Aohuhu

All of China is waiting for the official price announcement of the domestically produced BMW X5, but BMW has come up with a surprise move.

After waiting for nearly a year, the longer wheelbase version of the X5, which is a mid-size to large luxury SUV and the last piece missing for BBA’s luxury brand to achieve a significant sales leap through localization, has finally been produced domestically. BMW is the first to launch such a vehicle, with the X5L featuring a 130mm increase in wheelbase to reach 3105mm and a total length of 5060mm.

Now, the X5L finally has a backseat experience that matches its “million-yuan price tag.”

During the years of its import period, BMW X5 was always considered a vehicle costing around “one million RMB.” Before the X7 model arrived, it was one of BMW’s flagship models, comparable to the BMW 7 series. However, after the popularity of low-displacement turbocharged engines (starting from 2.0T) and the introduction of the seven-seater X7, the price of the X5 dropped to around 700,000 yuan.

Now, with the localization of the X5L, the final barrier of a 100,000 yuan price difference has been broken. There is now a domestically produced X5L available for 605,000 yuan. If the previous entry-level threshold of 700,000 yuan is still applicable, consumers can now enjoy the BMW brand’s renowned 3.0T inline-six engine.

Ten years ago, the idea of a domestic BBA flagship car was an incredible fantasy. But now, the iX3 produced by BMW Brilliance Automotive (BCA) in China is selling in Europe. If someone still thinks “made in China” means “low-end and cheap,” it’s time to realize that they’ve been living in the past decade.

Localization has also brought many benefits to the Chinese market. The X5L not only provides more space in the backseat, but it also comes with seats that better cater to Chinese passenger preferences, with fabric, thickness, and angle adjusted for greater comfort. This has already been seen in the domestically produced new 3 series. In addition, the infotainment system and voice recognition are now equipped with local features tailored for Chinese customers.

The longer wheelbase, more spacious and refined interior, smarter capabilities, and a price reduction of 100,000 yuan are all benefits brought to consumers by localization. These are also the competitive advantages that are given to BMW by China’s manufacturing industry.

The domestic X5L was thought to be heavy enough, but BMW, the drunken master, has announced their new pure electric car, i3, in the darkest corner of the poster.

The name i3 will be given to the pure electric version of 3 Series, which is not really news. Earlier this year, we bid goodbye to the old i3 (“Interesting Electric Soul, One Down”) after eight years of being well-liked but not popular, and it’s now officially making way for the new generation.

Although they share the same name, the new i3 has nothing to do with the old i3. It comes from the CLAR universal platform, and is the same as the iX3 and the just-launched i4. Compared with the four-door coupe i4, the new i3 is a four-door three-box car with all-around performance that is closer to users’ daily needs. As a domestic BMW, the new i3 is a surefire long-axis version, with dimensions and space comparable to the long-axis version of the 3 Series.

With only one configuration of eDrive 35L priced at 349,900 RMB, a 50,000 RMB difference from the starting price of the iX3 at 399,900 RMB, the price difference fits the positioning difference between sedans and SUVs on the same platform. Whispering to you, don’t rush to complain about the price, after all, there is a considerable channel discount for the iX3.

Moreover, in addition to being the “pure electric version of the 3 Series,” the new i3 also has some sneak peeks and surprises.

You might think that i3 = pure electric 3 Series, but in fact, the new i3 has already hinted at the upcoming mid-term facelift of the 3 Series. On closer inspection, the new i3’s headlights have subtle differences from the current 3 Series: the lower contour of the lamp cover no longer has a complex inward curve, and the internal daytime running lights also have a new shape. The interior is equipped with a through-type suspended bicurved screen, which is in line with the design of the i4, iX, and other models.

Changes in exterior details such as headlights match with recently exposed mid-term facelift spy photos of the 3 Series, indicating that the 3 Series will soon have the same beautiful eyes as the i3. The suspended dual-screen is not likely to be an exclusive configuration of the i Series, and even BMW’s entire lineup may adopt it as a new interior design element.

In other words, the new i3 is enjoying the facelift treatment ahead of the combustion engine version of the 3 Series.

The new i3 also comes from the BMW Brilliance Shenyang factory and can be compared to the iX3 in terms of electric performance. It has a single motor in the rear with the same specs as the iX3: 210 kW/400 N·m and a 0-100 km/h time of 6.2 seconds. It is equipped with a 70-degree three-element lithium battery that provides a 526 km CLTC range, which is slightly better than the iX3 (500 km), possibly due to the weight and wind resistance.

BMW has always been paying attention to the handling performance of its pure electric models. The new i3 is equipped with front and rear HRS hydraulic rebound dampers (the same as the 3 Series) and front and rear anti-roll bars, which are not available on the 3 Series. What’s more amazing is that the rear axle uses adaptive air springs, which are the same as those found on the much more expensive i4, but still not available on the iX3.

Of course, it should be mentioned that the front suspension of the 3 Series/i3 is a double ball joint MacPherson structure, which makes it difficult to use air springs on the front axle due to inherent structural problems. The reason why air springs are used on the relatively inexpensive pure electric sedan, the new i3, is more likely because the rear axle space needs to be reserved for the electric motor, so the shape of the rear subframe has changed somewhat, and the space on both sides of the subframe that is left for the suspension has been compressed.

At the same time, the weight pressure of pure electric vehicles has increased significantly. In order to regain driving performance in limited space, BMW has spared no effort to use air springs as a compensation and upgrade. This kind of scrutiny is also reflected in the front compartment of the vehicle. BMW has equipped the new i3 with (which the 3 Series does not have) a damper top (tower) pull rod, which strengthens and increases the local stiffness near the front axle.

BMW has its own pursuit of driving quality for pure electric vehicles, which we have already seen in the iX3 and iX.

Even better, BMW is quite “demanding” when it comes to its CLAR electric vehicles. No longer can we deny that the new i3 is based on the CLAR platform, which is a hybrid platform, rather than a true EV platform. However, it is still impressive that BMW insists on putting the fast charging port on the rear of the vehicle, which is better suited for the reverse-in charging method that is popular in China, while many pure EVs with high-voltage units located in the front of the vehicle have overlooked this.

Before BMW’s true EV platform New Class/Neue Klasse arrives, CLAR will still serve as a cornerstone for BMW’s EVs. On the one hand, the phrase “gas-to-electric” is no longer the hasty and rudimentary buzzword it once was. For a brand like BMW that must depend on this technology for a period of time, it is no longer the same. BMW may be the best brand at balancing these changes, as seen in their pure EV strategy (see “2025 Championship, Are BBA Ready?”).

On the other hand, the fact that the new i3 only has one configuration indicates that BMW is not relying on it to dominate the market like the Model 3. Like the iX3, the new i3 is only the vanguard of a grand plan, designed to occupy a small part of the market for a period of time and satisfy loyal users who prefer what BMW values and pursues in the early days of the EV era.

This article is a translation by ChatGPT of a Chinese report from 42HOW. If you have any questions about it, please email bd@42how.com.