BMW starts the year with a bang

Author: Chai Xuchen

Editor: Zhang Xiaoling

Twenty years ago, BMW introduced its most classic 5 Series sedan to China, propping up BMW's sales and reputation in the country and becoming one of BMW's proud product lines.

Twenty years later, in the fiercely competitive era of new energy, in the Chinese market where new forces emerge frequently, the new BMW 5 Series is ready to go, presenting itself as a rejuvenated century-old automaker and once again taking on its competitors.

In this thrilling counterattack battle, the new 5 Series is the key player.

By strengthening intelligence and adding luxury, and leveraging the brand's prestige and channel advantages, BMW intends to disrupt the current landscape of new energy luxury cars and revive its past glory.

Strategy

On January 25th, the new BMW 5 Series was officially launched, with unprecedented moves.

Not only did it release both gasoline and electric versions, but it also introduced a long-wheelbase version that Chinese consumers love. The new 5 Series enhances both the sense of luxury and technological innovation, challenging the new forces in the industry.

According to the introduction, the interior style and luxury level of the new BMW 5 Series models follow the flagship standards of the BMW 7 Series, and the top-of-the-line version even "inherits" the unique rear-seat floating screen from the original 7 Series, becoming an exclusive feature of the Chinese version of the 5 Series.

If "sofa and big screen TV" are just the basics, the upgrade in intelligence of the new 5 Series is even more significant.

Just before the outbreak of intelligent driving, the new 5 Series showcases its "black technology". Equipped with BMW's L2+ level intelligent driving system, the car adds a "lane change confirmation by sight" function. According to the official statement, the driver only needs to glance at the rearview mirror to automatically change lanes and overtake on roads that meet the conditions.

In addition, BMW has also embedded L3 level intelligent driving capabilities in its long-wheelbase version, starting simultaneous localized development.

With cutting-edge technology, exclusive configurations for the Chinese market, and the rare combination of gasoline and electric power, it is evident that the BMW Group attaches great importance to the Chinese market. In addition, the new 5 Series achieves the same price for gasoline and electric versions, with the starting price for the pure electric i5, long-wheelbase, and standard-wheelbase versions all at 439,900 yuan.

Clearly, BMW has high expectations for the new 5 Series. Behind the strong efforts is the desire to maintain and enhance BMW's luxury "image" and market share in China.

Last year, BBA's sales in China remained stable and even increased, with BMW still leading the pack with 824,000 units sold. However, the good sales performance was largely due to price reductions. As a well-established luxury car brand, BMW was not immune to price wars.

According to data from the Automotive Research Institute, in December last year, BMW's average retail price was 367,300 yuan, a year-on-year decrease of 4.4%, higher than the average level of Mercedes-Benz and Audi.

Taking the popular entry-level 3 Series sedan as an example, its transaction price has dropped from 315,000 yuan in 2022 to 290,000 yuan. In some regions, the quoted price for the pure electric i3 is as low as 250,000 to 280,000 yuan. The best-selling model has dropped below 300,000 yuan, and BMW urgently needs a product that can enhance its brand image. The new 5 Series has been entrusted with this mission.

Over the past twenty years, the BMW 5 Series has been a favorite among many middle-class consumers. To date, it has sold over 2 million units in China, accounting for 40% of BMW's total sales and serving as a cornerstone of the brand, establishing the recognition of BMW among Chinese consumers.

Last year, the monthly sales of the 5 Series reached 11,000 units, comparable to the 12,000 units of the 3 Series, making it a pillar of the BMW lineup.

With the deployment of the 5 Series, BMW aims to reshape its brand image, strengthen its product competitiveness and luxury appeal in the face of the impact of the intelligent electric era, and also capture the electric vehicle market.

In addition to catering to the needs of domestic users in terms of configuration, BMW has also simultaneously launched the all-electric version, the i5, to boost the overall sales of the 5 Series.

Last year, BMW achieved sales of 100,000 units with just two main electric vehicle models, the i3 and i3X, surpassing Mercedes-Benz and Audi's combined sales of 29,000 units, making it the big winner in the electric vehicle market among the "BBA" (BMW, Benz, Audi) brands. With the addition of the all-electric i5, BMW now has another strong product in the field of new energy vehicles.

The Chessboard

Being the first to seize the high-end electric vehicle market ahead of Mercedes-Benz and Audi is not only BMW's strategy to find incremental opportunities, but also a key battle to compete with new forces and secure a leading position in the luxury electric vehicle market in the era of electric cars.

Last year, the sales of luxury cars in China reached a new high in 8 years, reaching 3.74 million units, a year-on-year increase of 7.9%. Among them, pure electric vehicles grew at a rate of 60%, surpassing the negative growth of 1.4% for fuel vehicles, and their market share in the luxury car market quickly exceeded 22%. However, most of these market shares were taken by domestic new forces.

The new forces are rapidly encroaching on the territory of traditional luxury car manufacturers, wielding the batons of technology, intelligence, and services, and challenging the "Old Money" players.

In December last year, the average transaction prices of Nio and Li Auto, two new forces, reached 359,000 yuan and 353,000 yuan respectively, just a step away from BMW's position.

Even before the introduction of the BMW i5, there were already several new players in the market for large-sized electric vehicles priced above 400,000 yuan.

Aito's flagship M9, starting at 500,000 yuan, has sold 50,000 units in less than two months. Li Auto's MEGA, in a similar price range, is also on its way, and Nio's ET9, priced at 800,000 yuan, will be launched next year.

Even BYD, which has launched a high-end brand, has seen its first million-yuan U8 model deliver nearly 1,600 units in a single month.

The BMW i5, equipped with intelligence and luxury, aims to compete in the high-end pure electric vehicle market and regain the dominance of traditional luxury car manufacturers.

In fact, in the face of the encirclement and interception by new forces, BMW will not simply "defend" and "fill the gaps". As a long-established German car manufacturer that has been deeply rooted in the Chinese market for many years and one of the earliest companies to research and develop electric vehicles, BMW has various advantages that the newcomers do not possess.

At the end of last year, BMW partnered with Mercedes-Benz to invest in the construction of charging infrastructure, with the goal of building thousands of supercharging stations and around 7,000 supercharging piles by the end of 2026, providing strong support for the explosive growth of electric vehicles. In addition, BMW has nearly 700 dealerships in China, covering the entire country and reaching many lower-tier cities. With decades of accumulation, BMW's channel advantage in third and fourth-tier cities has allowed the brand's reputation and recognition to be fully utilized. Here, BMW's appeal remains strong, and products such as the 3 Series and 5 Series continue to thrive.

This also aligns with market trends. According to research from the Automotive Home, by 2023, market share will increase in the Northeast, North China, Northwest, and Central China regions, as well as in third and fourth-tier cities. The automotive market will increasingly concentrate in the central and northern regions, and the market structure will shift towards mid-tier cities.

Before new players penetrate the market, lower-tier cities remain an important "stronghold" for BMW. It's no wonder that NIO's chairman, Li Bin, openly admits that there is a huge gap between their sales capabilities and those of BBA (BMW, Benz, Audi). Li Auto has also set KPIs to achieve 100% and over 70% coverage in third and fourth-tier markets this year.

Perhaps, as Changan Automobile's chairman, Zhu Huarong, said, "New players will go through the initial challenges, but once foreign brands take action, they will quickly rise with the help of their various resources."

Now, BMW is placing a big bet on the new 5 Series and has launched a crucial battle in China. The competitive landscape of new energy vehicle companies will once again be disrupted.