2023 Munich motor show: everything you need to know
Mercedes-Benz will show a new concept hinting at an entry-level EV due on sale next year
Europe’s biggest motor show will return in September with big unveilings from BMW, Mercedes, Renault and more
The biennial Munich motor show will return on 5 September, and it’s shaping up to be one of the busiest and most important European automotive events in recent memory.
Germany’s biggest brands are set to reveal their latest innovations in front of their home audience, and a raft of other big European names are primed to take the stage with crucial new concepts and long-awaited production cars.
BMW has already confirmed it will show a new concept previewing the Neue Klasse electric cars due in dealerships from 2025.
Never one to be overshadowed, Mercedes-Benz will showcase a new concept hinting at a C-Class-sized entry-level EV that's due on sale next year.
The Germans will be joined by the likes of Renault, which will unveil the all-new Scenic, and Chinese challenger BYD, which is expected to detail the next stage of its European assault.
Tesla will also be present – a rarity for the American brand, which typically showcases new products in tightly controlled media events.
The newest technological developments will also be on show, with autonomous-driving firm Mobileye confirmed to be among the exhibitors, alongside tier-one suppliers such as Bosch, Continental and ZF.
Here’s our guide to everything on display at the 2023 Munich motor show:
-Avatr-
New Chinese brand Avatr, a collaboration between car maker Changan and smartphone giant Huawei, will begin its European launch at Munich.
The brand is expected to show the 11 SUV (above), which was displayed at the Shanghai motor show, and it may provide further details on the 12 saloon, which was recently leaked via local patent filings.
The leaked details revealed that the car will be 5020mm long, 1999mm wide and 1460mm tall (roughly the same size as a Tesla Model S) and be available with two electric powertrains: a single-motor set-up sending 308bhp to the rear wheels, and a four-wheel-drive dual-motor variant with 570bhp. Its batteries have yet to be detailed, but the 11 is available with 90kWh and 116kWh packs capable of recharging at rates of up to 240kW.
-*BMW Neue Klasse concept*-
BMW is set to reveal a new concept at the Munich motor show, giving our best look yet at the Neue Klasse line of EVs that will define the future of the brand.
The as-yet unnamed concept will complete the trilogy of i Vision concepts, following in the footsteps of the sustainability-focused i Vision Circular shown at Munich in 2021, and the i Vision Dee revealed at CES earlier this year (pictured above).
It will provide a first look at new powertrain and battery technologies, such as new cylindrical battery cells (which are yet to have been shown as part of a production-ready pack). These are claimed to boost range by 30%, up to 620 miles between recharges. Rapid-charging times are set to improve by 30%, while overall battery-pack weight will be cut by 10-20%.
The concept’s interior is expected to develop the ideas shown in the Vision Dee, such as the omission of a traditional infotainment touchscreen in favour of a windscreen-spanning head-up display.
Dee – the artificial intelligence assistant after which that concept was named – may also return in a more toned-down, production-ready form.
Stylistically, the Neue Klasse concept is expected to reiterate the rakish, shark-nosed look of the previous two i Vision cars but in a form factor mirroring today’s 3 Series.
That car is next in line to be replaced with a hybrid and electric successor, following the introduction of the new 5 Series and latest 7 Series.
“The Neue Klasse represents the beginning of a new phase of operations for BMW,” R&D chief Frank Weber said in 2021. “It’s scaled to allow us to build electric cars from a 2 Series-sized saloon up to an X7-sized SUV.”
-BMW 5 Series -
The 5 Series will make its public debut at this year's Munich motor show, as the firm showcases the model's plug-in future.
*New BMW 520i is last pure-combustion 5 Series*
The highly anticipated eighth-generation model, which will go on sale in October, will be sold in 520i guise, with the latest version of BMW’s familiar turbocharged 2.0-litre four-pot mild-hybrid petrol engine.
Plug-in 530e and 550e xDrive plug-in hybrids will also arrive in the UK by the second quarter of 2024, with rear-wheel-drive 530e cars producing 299bhp and the four-wheel-drive 550e xDrive producing 489bhp.
Both of the new plug-in hybrid models benefit from a new gearbox-mounted electric motor developing up to 194bhp and up to 332lb ft of torque.
These models represent the final ever combustion-powered 5 Series models, so make sure you give them a visit if you're at the show.
-BMW 7 Series and i7 Protection-
The BMW 7 Series will gain a Protection model, which will be available both with a petrol and electric powertrain. It continues BMW's streak of armoured vehicle production, with protective glass, a stronger chassis and bodywork capable of protecting against explosives.
It's the most recent Protection model to come from the firm since the BMW X5 Protection, first revealed in 2019.
*Armoured BMW i7 is luxury electric car for heads of state*
It features protective glass rated VPAM 10 - the highest level of protection for civilian protection vehicles - and it's VR9-rated, meaning it can hold off ballistic attacks from weapons travelling up to speeds of 820 metres per second.
It also offers PAS 300 blast resistance, plus a self-sealing fuel tank to prevent loss of fuel.
Electric i7 cars get 536bhp and 549lb ft of torque from two electric motors, but increased weight raises its 0-62mph sprint from 4.7sec to 9.0sec. Top speed is limited to 99mph.
The 7 Series Protection, meanwhile, is equipped with a 4.4-litre V8 mild-hybrid petrol engine with 522bhp and 553lb ft. Its 0-62mph sprint increased from 4.2 sec to 6.6sec.
-*BYD*-
BYD is set to detail the next stage of its European expansion, hoping that it can double its global sales volume from the nearly two million units recorded last year.
The Chinese EV giant has already launched the Atto 3 crossover, Han saloon and Tang SUV in various European markets and will soon follow those with the Dolphin hatchback (pictured above) and the Seal saloon.
Its next wave of European models could include the Seagull, a city car that would rival the Dacia Spring, priced below the £20,000 mark.
-Cupra Tavascan-
Launched with the tagline “the brand’s dream comes true”, the Tavascan is designed to strengthen Cupra's success after its breakaway from the Seat mothership. It sports a large grille, a distinctive three-triangle light signature, by a raked roofline with a boot-width rear light bar.
Building on Cupra’s sporty credentials, the electric SUV will offer a 335bhp, 501lb ft, dual-motor, four-wheel-drive powertrain offered alongside a 282bhp single-motor system. Power is drawn from the same 82kWh (77kWh usable) battery as in the Volkswagen ID 5, which is good for 341 miles of range in its most economical form.
*2024 Cupra Tavascan revealed with 335bhp and 341-mile range*
-*LG*-
LG Electronics will showcase how in-car entertainment is set to change over the coming years, promising to take "Life's Good on the road". The company announced in July that it was transitioning into becoming a 'smart life solution company', with ambitions to become a top-tier supplier for the mobility industry.
-*Magna*-
Magna is one of the car industry's biggest suppliers, offering contract manufacturing, powertrains, seating systems and much more besides. This year, it's set to showcase an integrated system for electrification, active safety systems and enhanced connectivity. It'll also reveal a new software package with predictive functions for energy energy management, independent of the powertrain. Given Magna's influence over the industry, it's a safe bet that at least one system it shows at Munich will make it into your next car, so it's well worth paying attention.
-*Mercedes-Benz concept*-
Mercedes will also preview its next-generation electric car family at Munich.
It has confirmed the new model, due on sale in 2024, will occupy the entry-level segment, and it's understood to be an equivalent to the current C-Class but wearing a rakish roofline reminiscent of the outgoing CLA.
It will draw on learnings from the slippery EQXX concept, which was capable of driving the 747 miles between Stuttgart and Goodwood on a single charge.
That long-leggedness came thanks in part to an innovative new energy-density-boosting battery chemistry and roof-mounted solar panels.
*Mercedes to unveil entry-level EV concept at Munich motor show*
-*Mini Cooper EV*-
The second generation of Mini’s electric hatchback – now called the Cooper – will make its public debut at Munich before it arrives in 2024.
The electric version will be built in China atop a new front-wheel-drive platform engineered by Spotlight Automotive, while production of the petrol hatch (built on a different platform) is destined for Mini's Oxford plant.
The electric Cooper is due on sale in May 2024, with 181bhp and 215bhp variants expected, followed about two months later by the petrol Cooper, available with updated versions of the current car's 1.5-litre triple and 2.0-litre four-pot.
Inside, Mini is returning to its roots in giving the Cooper a minimalist interior much like that of the original car, except this time it will receive an exhaust note and eight different driving modes, each of which play a specific sound from the speaker system.
*New Mini Cooper EV gets exhaust note and woodland sounds*
*Mini Countryman*
Previously seen testing on roads in America, the new Countryman will grow in size considerably when it arrives in third-generation guise next year. Twinned with the new BMW X1, Mini's largest model will go on sale in February 2024 shortly after the new Cooper hatchback.
Mini will offer a standard and a more potent S version of both the petrol and electric Countryman, with hotter John Cooper Works (JCW) versions to follow.
Production of the petrol Countryman is expected to start this November and first deliveries are expected in the first or second quarter of 2024.
*Reinvented 2024 Mini Countryman EV unwrapped in new images*
-*Renault*-
The Renaulution will be televised, as the new Scenic will be unveiled at Munich. The celebrated family hauler will return as an electric SUV to rival the Tesla Model Y, bringing a futuristic angular design and a focus on sustainability.
The French firm may also provide further information on the production iteration of the Renault 5, its long-awaited electric supermini that leans on retro cues in a bid to charm the masses.
Prototypes are currently in the final testing phase, ahead of production beginning in 2024.
*Electric Renault Scenic to arrive on 4 September*
-*Smart #3*-
Smart has confirmed its largest model yet will make a public debut at Munich before it's expected to go on sale in Europe in early 2024.
Styled with a strong focus on aerodynamics, its design is influenced in part by the Mercedes-Benz EQ range, with a smooth front fascia, slim headlights with a "shark nose" familiar from the smaller #1.
Technical specifications for the #3 will arrive later, but information leaked earlier this year revealed that it's 4400mm long, 1800mm wide and 1600mm tall with a wheelbase of 2785mm – a similar size to the Volkswagen ID 5.
*Smart #3: firm’s largest model yet rivals Volkswagen ID 5*
-*Tesla*-
Tesla has confirmed it will make a rare motor-show appearance at Munich, suggesting it has more to show than just its existing line-up of Model 3, Model Y, Model S and Model X.
Speculation around the long-awaited 'Model 2' has mounted over the past year, with the firm having posted a teaser image of a new car back in May.
Recent reports suggest that the firm is currently looking for a new factory where it can build the model at a discounted rate, with Reuters identifying India as one such prospect.
Equally, the Tesla displayed at Munich – if the EV giant does show a new car – could be the updated Model 3, widely reported to be codenamed Highland.
This refresh is expected to bring minor styling tweaks, infotainment upgrades and increased mechanical simplicity, in line with the firm’s target of cutting costs and boosting production volumes.
The next two Teslas “will probably make in excess of five million units a year”, CEO Elon Musk said in May.
-*Vauxhall Experimental*-
This radical new concept is our first look at what the company's design chief calls "Vauxhall 2.0", previewing how the brand will evolve as it approaches all-out electrification in 2028.
An Astra-sized coupé-SUV, it places an emphasis on aerodynamic developments capable of boosting future models' range between charges, as well as sustainable materials and futuristic interior technologies.
It won't be shown as a Vauxhall at Munich, because the UK is the only market to receive Vauxhall-branded cars. Instead, it will wear the lightning-bolt logo and the wordmark of sibling Opel.
*Read the full story: Radical EV sports coupé shows future of Vauxhall*
-*Volkswagen ID 7 GTX*-
Volkswagen’s answer to the Tesla Model 3 Performance will be unveiled at Munich, introducing a new dual-motor, four-wheel-drive powertrain.
Autocar understands this will pair the base model’s 282bhp and 402lb ft rear motor with the front-mounted unit from the ID 4 GTX, giving a combined output of around 390bhp.
This should substantially reduce the ID 7’s 0-62mph time of around 6.0sec in Pro S guise, although it’s unlikely to match the Model 3 Performance’s 3.3sec.
The upgrade is, however, expected to bring a slight reduction to the ID 7’s 435-mile range (in 86kWh specification), to around 400 miles.
Visually, the GTX will be distinguished by gloss black accents (including the roof), tinted windows and red-contrasting trim elements – in similar fashion to the GTI line of combustion-engined VWs.
It’s expected to be priced at a significant premium compared with the regular ID 7, for which pricing is set to start around £50,000. For reference, the ID 4 GTX costs £14,020 more than the entry-level ID 4 Pure.
*Volkswagen ID 7 GTX to be revealed in September*
-*Volkswagen Passat Estate *-
This new large estate will be the only Passat variant after Volkswagen axed the saloon early last year.
Sitting atop the MQB Evo platform, it's expected to feature a host of cleaner electrified engines, a larger boot and interior tech upgrades – much of which was developed by Skoda for the closely related new Superb.
Reportedly 4915mm long, the new Passat Estate will be 142mm longer than its predecessor, with most of that extra length found in its wheelbase for extra interior leg room.
Elsewhere inside, it will reportedly adopt VW's latest infotainment system, with a fully digital instrument cluster measuring 10.25in, along with a 12.9in central touchscreen.