In the early days of 2026, BMW China initiated a comprehensive price reduction for its range of models in China, including sedans, SUVs, electric vehicles, and more, with over 30 models seeing price cuts. The largest reduction reached 301,000 yuan. BMW stated that this price adjustment was a proactive move to adjust product strategy and was not a price war.
On January 1, 2026, BMW China released a statement titled “Systematic Value Upgrade.” On January 3, this news was widely reported by mainland media outlets like Pengpai News and sparked significant attention.
In the announcement, BMW lowered the official prices of 31 of its main models. The flagship electric vehicle model i7 M70L saw a price drop of 301,000 yuan, from 1.899 million yuan to 1.598 million yuan. The Chinese-made M235L broke the 300,000 yuan mark for the first time, with the 2 Series four-door coupe now priced at 208,800 yuan, setting a new low for BMW’s China-produced models.
The price adjustments by BMW this time covered a wide range of vehicles, including sedans, SUVs, electric and fuel vehicles, flagship and entry-level models, with price cuts generally exceeding 10%.
A sales consultant at a BMW 4S dealership in Beijing told China Securities Journal, “It used to be unimaginable to buy a BMW M series for under 300,000 yuan.” Over the New Year holiday, in-store inquiries increased by over 50%, but most consumers are still adopting a wait-and-see attitude, as they are waiting to see if competitors will also reduce prices.
In response to Pengpai News, BMW officials stated, “The value upgrade of some BMW products is a proactive adjustment of product strategy and an active response to market dynamics.”
However, according to Blue Whale News, a publication under the Shanghai Media Group, on January 3, some BMW dealers mentioned, “This adjustment mainly affects the manufacturer’s suggested retail price, which is the official quoted price. In fact, the final price that customers pay remains similar to what it was at the end of last year when purchasing the same model. You can understand that the gap between the original guidance price and the final discount price was significant, but now this difference has been reduced.”
Another BMW dealer mentioned, “This price adjustment is not about starting a new price war. Since the guidance price has been reduced, the apparent level of discount doesn’t seem as exaggerated as before, but the final price fluctuation for customers is not significant compared to previously.”
Regarding the overall price reduction by BMW, Pengpai News believes that the entire luxury car market was highly competitive in 2025. This price reduction by BMW may accelerate a chain reaction in the luxury car market, with balancing brand premium and market share becoming a crucial question for all participants.
China’s major automotive news portal “Autohome” stated that for consumers, the barrier to entry for BMW has significantly lowered, and BMW’s widespread price adjustments will change the landscape of the domestic luxury car market. Whether Mercedes-Benz and Audi will follow suit in price adjustments will directly impact the market competitiveness of the top three German luxury brands.
Currently, the suggested retail prices of relevant BMW models have been updated on the official BMW China website and various mainstream automotive information platforms. Displayed prices on these platforms now reflect the latest post-reduction prices.