All-new BMW 4 Series coupe and convertible, as well as new M3 and M4, arrive for 2021.
Fully electric BMW iX crossover and i4 gran coupe on the way for early 2022.
Equipment, option package and paint colour changes across the board, along with Android Auto integration.
German automaker BMW offers a wide range of products, from small and sporty cars to full-size utility vehicles, covering many segments of the luxury market. It’s also no stranger to electric vehicles, as it’s been offering zero-emission products for almost ten years now.
The next decade will be significant for BMW as it will soon release a slew of EVs, just like its Bavarian rivals, and some of them are scheduled to hit the market within the next few months. In addition, the company caresses a lofty ambition to sell more than seven million fully electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles by 2030. Here’s what to expect from the BMW brand in 2021.
Let’s start with the BMW i sub-brand. The BMW iX is the company’s first full electric crossover in North America, which is said to be equipped with two electric motors to form an all-wheel drivetrain, in addition to producing about 500 horsepower. An EPA-certified driving range of 300 miles or 480 kilometres is also expected, while a 10-minute charge at a speed of 200 kW will net 75 miles of range. The BMW iX is expected in U.S. and Canadian showrooms in early 2022, but we’ll be seeing more of this new model over the course of the year.
We should point out here that another electric crossover, the BMW iX3, was recently introduced by the brand. However, it won’t be offered in our markets.
We’ll also be getting the BMW i4, a Gran Coupe which should deliver a driving range of 270 miles or 432 km, while its electric powertrain should produce in the vicinity of 530 horsepower. We were only treated to a Concept i4 for now, but the production version should soon be revealed, and the first units will be built before the end of 2021.
As for the BMW i3, it soldiers on with no significant changes for 2021, as the 200,000th unit was recently produced since the EV launched back in 2014. New colours are offered: Cashmere Silver, Galvanic Gold and Fluid Black.
As for the futuristic-looking BMW i8 plug-in hybrid, it has been discontinued after the 2020 model year, and production ended with a rainbow of 18 uniquely coloured units.
On the combustion-engine side of things, the BMW 2 Series will continue to be offered in three body styles for 2021. The coupe and convertible, which receive minor equipment changes and two less colours to choose from, represent the outgoing generation on a RWD/AWD architecture, with 230i (turbo 2.0L inline-four, 248 hp) and M240i (turbo 3.0L inline-six, 335 hp) trim levels. Meanwhile, the new-for-2020, four-door 2 Series Gran Coupé is based on a new platform that will underpin the next-gen two-door variants that could be revealed over the course of the year. The Gran Coupe, which gets Android Auto integration for 2021, was introduced in 228i (turbo 2.0L four, 228 hp) and M235i (turbo 2.0L four, 301 hp) trim with xDrive AWD as standard, but the U.S. market is getting a front-wheel-drive 228i for 2021 as well. The BMW M2 Competition coupe and its 405-hp twin-turbo 3.0L six is still on the docket as well, but not the M2 CS.
The BMW 3 Series lineup expands in 2021 with the addition of the 330e and 330e xDrive sedans, equipped with a plug-in hybrid system that develops a combined output of 288 horsepower and delivers a driving range of up to 22 miles in the U.S. (EPA), 37 km in Canada (NRCan). The 2021 model year also sees the arrival of the new-gen BMW M3, which gets a twin-turbo 3.0L inline-six developing 473 hp—or 503 hp in the M3 Competition. Other trim levels include the 330i/330i xDrive (turbo 2.0L four, 255 hp), the M340i/M340i xDrive (turbo 3.0L six, 382 hp). Equipment and paint colour changes, as well as the addition of Android Auto integration, also highlight the 2021MY updates.
An all-new generation of the BMW 4 Series has hit the streets. It’s available once again in coupe and convertible body styles, while the four-door Gran Coupe has been discontinued for now. In the U.S. and Canada, the 4 Series is offered in 430i/430i xDrive (turbo 2.0L four, 255 hp) and M440i/M440i xDrive (turbo 3.0L six, 382 hp) trim levels, while the also-new BMW M4 is only offered as a coupe for now, packing a twin-turbo 3.0L six with 473 horsepower—or 503 ponies in the M4 Competition.
The BMW 5 Series gets a mid-cycle refresh with styling changes that include grille, LED headlights, bumpers, tailpipe finishers and new paint colours, as well as a reworked cockpit with new upholstery, the latest generation of the iDrive infotainment system, a 12.3-inch touchscreen, a 12.3-inch driver instrument panel and Android Auto integration. The six-cylinder engines now feature 48V mild hybrid technology for better fuel economy and more seamless auto stop-start functionality, while the 530e/530e xDrive plug-in hybrids gets a combined output of 288 horsepower and a driving range of up to 21 miles (EPA) or 34 km (NRCan). The lineup also consists of the 530i/530i xDrive (turbo 2.0L four, 248 hp), the 540i/540i xDrive (turbo 3.0L six, 335 hp), the M550i xDrive (twin-turbo 4.4L V8, 523 hp) as well as the mighty BMW M5 (twin-turbo 4.4L V8, 600 hp) and M5 Competition (617 hp) sedans.
After a refresh for the 2020 model year, the BMW 7 Series returns with equipment and paint colour changes. The full-size sedan is offered in 740i/740i xDrive (turbo 3.0L six, 335 hp), 750i xDrive (twin-turbo 4.4L V8, 523 hp), 745e xDrive (PHEV with turbo 3.0L six, 389 combined hp), M760i xDrive (twin-turbo 6.6L V12, 601 hp) and Alpina B7 xDrive (twin-turbo 4.4L V8, 600 hp) variants in the United States, while Canada gets a mix of regular- and long-wheelbase body styles with a lineup comprised of the 745Le, 750i, 750Li, M760Li and Alpina B7, all with xDrive.
Recently introduced, the BMW 8 Series also rolls into 2021 with feature and option package changes. The 840i/840i xDrive (turbo 3.0L six, 335 hp) coupe, convertible and four-door Gran Coupe are available in the U.S., but not in Canada, while the M850i xDrive (twin-turbo 4.4L V8, 523 hp) in all three body styles are offered in both countries. Meanwhile, the BMW M8 (twin-turbo 4.4L V8, 600 hp) and M8 Competition (617 hp) are only available in Gran Coupe configuration for the 2021 model year.
Like with many other models in the brand’s lineup, the BMW Z4 receives equipment changes for 2021, including Android Auto integration. It continues to be offered in sDrive30i (turbo 2.0L four, 255 hp) and M40i (turbo 3.0L six, 382 hp) trim levels.
The BMW X1 receives some equipment and option package reshuffling for 2021 after a 2020MY refresh. It’s once again available in two trim levels in the U.S., the front-wheel-drive sDrive28i and the AWD xDrive28i, both equipped with a turbo 2.0L four developing 228 horsepower. Meanwhile, Canada only offers the AWD variant, although a price-leading xDrive28i Essential has been added for 2021.
The sportier BMW X2 coupe-like crossover is offered in sDrive28i and xDrive28i trims with a 228-hp, turbo 2.0L four, in addition to the X2 M35i which benefits from 301 horsepower coming from a similar-displacement engine. The Canadian market skips the FWD sDrive28i though. Equipment and paint colour changes are the significant updates for 2021, though an X2 M Mesh Edition package is now available in the U.S. on the sDrive28i and xDrive28i, which includes a Sport X exterior appearance kit, exclusive Brooklyn Grey Metallic paint and 19-inch M wheels with orange or black accenting.
Meanwhile, the BMW X3 gets—you guessed it—equipment and colour changes as well as Android Auto integration for 2021, and is still offered in sDrive30i and xDrive30i (turbo 2.0L four, 248 hp), xDrive30e (PHEV with turbo 2.0L four, 288 combined hp), M40i (turbo 3.0L six, 382 hp), X3 M (twin-turbo 3.0L six, 473 hp) and X3 M Competition (503 hp) trim levels. Again, Canada skips the base FWD variant.
Ditto for the BMW X4, which can be chosen in xDrive30i (turbo 2.0L four, 248 hp), M40i (turbo 3.0L six, 382 hp), X4 M (twin-turbo 3.0L six, 473 hp) and X4 M Competition (503 hp) variants.
The BMW X5 range consists of the sDrive40i/xDrive40i (turbo 3.0L six, 335 hp), the new-for-2021 xDrive45e (PHEV with turbo 3.0L six, 389 combined hp), the M50i (twin-turbo 4.4L V8, 523 hp), the X5 M (twin-turbo 4.4L V8, 600 hp) and X5 M Competition (617 hp). Canada does not get the sDrive40i or the X5 M, though. The 2021 model year brings changes to the X5 list of features and option packages, while Android Auto integration is now included, though the Off-Road package is no longer available on the U.S.-spec X5. Finally, 48V mild hybrid tech has been added to the sDrive40i/xDrive40i variants.
Similar to the X5, the BMW X6 coupe crossover gets equipment reshuffling, Android Auto and 48V mild hybrid technology to the six-cylinder engines, while the Off-Road package is deleted in the U.S. The lineup includes the sDrive40i/xDrive40i (turbo 3.0L six, 335 hp), the M50i (twin-turbo 4.4L V8, 523 hp), the X6 M (twin-turbo 4.4L V8, 600 hp) and the X6 M Competition (617 hp), although again, Canada snubs the sDrive40i and X6 M trims.
New for 2019, the BMW X7 enters the 2021 model year with equipment changes, Android Auto integration, one less paint colour to choose from, as well as the deletion of the xDrive50i trim and the Off-Road package. The xDrive40i (turbo 3.0L six now with 48V mild hybrid tech, 335 hp) and M50i (twin-turbo 4.4L V8, 523 hp) soldier on, while the Alpina XB7 is new, featuring a 612-horsepower version of the biturbo V8. An X7 M50i Dark Shadow Edition is available, which features BMW Individual Frozen Arctic Grey metallic matt paint, unique 22-inch wheels and specific interior trim, but only 75 units are earmarked for the U.S. and a handful will trickle into Canada—which are probably all spoken for by now.
