New 5 Series will make market landfall at the end of February. Image: BMW
With confirmation of incoming models for 2024 announced throughout the latter stages of last year with each’s respective unveiling, BMW South Africa detailed its product plans for the year at a media “meet and greet” in Midrand this week.
On the Mini side, the roll-out will commence in the second quarter of the year, starting with the all-new Countryman.
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Revealed in four guises last year, South Africa will receive the entire family of models, namely the Countryman C that replaces the base Cooper, the Countryman Cooper S, the John Cooper Works (JCW) and for the first time, the all-electric Countryman Cooper SE.
Also due at the same time are the electric Cooper E and first time Cooper SE hatches, joined later by the still to be revealed combustion engine versions.
Based on a EV optimised platform co-developed by Great Wall Motors (GWM), and made in China as opposed to the combustion engine variants assembled at the Oxford Plant in the United Kingdom, the Cooper E derives motivation from a 40.7-kWh battery pack producing 135kW/290Nm, while the bigger 54.2-kWh module develops 160kW/330Nm in the Cooper SE.
Respective ranges are 305 km and 402 km, with BMW claiming a 0-100 km/h sprint time of 7.3 seconds for the former and 6.7 seconds for the latter.
As for the Countryman, the C makes 125kW/280Nm from its turbocharged 1.5-litre mild-hybrid petrol engine, and the Cooper S 160kW/360Nm from its electrified 2.0-litre turbo-petrol.
Aided by the 48-volt system, which adds 14 kW for short spells, the Countryman C will get from 0-100 km/h in 8.3 seconds and on to a top speed of 212 km/h, while the Cooper S’s performance figures are still unknown.
While both will be privy to the eight-speed Steptronic gearbox, only the latter will have access to the ALL4 all-wheel-drive system.
Omitting any form of electrification, the all-wheel-drive Countryman JCW gets the same engine as the Cooper S, but with outputs lifted to 233kW/400Nm. Top speed is limited to 250 km/h, with the 0-100 km/h wait taking 5.4 seconds.
Finally, the all-electric Countryman will debut solely in Cooper SE guise making 230kW/494Nm thanks a dual-motor configuration powered by a 64.7-kWh lithium-ion battery pack.
Limited to 180 km/h, the Countryman Cooper SE will get from 0-100 km/h in 5.6 seconds and cover 462 km on a single charge requiring a waiting time of 30 minutes from 10-80% when using a DC fast charger up to 130 kW.
On the BMW side, centre stage will go to the new 5 Series expected at the end of February.
Initially planned for unveiling in the fourth quarter of 2023, the local line-up will consist of the mild-hybrid petrol 520i and oil-burning 520d, both with rear-wheel-drive, and the all-electric, all-wheel-drive i5 M60 that makes 380kW/795Nm thanks to a 81.2-kWh battery pack powering two electric motors.
Due in the second quarter, the dramatic new X2 will show itself in sDrive 20i and sDrive 18d guises, the latter without any hybrid assistance, along with the flagship M35i, whose 48-volt assisted 2.0-litre turbo-petrol develops the same 233kW/400Nm as in its Countryman Cooper S stablemate.
For the time being, the all-electric iX2 remains a no-no
Still to be seen, the second quarter of 2024 will see the debut of the facelift M3 and M4, while the biggest highlight will be long awaited debut of the M3 Touring.
Munich’s highly anticipated rival for the Audi RS4 Avant, the first ever station wagon M3 will be sold in limited numbers, and as the second estate model on local soil after the V10-engine E60 M5 Touring bowed-out in 2011.
An official date of reveal still to be made, the M3 Touring shares its fundamentals with the M3 Competition sedan, meaning the fitting of the xDrive all-wheel-drive and the 375kW/650Nm version of the S58 3.0-litre turbocharged straight-six engine.
Limited to 250 km/h or 280 km/h when specified with M Driver’s Package, the Touring will get from 0-100 km/h in 3.6 seconds, from 0-200 km/h in 12.9 seconds, and a result of its bodystyle, accommodate between 500-litres and 1 510-litres of luggage.
From a local production standpoint, the final quarter of the year will see start of assembly of the all-new plug-in hybrid (PHEV) X3.
Currently in the final stages of testing, the X3 will make its global debut later this year, but not for South Africa as a models destined for the local market, will only go on-sale in 2025 as a result of the PHEV taking preference.
Part of BMW’s R4.2-billion investment into the Rosslyn Plant outside Pretoria last year, the “delayed” unveiling of the combustion engine X3 stems from the plant being the sole facility where the PHEV will be built and exported from to global markets.
The introduction of the PHEV is, however, not expected to affect production of export market combustion engine new X3’s, which will be made first instead of necessitating the same wait till 2025 as those heading for BMW South Africa dealerships.
As such, while the new X3 will be present on local soil this year in both combustion and hybrid forms, sales will only start in 2025, powered initially by the former as the PHEV’s confirmation remains to be approved for local market conditions.
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