGuide, “Any updates regarding model line-ups of the BMW i4 and 4 Series Gran Coupé for Australia will be announced in due course.” For reference, Australian pricing for the BMW i4 currently ranges between $85,900 (eDrive35) and $133,900 (M50 xDrive), before on-road costs, while the 4 Series Gran Coupe covers a spread from $83,500 (420i M Sport) to $129,000 (M440i xDrive).

You are looking at the BMW Vision Neue Klasse X. Vision basically means concept in BMW speak so this is a preview of one of the most important models in the Bavarian brand's long history.

The new BMW X2 range has been unveiled, with the range topped by the all-electric iX2 SUV which delivers sizeable grunt and an impressive driving range.