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The Next BMW 5-Series Refresh Won’t Go Full Neue Klasse

BMW is already deep into development of a mid-cycle refresh for the current G60-generation 5-Series, but if the latest camouflaged prototypes are telling the truth, anyone expecting a full Neue Klasse makeover might want to temper their expectations. Instead of a radical reinvention, the 2027 5-Series appears to be heading for something far more conservative—a design tweak rather than a design reset.

That’s not necessarily a bad thing. The current 5-Series is only a couple of years old, and while its styling didn’t exactly light the internet on fire, it hasn’t aged poorly either. What BMW seems to be planning is a light visual refresh designed to keep the car competitive without stepping on the toes of the all-new Neue Klasse models that will follow later in the decade.

Until BMW starts pulling camouflage off its test mules, we’re left reading tea leaves. But digital artists have already filled in the blanks. And the results range from cautious to borderline sci-fi.

One of the more realistic takes comes from Nikita Chuyko, whose rendering imagines a refreshed M5 Touring that doesn’t stray far from today’s shape—but sharpens it up in key areas. The biggest change is up front, where the current split-headlamp arrangement is replaced by narrower, simpler LED units. They’re cleaner and more modern, though arguably a bit less expressive than the existing setup.

The kidney grilles also get toned down. They’re still unmistakably BMW, but smaller and less dominant, trading shock value for something closer to elegance. For fans who still haven’t warmed up to BMW’s recent grille phase, that alone might count as a win.

There’s also a redesigned front bumper, revised side intakes, and lightly reshaped front fenders—enough to make the facelift obvious to enthusiasts without forcing BMW to reinvent the sheet metal.

Chuyko also explored a more aggressive direction for Kolesa, previewing what an M5 could look like if BMW leans harder into its Neue Klasse design language. Inspired by the 2023 Vision Neue Klasse sedan concept, one version features a full-width horizontal panel stretching across the nose, with the headlights integrated into either end. It’s a modernized callback to classic BMWs like the E30 3-Series and E24 6-Series—and, frankly, one of the more tasteful faces BMW has previewed in years.

Another version keeps the Neue Klasse headlamps but reintroduces a compact double-kidney grille, blending the future with BMW’s traditional front-end layout. It’s the kind of compromise we wouldn’t be surprised to see BMW adopt in the real world.

Inside, things are murkier. BMW’s new Panoramic iDrive system, which debuts on the iX3, is almost certainly coming to future models—but given how restrained the exterior refresh looks, a full interior overhaul seems unlikely for this mid-cycle update. Expect software updates and subtle interface changes rather than a dashboard revolution.

Under the hood, though, the stakes are much higher.

The current M5 uses BMW’s S68 twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8 paired with an electric motor and an eight-speed automatic, forming a plug-in hybrid system that delivers a formidable 717 horsepower. But Europe’s looming Euro 7 emissions rules forced BMW to cut the V8’s output from 577 hp to 537 hp on EU-spec cars. BMW made up the difference by boosting the electric motor, keeping the system total the same—but the V8 itself took a hit.

The facelift could give BMW an opportunity to claw that power back. If the company restores the V8’s original output while keeping the revised electric motor, the M5’s total system power could climb even higher. Given the ongoing horsepower war in this segment, don’t be surprised if BMW takes that route.

Timing-wise, the refreshed 5-Series is expected to debut later this year, hitting showrooms as a 2027 model. The M5 sedan and M5 Touring should follow not long after, likely arriving for the 2028 model year.

In other words, don’t expect a design revolution—but do expect BMW to quietly sharpen its most important luxury sedan, making sure the 5-Series stays fresh while the brand’s Neue Klasse future waits in the wings.

Source: Kelsonik

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BMW’s iX3 Finally Gets the White Steering Wheel It Showed Us Months Ago

When BMW first rolled out press images of the all-new iX3, eagle-eyed observers noticed something odd: a bright white steering wheel that, inconveniently, didn’t exist in the configurator. Six months later, BMW has finally decided to make good on its own marketing photos.

The German iX3 configurator has been quietly updated to include the long-teased white steering wheel, priced at a surprisingly reasonable €250. It’s a small change, but one that highlights how seriously BMW is leaning into personalization with its next-generation electric SUV.

Of course, BMW being BMW, the white wheel doesn’t come without strings attached.

To get it, buyers must also opt for the Digital White interior package, a €1,080 upgrade in Germany. This wraps the seats in BMW’s Veganza material—marketing speak for artificial leather—which is also used on the steering wheel itself. The rest of the cabin avoids looking like a hospital waiting room thanks to Atlas Gray fabric trim, a black Veganza finish on the door armrests, and an Anthracite headliner. In other words, it’s more “modern gallery” than “stormtrooper.”

Interestingly, BMW doesn’t force customers into an M Sport package to get the white wheel. Even base-model iX3 buyers can order it, which is refreshingly democratic for a brand that often hides the good stuff behind pricey trim levels. The updated BMW roundel sits in the middle of the wheel, though the change is subtle enough that most people won’t notice unless they’re staring at it in a showroom.

If white isn’t your thing—or if you’d rather not worry about blue-jean dye slowly staining your steering wheel—BMW still offers the familiar black version. That one gets a small M badge on the lower spoke, and aside from color, it appears to be identical in shape and design to the white wheel. How well the pale version will survive years of sweaty palms and coffee spills remains an open question.

More Colors, More Power, More BMW Being BMW

The steering wheel isn’t the only new addition. BMW has also expanded the iX3’s paint palette with three new shades: Fire Red, Eucalyptus Green, and Individual Frozen Space Silver. It’s a welcome move for a model that’s supposed to look as forward-thinking as its Neue Klasse underpinnings.

There’s also a new AC Charging Professional option, which boosts AC charging to 22 kW and adds Vehicle-to-Load capability. With up to 3.7 kW available, the iX3 can now power tools, appliances, or even a small campsite, turning the SUV into a rolling power bank.

BMW has also thrown in a stainless-steel loading sill for iX3s ordered with the Contemporary, M, or Individual interior themes. Meanwhile, buyers who go for the M Sport Package or M Sport Package Pro get a special key finished with BMW’s signature blue, violet, and red M stripes—because if you’re paying extra, you should at least get a fancier key.

Not everything is available just yet. Heated rear seats still don’t show up in the German configurator, as BMW plans to roll that feature out first in South Korea and Japan starting with March production. Ventilated front seats are also missing for now, though BMW says they’ll arrive later in the model’s life cycle.

The iX3’s Story Is Just Getting Started

Deliveries of the new iX3 haven’t even begun, which means this steady drip of new options is only the beginning. More BMW Individual colors are scheduled to arrive later this year, along with additional versions of the SUV, including the iX3 40 and the hotter iX3 M60 xDrive.

And looming over everything is the real performance flagship: the X3 M “ZA5,” due in 2027. If BMW’s electric future follows the same formula as its gasoline past, that’s where things are going to get very interesting.

For now, though, the biggest headline might just be a steering wheel that finally matches the pictures.

Source: BMW

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BMW Cuts V-8 Power In Europe, But Not In The United States

BMW’s S68 twin-turbo V-8 was always living on borrowed time. Not because it wasn’t good—it’s spectacular—but because Europe’s regulators have been circling it like wolves around a bratwurst. Now the bite has finally landed. Beginning next month, BMW will detune the S68 in Europe to meet upcoming Euro 7 emissions rules, slicing 40 horsepower from the gasoline side of the powertrain in both the M5 and XM Label—and doing it two years before the regulations even take effect.

Yes, the axe falls early.

In pure BMW fashion, though, Munich refuses to let its flagship Ms look weak on paper. To offset the combustion-engine haircut, BMW is turning up the voltage. The electric motor in the M5 is upgraded so that the total system output remains 717 horsepower, exactly where it was before. The XM Label does the same trick, holding the line at 737 horsepower by pairing a slightly weaker V-8 with a stronger electric motor.

The result is a numbers game that looks unchanged on a spec sheet—but one that tells a more complicated story underneath.

Europe Loses 40 Horses. America Doesn’t.

This change applies to all M5s and XM Labels sold in the European Union’s 27 member states, plus any other markets that follow EU emissions rules. But if you’re buying one in the United States, you can breathe easy—and deeply.

BMW spokesperson Jay Hanson confirmed that U.S.-market M5s and XM Labels will continue to use the full-power S68, with no detuning required. In other words, America gets the uncorked V-8 while Europe gets the eco-friendly version with an electrified crutch.

That’s not exactly new in the modern car world—but it’s still a bitter pill for European enthusiasts, especially when the M5 is supposed to be BMW’s unapologetic performance flagship.

The S68 Isn’t Going Anywhere

Despite the emissions squeeze, BMW isn’t walking away from its V-8 anytime soon. The S68 is slated to power a whole lineup of future M and M Performance models, including:

  • The next-gen X5 M Performance (G65)
  • The full X5 M (G95)
  • The X7 (G67)
  • And the next X6 in both G66 M Performance and G96 M forms

Even BMW ALPINA is expected to stick with the V-8 for the return of the B7 and an XB7 successor, though those models will reportedly come with hybrid and inline-six variants as well. An electric ALPINA is also on the horizon—which feels both inevitable and faintly tragic.

Meanwhile, the current M5 (G90 sedan and G99 wagon) will keep the S68 when its mid-cycle update arrives. The facelifted models have already been caught testing, though their official debut isn’t expected until late spring next year, ahead of production starting in July 2027.

More Than Just a Power Cut

BMW isn’t simply turning down the boost and calling it a day. European-market M5s and XM Labels are also switching to the Miller combustion cycle, a strategy that improves efficiency and lowers emissions by tweaking how the engine handles intake and compression. On top of that, BMW is upgrading the exhaust aftertreatment system and recalibrating engine management software.

The company insists the result is “continued dynamic performance at the highest level,” thanks to the stronger electric motor filling in for the lost V-8 output.

Maybe. But we all know what that really means.

Hybrids are fantastic at masking what’s been taken away—until you start pushing the car hard, again and again, when heat, weight, and battery limitations start to matter. The M5 is already a two-and-a-half-ton missile. Adding more electric hardware to compensate for a neutered engine only makes it heavier.

And if given the choice, most buyers would almost certainly take the 40 horsepower back instead of the electrons.

As someone who lives in Europe, I know I would. Better yet, ditch the plug-in hybrid altogether and let the V-8 breathe freely again. It would shed weight, restore character, and make the M5 feel like an M5 instead of a regulatory workaround.

Of course, the EU wouldn’t be thrilled about that.

Source: BMWBlog