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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Nissan went in big at the recent Auto Shanghai 2023, revealing a pair of EV concepts – the Max-Out convertible sports car, and the Arizon SUV.The Max-Out showcases what Nissan envisions performance EVs to be like in the future, while the Arizon is conceptualised to meet China’s diverse mobility needs.

The hotly anticipated e-POWER X-Trail, which was also unveiled in the show, started pre-sales too.

Arizon: an exciting EV experience

The Arizon concept, created by a Chinese team leveraging Nissan’s global EV expertise, is designed to serve as a multifunctional partner for China’s drivers. Bringing an exciting new EV experience to China, the Arizon has a sleek exterior design and a richly appointed cabin that exudes a warm, high-tech glow.

Built on the CMF EV platform, the Arizon features a low centre of gravity and a spacious, pillarless open-air cabin with an expansive auto-dimming glass roof.

Designed to be human-centric, the Arizon concept features a new virtual personal assistant named Eporo. Eporo can interact with passengers in a human-like manner and provide accurate responses utilising time, weather and other data.

The Arizon also features an innovative interactive lighting system that recognises occupants, automatically adapting illumination to suit their preferences. The lighting ambiance can also be adjusted through intuitive modes including leisure, relax, sleep and surprise, providing seamless and personalised interactions.

Max-Out: the future of EV performance

The Max-Out is a design exploration in “being one with the car.” It embodies Nissan’s new artistic stage and movement toward an increasingly digitised future.

Nissan claims that the sleek sports car’s aerodynamic shape, ultra-low centre of gravity and e-4ORCE electric all-wheel-drive system give it superb handling and enhanced safety. The cabin’s ultra-wide display screen, which resembles the Max-Out’s distinctive exterior lamps, provides the driver with a fusion of the virtual and real worlds.

The Max-Out represents the future of Nissan Ambition 2030, the company’s long-term vision announced in 2021. It aims to expand the possibilities of mobility and society by providing experiences that inspire confidence and excitement, and enable closer connections between people and broader society.

X-Trail: e-POWER adventure

Arguably the one that got most visitors excited, the all-new e-POWER X-Trail SUV started pre-sales today.

Featuring cutting-edge technologies like the second-generation e-POWER electric-drive powertrain and e-4ORCE, the X-Trail provides a powerful yet quiet, smooth and stable driving experience. We cannot wait to get our hands on this once it reaches our sunny little island.

For the future

Nissan COO Ashwani Gupta says, “China is one of the most technologically sophisticated markets in the world. Market and customer needs are rapidly changing, making China a global driver of electrification and connectivity as well as a leader in connected car services. There is a need for increased electrification and advanced sustainability in the market, and we are working hard to meet it.”

“At Nissan, we are working to create a future where cars are electrified and seamlessly connected to the world around you. A future where you feel safer in your vehicle, and feel more peace of mind when your children reach driving age. A future beyond mobility, where vehicles are a solution to energy and societal issues. That, is Nissan’s electrification and connectivity strategy.”

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