BMW: 10 new and updated models coming in 2023

Gareth J. Hargreaves • August 24, 2026 00:10

This piece is part of the 2023 New Releases Special. More than 100 launches to explore, with the support of Millennium bcp.

BMW is in for a busy year. The Munich-based brand will keep refreshing its line-up and, all told, will unveil 10 new arrivals, spanning both facelifted models and entirely new generations.

To make sure we do not miss any of them - which is easier than it sounds - we will follow BMW’s model-number order, starting, naturally, with the 1 Series.

BMW 1 Series with minor improvements

Like its rival, the Audi A3, the BMW 1 Series (F40 generation) is also set to receive subtle updates in 2023. BMW has been looking to rekindle some of the “appeal” that the latest generation is seen to have lost. Despite clear gains in most areas (space, practicality, and so on), the most die-hard purists - a minority - have not forgotten the move away from rear-wheel drive, triggered by the switch to the FAAR platform.

The now front-wheel-drive premium hatchback - launched in 2019 and built on a platform shared with MINI - is therefore due its mid-cycle refresh.

No dramatic changes are expected: just light styling tweaks and updated in-car technology.

BMW X2, X2M and the new iX2

Moving up the Bavarian manufacturer’s range, we come to the BMW X2. Developed from the new BMW X1, the X2 will also move into an all-new generation.

Spy shots suggest a major shift at the rear. The roofline is expected to slope more sharply, pushing the model closer to the “SUV-coupé” approach seen on the X4 and further differentiating it from its X1 sibling.

With these changes, the arrival of an X2 M version is also expected, although it has not yet been confirmed.

What is confirmed is a fully electric version aimed at stealing the spotlight from Sweden’s Volvo C40 - which has dominated this sub-segment convincingly. This variant will be called the iX2 and should mirror the iX1’s key figures: 317 hp and a range of around 450 km.

As you would expect, the new X2 line-up should inherit most of the engines introduced last year on the latest X1, including plug-in hybrid versions.

The most radical M3 ever

Want to ignore rapid electrification for a moment? Then it is time to talk about the new BMW M3 CS, the hardcore take on the M3 Competition.

Already unveiled, it will borrow components from the BMW M4 CSL presented in 2022, but it does without a manual gearbox and without rear-wheel drive. It is expected to be the last M3 in history with no sign of electrification.

And the M news does not end with the M3 CS. In 2022, BMW M celebrated its 50th anniversary and released a “flood” of models, many of which arrive this year: from the first-ever M3 Touring, to the new-generation M2, and culminating in the colossal XM.

New BMW 5 Series generation gains the all-new i5

The BMW 5 Series, the Bavarian brand’s executive saloon, is about to undergo a major overhaul, underpinned by a powertrain range that mixes petrol mild-hybrid units, plug-in hybrids, Diesel and - for the first time - fully electric versions, giving rise to the i5.

This new BMW i5 is estimated to offer up to 590 hp. What is more, it will also be available as a Touring (estate).

When it comes to “full electrification”, the BMW M5 remains outside that plan - at least for now. Even so, it will adopt partial electrification. That is expected to lift power to an estimated 750 hp, while also adding weight. Taken together, the performance gains are not expected to be particularly significant.

X5 and X6 SUVs don’t escape the updates

The models that were not refreshed last year will be updated this year - which is precisely what has happened with the X5 and X6.

These two “monsters” in terms of price, luxury and fuel consumption have received visual revisions - but that is not all. The cabin has been thoroughly reworked, and the powertrains have evolved with the addition of mild-hybrid assistance.

The biggest leap in performance goes to the X5 xDrive50e plug-in hybrid: almost 100 hp more.

The X5 M and X6 M versions have also already been revealed, and they too have now become mild-hybrid. Follow the link below to see all the details.

In short, there is plenty on the way to keep the coming months lively.