And it was more than just that ice cream fiasco.
BMW made a strong showing at Auto Shanghai 2023 with a total of three world premieres, with the focus placed firmly on electrification and digitalisation.
This is also the first time that only electrified new models from the brand were being exhibited at a show, with the star attractions being the all-electric BMW i7 M70 xDrive, the BMW XM Label Red, and a variant of the BMW iX1 that has been developed exclusively for Chinese customers.
Also on display was the BMW i Vision Dee, which was debuting in Asia for the first time.
“BMW stands for innovation, for cutting-edge products and a broad technology approach,” says Oliver Zipse, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG. “This enables us to address the individual wishes of our customers, especially here in China.”
i7 M70 xDrive
The all-electric BMW i7 M70 xDrive is now the de facto top dog of the BMW 7 Series range. Its two electric motors generate a combined system output of up to 485 kW (660 bhp) and maximum torque of 1,100 Nm, giving it plenty of power to power through despite its huge proportions.
XM Label Red
Hot on the heels of the controversially-stirring XM, the BMW XM Label Red is its new top-of-the-range variant, and the first-ever electrified high-performance model from BMW M GmbH.
It is powered by an all-new M HYBRID drive system, whose combination of a V8 petrol engine and an electric motor delivers a maximum output of 550 kW (748 bhp) and 1,000 Nm. Just shy of the i7, but you still get a thumping V8 at the front, so who’s complaining?
iX1
Sadly, this is limited to the Chinese market, as the BMW iX1 provides a fresh impetus for all-electric premium compact mobility.
Made in China for China, the SAV is fitted with a dual electric motor setup – one at the front axle and another at the rear. The iX1 is also one of the brand’s first models to include the new BMW Operating System 9.
I Vision Dee
Visitors to the Auto Shanghai 2023 show also had the opportunity to meet the BMW i Vision Dee, with “Dee” standing for Digital Emotional Experience. The Vision Vehicle facilitates a remarkably intense bond between human and car using digital features that extend far beyond the functionality of voice control and driver assistance systems as we know them today.
The user experience in the BMW i Vision Dee is largely defined by a projection of driving-related data and other information extending across the entire width of the windscreen. The new system is already set to go into production in 2025 in the first Neue Klasse models under the name of BMW Panoramic Vision.
The i Vision Dee also has another trick up its sleeve, with an ePaper film from project partner E Ink allowing up to 32 different colours and an endless variety of patterns to be created on the car.
BMW and China
The BMW Group’s sustained success in China is closely linked to its continuing ramp-up of electric mobility. Since 1994, the BMW Group has already delivered more than seven million vehicles to customers in China, and now has a network of over 630 dealerships extending throughout the country, virtually all of which are also qualified to sell and service electrified vehicles.
These cars were produced at the Dadong plant of the BMW Brilliance Automotive Ltd. (BBA) joint venture. Following the most recent expansion of production capacity there, the facility will be capable of building around 830,000 cars a year in future.
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