BMW’s Big Makeover: 5 Series Leads the Charge Before New Electric Models Take Over
BMW is getting ready to update its entire range of gas-powered cars, starting with the 5 Series. Even though the current version of the 5 Series just came out in 2023, it’s already set for a big refresh.
This update is part of BMW’s larger plan to make all its cars look and feel more modern, especially before its all-electric Neue Klasse vehicles start rolling out.
BMW wants to make sure the cars it sells today don’t seem outdated once the new electric models arrive. The Neue Klasse line will begin with the new iX3, which is set to debut at the Munich motor show in September.
Right after that, a new 3 Series will follow using the same platform that was built mainly for electric cars. Over the next few years, BMW plans to update almost every model it sells to match the look and tech of these upcoming electric cars.
The 5 Series will be the first to change. Spy shots already show a bold new front design that fits better with the styling of the future Neue Klasse models. This update will also be applied to the M5.
The inside of the 5 Series might also get upgraded, possibly including the new Panoramic iDrive system. That setup features a new dashboard, a bigger curved display, a new steering wheel, and fewer buttons. The first car to get it will be the iX3, but eventually, it will be added to every BMW.
Even with the facelift, the 5 Series will still use the same CLAR platform and engines. That includes a 205 horsepower mild-hybrid and a 295 horsepower plug-in hybrid, both using a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine. The M5 will stick with its 717 horsepower V8 hybrid engine.
Once the 5 Series gets its update, other models like the X5, 2 Series, X2, 7 Series, and X7 will follow. These changes are meant to help older models match the look and tech of the newer electric cars.
BMW’s product boss, Bernd Körber, told Autocar that the Neue Klasse is more than just a new type of car. “The next generation of all cars and all toolboxes when it comes to engine, digital, ADAS etc,” he said. BMW will launch Neue Klasse models first as electric vehicles, but within three and a half years, the new design and tech will be used across the entire line-up.
Design chief Adrian van Hooydonk said that even though the new iX3 and 3 Series will look different at first, the rest of the cars will catch up quickly. He explained that BMW doesn’t want its current cars to look old compared to the new ones. “We will make sure that the form language that we are developing now – and starting this year at the IAA [Munich show] with the first of the Neue Klasse vehicles – will be rolled out over the entire product portfolio, leaving no car behind,” he said. “It would not be good for us or for our customers if there would be a new type of BMW and a ‘classic’ type of BMW. We’re going to change the look and feel of the BMW brand.”
He also said that while all the cars will share the new look, each one will still have its own personality. But the change will happen fast. He added, “We’re not only launching one car now in September: it will be the beginning of a whole range of new vehicle launches in the next two to three years. We’re going to renew pretty much the whole product line-up.”
Van Hooydonk said the reason behind all these updates is simple: things in the car world are changing fast. “Why are we making this much change in design? Because the technology is changing this much. Society’s appetite for change has sped up,” he explained.
As for what’s coming next, it’s been reported that after the new X5, BMW will likely work on a Neue Klasse version of the 1 Series, expected around 2028. Other recent models like the 2 Series, 7 Series, X1, and X2 will also get bigger updates by 2029 to match the rest of the line-up.
There’s no word yet on what will happen to models like the 4 Series and 8 Series, but since they’re getting older, BMW may not put as much effort into refreshing them.
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