BMW's roadmap for 2027: 7 new models including the cheapest electric SUV and many sedans
05/10/2026 13:00
Updated to
05/10/2026 13:12
BMW is experiencing a great period. Although it isn’t entirely immune to the crisis affecting Europe’s automotive industry, it can be said that the Germans are doing the best job of weathering the storm. 2026 has been a good year, but the brand is already working on a 2027 filled with new innovations. BMW has outlined a specific product roadmap for China, including timelines and certain milestones.
The plan details which models will reach the Chinese market by 2028 and confirms that the long-wheelbase versions, which have so far been exclusive to China, will no longer be. The most notable aspect isn’t a specific car model but rather the industrial strategy. BMW aims to have 95% of the vehicles it sells in China manufactured there by the end of 2029, and it is also exploring exports to Southeast Asia.
Already Confirmed Launches
The schedule begins in the fourth quarter of 2026 with the arrival of the long-range iX3. It’s an identical version to the BMW iX3 that is already performing well in Europe, but with the typical extended market rollout in Asia. In the first quarter of 2027, the long-range i3, updated Series 7 and i7 models, as well as the new X5 and iX5 will arrive.
Later, between the second and fourth quarters of 2027, four more models will be introduced, whose identities BMW has not revealed, bringing the total to seven new models for the coming year (counting the 7 Series/i7 and X5/iX5 as one each), with plans to add five more mysterious vehicles for 2028. Although their images have not been disclosed, we can get an idea of what models BMW will unveil in the coming months. Among the unidentified models could be a new generation iX1, a long-wheelbase Series 3 (for China), and mid-cycle updates to the Series 5/i5 family.
The iX1: Own electric platform and rear-wheel drive
The next-generation iX1, in its global NB5 version, is set to arrive in 2027, with an extended variant exclusive to China, the NB6, also planned for that time. Both will represent a full-generation change, shifting to an all-electric platform and a rear-wheel-drive configuration. They will feature the sixth-generation electric powertrain and cylindrical cell batteries that are already in production, with significant improvements expected in range and efficiency.
More sedans on the horizon
BMW has just unveiled the new generation of the Series 3 (G50) globally, while preparing a longer variant (G58) for the Chinese market. It will be a sedan with both hybrid and internal combustion engines, sold alongside the electric i3 (NA0). The longer version of the i3 produced in China is currently designated as NA8. All of these models will be built on the Neue Klasse platform. For the first time in history, the conventional Series 3 will need to adapt to the electric platform rather than the other way around as has been the case until now.
In the sedan segment, the i5 and Series 5 models will receive a mid-cycle update next year, with both global versions and those specific to the Chinese market getting their usual increased wheelbase. The current G60 and G68 models will incorporate technology related to the Neue Klasse, though they won’t use the platform that powers the latest generation of models such as the BMW iX5. This is a way to bring elements of that architecture to existing models without waiting for a complete redesign.
