BMW is putting its next-generation EV strategy through a very China-specific test. Autohome reports that BMW has released its 2026 second-quarter update and confirmed that the long-wheelbase BMW iX3 will open presales at the Chengdu auto show in August.
The company says the China version is in final pre-production testing. In a Qinghai real-world range run in May, the prototype reportedly covered more than 800 km and still had 2% battery remaining.
BMW also highlighted the continued strength of the 3 Series and M division in China, but the strategic signal is clearly the Neue Klasse EV rollout and the role of Shenyang as a local innovation and production base.
Why it matters
Legacy premium brands are under pressure in China because buyers now expect long range, fast software cycles and local product tuning. BMW is trying to answer that with a dedicated long-wheelbase EV rather than a global model with minimal localization.
The iX3 presale will be an early measure of whether BMW can make its next-generation EV architecture feel locally relevant in the world’s most demanding EV market.
Source: Autohome, published 2026-07-11 08:56:00. Source images are attributed to Autohome.
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