BMW's Beijing Reveals

BMW used the Beijing auto show to remake its flagship 7 Series around Neue Klasse electronics while unveiling two China-focused long-wheelbase electric models. (press.bmwgroup.com) The refreshed 7 Series debuted on April 22, 2026, with BMW calling it the most extensive update ever for the sedan and the first luxury model to adopt Neue Klasse technology. U.S. launch models include the electric i7 50 xDrive and i7 60 xDrive, plus gasoline 740 and 740 xDrive versions. (press.bmwgroup.com) BMW said global production of the 7 Series starts in July at Dingolfing in Germany, with a plug-in hybrid 750e xDrive due in the first quarter of 2027 and a V8-powered M Performance version coming later. Inside, the car adds Panoramic iDrive, a passenger display, and an updated 31.3-inch Theater Screen that now supports Zoom calls. (press.bmwgroup.com) Neue Klasse is BMW’s next vehicle architecture and software stack, and the company is now moving those systems into existing high-end models before the full lineup changeover. BMW said the 7 Series is the start of a broader technology rollout across drivetrains and segments. (press.bmwgroup.com) Beijing also showed how much of that rollout is being shaped around China, where long-wheelbase sedans and sport utility vehicles are a core premium-market formula. BMW said the iX3 Long Wheelbase was developed “for China” and will go on sale there in the second half of 2026. (press.bmwgroup.com) BMW’s China arm said the iX3 Long Wheelbase stretches the wheelbase by 108 millimeters, uses an 800-volt electrical system, targets more than 900 kilometers of range on China’s CLTC test cycle, and can add more than 400 kilometers in 10 minutes at up to 400 kilowatts of charging. BMW also said 70% of the China-market Operating System X code was developed and optimized by its China research team. (press.bmwgroup.com) A second China-oriented reveal, the new i3 Long Wheelbase, extends BMW’s Neue Klasse sedan strategy into the compact executive class. BMWBLOG reported the car has a wheelbase of more than three meters and a claimed range of more than 1,000 kilometers on the CLTC cycle, though BMW had not published a full global press release for that model as of April 23. (bmwblog.com) The global i3 that arrived in March gives a sense of the hardware underneath. BMW said the standard electric i3 launches with 345 kilowatts, 645 newton-meters of torque, sixth-generation eDrive hardware, Panoramic iDrive, and Heart of Joy vehicle-control software, with production starting in Munich in August 2026. (press.bmwgroup.com) BMW is not treating Beijing as an all-electric reset. The new 7 Series range keeps combustion models in the lineup, and BMW’s U.S. release says a V8-powered M Performance variant is still part of the plan. (press.bmwgroup.com) That leaves BMW showing two product bets at once in Beijing: longer-range, faster-charging electric cars built around China’s preferences, and a flagship sedan range that still reserves room for gasoline and V8 power. The next test is whether buyers reward both strategies when the new models reach showrooms later in 2026 and early 2027. (press.bmwgroup.com)