BMW has confirmed that “despite a good level of demand” the 3 Series Gran Turismo will not continue beyond its current generation.
The move is in response to the challenges of 2018. BMW highlighted “political uncertainty, a cooling global economy (partly due to international trade conflicts), rising production costs to meet regulatory requirements, exchange rate effects and rising raw materials prices” as the main issues influencing its new 'strategic course'.
“To counteract these negative factors, measures already in place to reduce product portfolio complexity are being expanded and also applied to model derivatives,” BMW said in its press release.
So far, the 3 Series Gran Turismo is the only model to be officially dropped, however, it's logical to think the 6 Series equivalent could be next.
Most of BMW’s growth is expected to come from the new plug-in hybrid versions of the 3 Series, 7 Series, X5 and X3, which were showcased at the Geneva motor show.
By the end of next year, the BMW plans to have more than ten new or revised models equipped with fourth-generation electric drivetrain technology.
Also inbound is the all-electric Mini which will be in production before the end of 2019.
From 2020, BMW will bring to market the iX3, iNEXT and i4 on the way to having a portfolio of five fully-electric models by 2021, increasing to 12 by 2025.
On top of an evolving global line-up, BMW will be collaborating with German rival Mercedes-Benz to develop the next generation of driver assistance systems including automated highway driving and parking.
More: All News
