DETROIT: BMW was pretty quiet at the 2015 Detroit Auto Show , but 2015 is going to be a busy year for the automaker. BimmerPost got a hold of BMW’s 2016 model year production guide, and in addition to a refreshed 2016 6 Series, which was revealed in Detroit, BMW will launch at least six other key models including the anticipated 2016 BMW M2 Coupe .
The first of the new models will be the 2016 BMW X5 xDrive40e eDrive plug-in hybrid, which will go into production in June. We’ve still not seen this vehicle in production trim, but BMW showed off the Concept eDrive last year pairing a twin-turbo four-cylinder to a plug-in hybrid system capable of delivering about 20 miles of all-electric driving. We saw that concept at the 2014 New York Auto Show, so our two best guesses for a production debut are either in New York or a month earlier during the Geneva Motor Show.
Following this plug-in X5, the refreshed 3 Series will be introduced in July, which is when BMW will introduce two new versions of the F30. The 2016 BMW 328e eDrive plug-in hybrid will go into production in November, but before that happens, the 3 Series sedan will get a new 3.0-liter engine and a new model called the 340i, which will start production in July to replace the 335i. Interestingly, the 335xi Series Gran Turismo will carry on with the current engine and designation as will the 435i models.
Around the same time as the updated 3 Series, the all-new 2016 BMW X1 will start rolling off the assembly line as the xDrive25i, and in November, BMW will start cranking out rear-drive sDrive25i versions. Another redesigned model is the sixth-generation G12 BMW 7 Series that starts production this summer. Finally, the long-awaited launch of the M2 will be one step closer to reality when the car is built starting this November.
Along with the new models, the guide also reveals that BMW is dropping the rear-drive 550i Gran Turismo from the lineup, but it will still offer the all-wheel-drive 550i GT and both versions of the 535i GT.