Future BMW Gas Models To Drop The “i” From The End Of Their Names: Report

BMW has an impressively complex lineup with gasoline, diesel, plug-in hybrid, and electric models as the Bavarian brand wants to live up to its “Power of Choice” ethos. It’s one of the few automakers that hasn’t set a death sentence for the good ol’ internal combustion engine since it believes the world won’t be ready to completely embrace EVs in the next decade. The German luxury marque argues the transition will take time and shouldn’t be rushed.

In the meantime, it’s reportedly planning to update its naming strategy to provide more clarity. A well-known BMW insider from the Bimmer Post forums claims the gasoline-only cars will lose the letter “i” from the end of their names starting with the new models coming from 2024. The next-generation 1 Series and X3 are believed to lead the way as both are expected to enter production in a little over a year from now: July 2024 for the hatch and August 2024 for the crossover.

Codenamed F70, the new 1 Series is coming initially in 118 and quad-pipe M135 flavors alongside a couple of diesels that will be retaining the “d” at the end of their names: 118d and 120d. Additional gas versions of the new 1er could be the 116, 120, and 128 xDrive. Bear in mind the current model is rumored to skip the typical midlife update (Life Cycle Impulse in BMW jargon) and jump straight to its fourth generation.

Known internally as the G45, the new X3 will be sold with gasoline engines as the X3 20, X3 20 xDrive, X3 30 xDrive, and as X3 M50 xDrive. The latter is expected to supersede today’s M40i, and hopefully, it’ll still have an inline-six engine. The BMW insider isn’t mentioning the M40d, which might be a sign the 3.0-liter diesel performance version won’t be renewed for another generation of the posh crossover.

Apparently, a full-fat X3 M is still planned and BMW has been assigned the G97 codename. Another purely electric iX3 is also coming, but this time around, it will move away from the existing CLAR platform to adopt the Neue Klasse – the company’s first dedicated EV architecture.