BMW Plans Product Offensive In China To Battle Declining Sales

Discover something totally different about this BMW iX3 prototype? Its rear doorways are barely longer, a results of a stretched wheelbase designed to ship additional rear-seat legroom. The camouflaged take a look at automotive isn’t the usual “NA5” mannequin however the elongated “NA6” variant developed particularly for China. It’s set to debut quickly within the firm’s largest market, kicking off a serious product offensive in 2026.

Chinese language enterprise journal 36Kr stories that BMW plans to launch greater than 20 new automobiles domestically this yr. Paired with price cuts across 31 models, the technique is clearly aimed toward arresting declining gross sales. In 2025, the BMW Group (together with MINI) delivered 625,527 automobiles in China, a worrying 12.5% year-over-year drop.

Wanting additional again, demand is down by over 200,000 items in comparison with 2021, when gross sales peaked at almost 848,000 automobiles. Whether or not the upcoming wave of latest merchandise can reverse the slide stays to be seen. BMW hasn’t disclosed which fashions past the long-wheelbase iX3 will launch this yr on this planet’s largest automotive market.

Logic suggests localized variations of the next-generation 3 Collection and X5 are possible subsequent. Each international fashions are due this yr: the G50 and the G65, respectively. In China, the outgoing sedan and SUV already characteristic longer wheelbases than their worldwide counterparts. BMW has additionally confirmed {that a} 7 Collection facelift will arrive in 2026 alongside an up to date i7, with each sharing the identical wheelbase because the Chinese language-market variations.

Whether or not the just lately spied iX4 will obtain the long-wheelbase therapy in China remains to be unclear. A stretched i3, codenamed NA8, seems to be a extra believable candidate, on condition that sedans stay related in China, not like the remainder of the world’s seemingly insatiable urge for food for SUVs.

In accordance with 36Kr, electrical automobiles accounted for fewer than 10% of BMW’s whole gross sales in China final yr, with simply 53,000 EVs delivered. Globally, nonetheless, zero-emission automobiles reached a report 18% share in 2025, whereas in Europe, 25% of all BMW Group gross sales got here from fashions with out a combustion engine.

BMW isn’t the one legacy automaker struggling in China’s hyper-competitive market. Its two principal rivals are going through comparable headwinds: Mercedes-Benz noticed gross sales fall 19% to 551,900 automobiles, whereas Audi slipped 5% to 617,514 items, excluding automobiles offered beneath its new perplexing AUDI sub-brand created in partnership with SAIC.

Supply: 36kr