The new energy transformation of the domestic automotive industry has entered the second half, and the competition is fierce, and many car companies are fighting for sales and price. Unlike the bowed heads of many car companies, BMW seems to have a degree of discipline, and while the main business is steadily advancing, it has also found a better balance between historical inheritance and breakthrough innovation.
In addition to the newly released new pure electric BMW i4 and the new BMW M4, the BMW 7 Series, the new BMW 5 Series and the BMW 3 Series, which represent BMW's large and medium-sized luxury cars, are also attracting much attention, especially the new BMW 5 Series, which was launched at the beginning of the year, which comprehensively demonstrates the future form of luxury intelligent connected vehicles.
Of course, the BMW Group was brilliant at the booth, and outside the booth, it was an in-depth presentation of its latest understanding of the future. On the eve of the Beijing Auto Show, BMW held the "BMW Bright Horse - 2024 BMW Exploring the New Generation Concept Exhibition" on the banks of the Liangma River, and the BMW New Generation Concept Car came to China for the first time, showing a new style of "very futuristic, more BMW" with the design style of personal luxury travel, outlining BMW's imagination for the future.
There is no doubt that today's BMW, a luxury car brand that is willing to keep pace with the times, is giving a clearer answer to the era of intelligent electricity in its own way.
In the new generation, BMW is more future-oriented
"Inherit the classics of the generations and go ahead of the times." The unveiling of BMW's next-generation concept car represents the beginning of BMW's next-generation product lineup. For BMW, the term "new generation" is both innovative and historical.
For the first time, the sixth-generation BMW eDrive technology and cylindrical battery cells are used in the BMW new-generation concept car, equipped with the first-of-its-kind BMW panoramic vision bridge, and through the new electronic and electrical architecture and advanced "domain control" design, the intelligent driving experience and pure driving pleasure are elevated to a higher dimension, redefining the future of intelligent luxury mobility.
According to BMW's official statement, "Electrification, digitalization and sustainability are megatrends in the automotive industry that define the cars of the future. The new generation of BMW models combines the core innovations of the three areas of future mobility and reinforces the BMW brand's sporty and luxury label in an extremely modern and innovative way. The 'New Generation' is more than just a car, it represents the beginning of a new generation of BMW's product range. ”
This is also a testament to the fact that the Chinese debut of the new generation concept car reveals the characteristics of BMW's next-generation product line: "very futuristic and more BMW".
But perhaps this is what BMW Group Chairman Zipzer expects: "With the introduction of the next generation of models, we will reshape the entire company and our influence on the future of mobility." Hidden behind this new generation concept must be the confidence and determination of BMW to continue to maintain a pioneering attitude in the era of intelligent electric vehicles in China.
The all-new BMW 5 Series is leading the way in innovation
There is no doubt that BMW's enthusiasm for electrification has reached its peak compared to other luxury brands that stick to China, from the BMW Group Night to the official Beijing Auto Show. From BMW's point of view, all of the Group's products are firmly in line with the long-term plan to enter the era of intelligent electric vehicles, and the all-new BMW 5 Series is the best pioneer.
In the current trend of pursuing high-end and intelligence, BMW has always adhered to the breakthrough and innovation concept experienced by each generation of BMW 5 Series, so that the all-new BMW 5 Series has redefined its products in terms of intelligent technologies such as human-machine co-driving and driving in the environment on the basis of continuing the luxury heritage of the 5 Series.
On the one hand, BMW adheres to the concept of "Ergonomics" and is committed to creating intelligent driving assistance systems that are understandable, comfortable and safe for users, with design and tuning that suit people's hearts, to create a safe and comfortable driving experience.
Today, before entering the era of fully autonomous driving, BMW's intelligent driving assistance system aims to provide users with a clear boundary of use and ensure that users are always in the driving process, i.e., "driving in the loop", with the aim of "safety first" human-machine co-driving. To ensure that the driver is fully engaged at all times, the all-new BMW 5 Series features an attention monitoring system and a capacitive-sensing steering wheel. The all-new BMW 5 Series is equipped with an automatic lane change function with gaze checking, which is the embodiment of the "ergonomics" and "driving in the environment" philosophy. When the driver's eye is confirmed, the vehicle is able to change lanes automatically in the speed range of 60 to 180 km/h.
The all-new BMW 5 Series is equipped with the third-generation BMW Intelligent Driving System, which is also based on the design concept of "safe use", and realizes the self-development of full-stack software for target recognition, path planning, drivable area, computer vision fusion, road model, trajectory prediction, motion planning, control and decision-making, functional safety, safety of use, and customer functions. In order to exceed the level of "functional safety", improve the user's psychological sense of safety.
On the other hand, when the car gradually enters a new era of intelligence and digitalization, the all-new BMW 5 Series turns the rear space into an exclusive private theater through an integrated floating curved screen and a BMW floating giant screen that naturally extends from the canopy, with 8K ultra-high definition, 31-inch giant screen, and supports 32:9 panoramic playback mode. At the same time, the all-new BMW 5 Series is also equipped with a new operating system, which has a clearer distribution and more logical interaction in the main screen layout.
Moreover, in order to extend the "driving pleasure" in the era of technology, BMW has launched a more tangible image of BMW intelligent personal assistant, making the digital experience more emotional.
It can be said that through a series of innovations of the all-new BMW 5 Series, BMW's electrification and intelligent strategic deployment has achieved remarkable results, which also shows that the all-new BMW 5 Series is appearing in front of consumers with a more modern appearance and intrinsic appearance for the era of intelligent electronics, and has become a concrete expression of BMW's technological leadership and brand leaping.
Firmly "home in China" and keep up with the wheels of the times
Also during the Beijing Auto Show, Zipzer came to Shenyang, Liaoning Province, and announced that BMW will continue to expand its investment of 20 billion yuan for the upgrading and expansion of the Shenyang base.
"China's current trends will determine the direction of the world in the future." "This investment plan not only reaffirms our long-term expectations for China's economic development, but also demonstrates our strong confidence in the continued win-win cooperation with our Chinese partners, and BMW will further demonstrate its long-term commitment to the Chinese market," said Zipzer. ”
Indeed, "home in China" has always been BMW's promise, and now China has played a crucial role in BMW's electrification process.
Previously, in order to meet the latest demand of the Chinese market, BMW has introduced various types of electric vehicles to China. The domestic production of BMW i3 and iX3 and the introduction of BMW iX have become the actions of this luxury brand to gain a deep insight into the Chinese auto market. In terms of sales volume, the BMW Group will deliver about 100,000 BMW BEVs in 2023, becoming an important pillar of BMW's overall sales growth.
Today, the BMW Group is pushing its product offensive in almost all core market segments in China. In 2024 alone, BMW will launch more than 20 new products under the BMW and MINI brands in the Chinese market to better meet changing customer needs.
Therefore, whether it is product layout, technology leadership, or strategic deployment, BMW must show an attitude that it is to complete a new round of brand transformation in China.
2024 marks the 30th year of the BMW Group's entry into the Chinese automotive market. In the past, the BMW Group has not only established the world's largest production system in China and the largest R&D system outside Germany, but also developed the intelligent electric vehicle supply chain in an all-round way, opening a new era.
It is no exaggeration to say that BMW, which has been deeply linked to the Chinese market, may feed back to the world through China, and apply the most effective set of development logic of electrification transformation to the entire intelligent electric era.