A Chinese debut and a global debut.
On April 24, at the 2024 BMW Group Night held in Beijing, the two first shows demonstrated a leap-forward advancement of the two major brands BMW and MINI. This was also a major presentation closely related to the Chinese market.
Among them, the BMW new generation concept car made its debut in China, revealing the characteristics of the next generation product series: "very future, more BMW". MINI's first pure electric crossover model, MINI Aceman, made its global debut, and the all-new electric MINI Cooper also officially debuted in China. Together with the all-new MINI Countryman, they form a new MINI family, announcing that the MINI brand has entered a new era.
MINI Aceman
"The 'New Generation' is more than just a car, it represents the beginning of the next generation of BMW's new product range," said BMW Group Chairman Zipse.
It is reported that the new generation model (Neue Klasse) was originally the general name for a series of very successful BMW models in the 1960s. Now, the BMW Group refers to a series of new models that will be put into production globally in 2025 as the "new generation."
New generation model (Neue Klasse)
“With the launch of this new generation of models, we will reshape the entire company and our influence on the future of mobility. This means: more pure driving pleasure, more digital experiences, and more sustainable applications. In short, it will be better than ever before. BMW," Zipzer said.
According to reports, the new generation model will use the sixth-generation BMW eDrive electric drive technology and cylindrical batteries for the first time, significantly improving energy density, cruising range, and charging speed; it will also be equipped with the first BMW panoramic view bridge, which represents the head-up display A quantum leap in technology; the new generation of models will adopt a new electronic and electrical architecture and advanced "domain control" design. An intelligent center composed of four "super brains" will elevate the intelligent driving experience and pure driving fun to a higher dimension. "New Generation" is BMW's leader in innovation, and its innovative results will gradually be applied to all future BMW models.
New generation model (Neue Klasse) interior
The two new electric members of the MINI brand under the BMW Group - the new electric MINI Aceman and the new electric MINI Cooper inherit the iconic concept of the classic MINI. The industry's first circular OLED instrument panel is a pioneering achievement brought about by the difficult adaptation of software UI/UX. With the support of electric power, the center of gravity of the vehicle is lower, the four wheels are wider, the power output is faster, and the driving dynamics are comprehensively improved. The control feeling of the classic fuel version that people love is still there, but the purely electric-driven MINI is even better to drive. .
This BMW Group Night sent a clear signal: the group's brands are firmly moving into the smart electric era in accordance with the established plan.
Last year, the BMW Group delivered more than 2.55 million new cars in the global market, of which 375,000 were pure electric models. It achieved the goal of pure electric model sales accounting for approximately 15% of the group's total sales as planned; of which more than 820,000 were delivered in the Chinese market. BMW and MINI brand cars include nearly 100,000 BMW pure electric vehicles.
In 2024, the BMW Group will further enrich its product lineup and present to Chinese consumers more than 20 new and upgraded models of BMW and MINI brands entering the smart electric era, including the new pure electric BMW i4, which made its world premiere at the BMW Group Night. The new pure electric BMW i4 shows that in a market where petrol and electric technologies coexist, the BMW brand will always use pure driving pleasure as its unique personality label.
2024 marks the 30th anniversary of the BMW Group’s entry into the Chinese market. At the age of 30, the BMW Group has not only established the world's largest production system in China and the largest R&D system outside of Germany, but has also developed an all-round smart electric vehicle supply chain.
30 years ago, the BMW Beijing representative office was established on the banks of the Liangma River. During this year’s Beijing Auto Show, BMW also brought another innovation: the six-day "BMW Liangma: 2024 BMW Explores New Generation Concepts" was held on the banks of the Liangma River in Beijing. Exhibition", bringing a number of innovative products and achievements to show the public BMW's vision for future mobility.
