BMW has revealed its plans for the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, where it will debut the 2019 i8 and brand new X2. The cars will be revealed alongside multiple electric BMW models in January.
After a successful three-year run, the i8 hybrid sports car is getting a refresh for the 2019 model year. The new version gets a 12-horse bump to 369 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque. This is thanks to its improved 34 Ah lithium-ion battery with more power and cell capacity. BMW says the new model does zero to 60 miles per hour in 4.7 seconds and will top out at 155 mph. It isn’t as powerful as the new drop-top i8 Roadster, but it’s certainly lighter.
The brand new BMW X2 subcompact crossover will also show its face in Detroit before it joins the X crossover family next year. It’s styled to reflect the design philosophies of both BMW’s X series SUVs and its M performance sedans/coupes. The X2 gets a TwinPower 2.0-liter, turbocharged 4-cylinder making 228 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. The turbo-4 is mated to an 8-speed automatic gearbox and propels the X2 to 60 mph in 6.3 seconds.
Beemer promises it will reveal pricing for both of these cars before they launch in the spring, but Cars Direct says the X2 will start at $39,995.
The press release also confirmed that the M3 CS, 2018 M5, sporty i3s, X7 iPerformance Concept, and 2018 X3 will also be present at the Detroit show.