BMW Plans to Overhaul Its Current ICE Product Lineup

BMW has not given up entirely on its combustion engines, as it plans to overhaul the entire ICE lineup, starting with the 5 Series.

In the midst of launching its latest Neue Klasse EV lineup, BMW has not given up entirely on its combustion-powered lineup, as it plans to completely overhaul its current ICE product lineup, starting with the new, heavily updated G60-gen 5 Series.

According to Autocar UK, the comprehensive refresh programme will start soon after the Bavarian automaker debuts its first Neue Klasse model, the new BMW iX3, sometime later in September this year. This programme ensures that current ICE-powered BMW models won’t get outpaced by their newer and fancier all-electric counterparts.

As mentioned above, the first model poised to be overhauled is the current G60-gen 5 Series, which will be unveiled later next year after the next-gen, Neue Klasse-based 3 Series debuts. Even before this news surfaced, multiple spy shots of the heavily updated 5 Series were spread online, where the midsize saloon seems to adopt the same radical design cues seen in the Vision Neue Klasse concept.

To go along with its heavily revised exterior, the updated 5 Series is also poised to get some major cabin overhauls. While nothing concrete has been confirmed, we can expect the updated model to get BMW’s latest Panoramic iDrive cockpit system, which will also be used on Neue Klasse models.

The new Panoramic iDrive setup comprises a new front dash setup, featuring an extended head-up display (HUD), a redesigned steering wheel, a larger 17.9-inch central infotainment display, and fewer physical buttons and controls compared to the current BMW iDrive suite.

Despite the major overhaul programme, we can expect the updated 5 Series to continue to underpin the same CLAR platform as the current model. Autocar UK also reported that the updated model will be getting the same powertrain setups as today, using the 2.0-litre 4-cyl B48 or 3.0-litre straight-six B58 turbo-petrol mills as their core. Similarly, we can also expect the updated M5 to retain its 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 plug-in hybrid (PHEV) setup, although some minor power boost might be on the cards.

Beyond the G60-gen 5 Series, this massive overhaul programme will also cover other key BMW models like the 2 Series, X2, 7 Series, and X7, while the X5 is due for a next-gen redux soon. Similar to the 5 Series, the massive overhaul will see the aforementioned models getting heavier-than-usual design updates featuring BMW’s latest design language, new interior setups, and even updated powertrain setups too.

With that being said, the future for other less-popular BMW models like the 4 Series and 8 Series lineups remains to be seen, as there are no indications yet whether these models will be getting a next-gen redux. At the same time, Autocar UK also pointed out these two models are too close to the end of their natural product life cycles to warrant any significant and expensive upgrades.