Tag Archives: BMW

News

BMW Cuts EV Prices in China, Including a $42K Drop on the i7 M70L

Price wars used to be something Chinese automakers did to Western brands. Now, they’re something legacy automakers are doing with them.

BMW is the latest to blink in China’s increasingly cutthroat auto market, announcing sweeping price reductions across 31 models. It’s a notable move for a brand that traditionally leans on prestige and pricing discipline—and a clear sign that even the blue-and-white roundel isn’t immune to the pressures of the world’s largest car market.

The headline grabber is the BMW i7 M70L, the long-wheelbase, dual-motor flagship of the electric 7-Series lineup. Packing 659 horsepower and a neck-snapping 811 lb-ft of torque, it now costs 301,000 yuan less than before—a haircut of roughly $42,000. That’s not a gentle nudge. That’s a shove.

The deepest cut by percentage, however, belongs to the iX1 eDrive25L. BMW trimmed 24 percent off the price of the long-wheelbase compact SUV, dropping its entry point to 228,000 yuan (about $32,600). In a segment flooded with aggressively priced domestic EVs, the iX1 suddenly looks far more competitive than its badge alone would have allowed.

Officially, BMW is playing it cool. Speaking to Bloomberg, the company framed the changes as part of its “regular price management,” noting that transaction prices are ultimately negotiated between dealers and buyers. That’s corporate-speak for don’t read too much into this.

But the timing tells a different story.

China’s auto market has shown clear signs of strain, with sales declining for a second consecutive month in November, according to the China Passenger Car Association. As growth slows, automakers—foreign and domestic alike—are scrambling to protect volume, even if it means trimming margins.

At the same time, regulators are trying to keep the chaos contained. New rules prohibit automakers from selling below production cost and ban dealer incentives that push prices beneath that line, an attempt to prevent a full-blown race to the bottom.

In that context, BMW’s price cuts look less like aggressive discounting and more like a formal acknowledgment of reality. According to Yale Zhang, managing director at Automotive Foresight, the revised stickers largely reflect what customers were already paying after negotiations. In other words, BMW didn’t undercut the market—it caught up to it.

And this likely isn’t the end.

With Chinese New Year landing in February, the industry’s traditional incentive season is fast approaching. At least 14 automakers have already launched discount or incentive programs since the start of 2026, and more are expected to follow as brands try to front-load first-quarter sales.

Zhang doesn’t see the trend fading anytime soon. Promotional cycles may fluctuate, he says, but sustained pricing pressure is now a structural feature of the Chinese market—not a temporary hiccup.

Regulators remain wary. Prolonged discounting raises the specter of deflation, supply-chain instability, and downward pressure on wages—risks that extend far beyond the showroom floor.

For BMW, though, the message is clear: in China, prestige alone no longer sells cars. Even the ultimate driving machine has to sharpen its pencil.

Source: BMW

NEW CARS

BMW Can’t Decide How Bold Its M5 Facelift Should Be—and That Might Be a Good Thing

BMW usually plays its Life Cycle Impulse cards close to the chest. Minor tweaks here, a lighting signature there, and done. But the facelifted M5 appears to be breaking that tradition—and not subtly. Since March 2025, when the first spy shots of an updated M5 surfaced, BMW has been testing not one but two noticeably different design directions for its super sedan, all while the current G90-generation car is still barely warmed up.

That alone raised eyebrows. Testing a facelift just months after customer deliveries begin is unusual, even by BMW standards. But the real surprise came later, when a second prototype appeared wearing camouflage that hinted at a completely different face.

The first test mule leaned hard into BMW’s Neue Klasse design language. Its kidney grille stretched outward, visually linking up with the headlights in a way that echoed the 2023 Vision Neue Klasse concept. BMW has already confirmed that this look will debut on upcoming production models like the next 3 Series and the electric i3 sedan, so seeing it previewed on an M5 made a certain amount of sense—at least on paper.

Then came the second prototype. Same car, same mission, but a noticeably more conservative approach. The kidneys looked closer to the current design, and the overall effect was far more traditional BMW than concept-car experiment. A recent rendering based on this newer prototype strips away the camouflage and suggests BMW may be walking back some of its bolder ideas.

Which version looks better? That’s up for debate. What’s harder to argue is what this all implies: BMW appears to be actively rethinking the M5’s facelift in public view.

Both prototypes shared some common ground. The headlights are slimmer, taking cues from the upcoming iX3, and the changes seem destined to extend beyond the M5 to the regular 5 Series lineup. The G61 5 Series Touring has already been spotted with a toned-down Neue Klasse-inspired front end, hinting that whatever BMW decides here will ripple across the range.

What makes this situation unusual isn’t that BMW is revising a facelift—it’s when and how we’re seeing it happen. Automakers frequently change course during development, but those decisions are usually finalized long before prototypes start racking up miles on public roads. Watching two different facelift philosophies play out in real time is rare.

The rumored reason for the pivot? Customer feedback. Internal studies and external research reportedly suggested that the more aggressive Neue Klasse look might not land as well as BMW hoped, particularly on a car as expensive and performance-focused as the M5. A subtler update, the thinking goes, would be safer—and more in line with buyer expectations.

There’s also a financial angle. The 5 Series and M5 are among roughly 40 models slated to receive BMW’s Neue Klasse interior and next-generation iDrive system. That’s already a massive investment. Adding extensive exterior reengineering on top of costly interior tech upgrades for cars that aren’t clean-sheet designs could push budgets into uncomfortable territory.

Of course, camouflage can be misleading, and prototypes don’t always tell the full story. For now, the facelifted 5 Series and M5 remain a waiting game. Production of the LCI models reportedly won’t begin until July 2027, putting an official reveal sometime in 2026 at the earliest.

Until then, BMW’s indecision is on full display—and for once, that might be the most interesting part of the story.

Source: BMW; Photo: Kolesa.ru

News

BMW Recalls Nearly 37,000 X3 Crossovers for Unintended Steering Movement

BMW is calling back almost 37,000 examples of its X3 crossover in the United States after discovering a software flaw that can cause the steering wheel to move on its own—while the vehicle is standing still.

The recall affects 2025 and 2026 model-year BMW X3s, with the automaker estimating that all 36,922 vehicles included may be affected by the issue. While the cars aren’t driving themselves off into traffic, unexpected steering inputs are still the sort of behavior that earns immediate attention from regulators—and drivers.

According to documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the issue stems from the electric power steering system. If one of the two steering assist torque sensor channels fails while the vehicle is parked, the system may not correctly detect the fault. In rare circumstances, that oversight can result in random steering wheel movement.

The behavior can occur when the engine is started or when the vehicle is stationary with the transmission in gear. In other words, the X3 might appear perfectly calm—until the steering wheel decides to make a move of its own.

This isn’t a purely theoretical problem, either. At least one real-world example has already surfaced on video, showing a parked X3 turning its steering wheel to one side, returning it to center, and repeating the motion—all while the vehicle itself remains motionless. It’s unsettling to watch, even if the risk of immediate danger appears low.

BMW says the fix is straightforward: a software update for the steering control system. Most owners won’t need to visit a dealership, as the update will be delivered over the air (OTA). For those who prefer the traditional route, BMW dealers will install the update free of charge.

The recall is another reminder that as modern vehicles rely increasingly on software, the definition of a “mechanical issue” continues to evolve. Sometimes, solving a steering problem no longer requires a wrench—just a stable internet connection.

Source: NHTSA