BMW’s uber-showcase – #BMWWorldSG – returns to Singapore with a new COE Category A car, debut of the M3 and M4 Competition, plus a preview of the new iX3 electric SUV

---

SINGAPORE

BMW World, the German luxury brand’s massive showcase of everything it has to offer, is the first major automotive event for Singapore in 2021.

The event has been scaled down but runs over a longer period, the better to suit the Pandemic Era. Unlike the last iteration of BMW World in Singapore, the 2018 edition which took place at Suntec City on August 25 and 26 2018, 2021’s event will run more than a month, from January 15 to February 19 2021, from 8am to 7pm daily. 

The showcase is also spread across BMW’s two showrooms on Alexandra Road, namely Performance Motors Limited at 303 Alexandra Road, and Performance Munich Automobiles/BMW Motorrad at 315 Alexandra Road.

The two showrooms will see themed zones, featuring a total of 34 vehicles on display, as well as interactive exhibits including a driving simulator and photo booth.

The themed sections are:

303 Alexandra 1st Floor 
Power Of Choice – All three variants (petrol, PHEV, BEV) of the BMW X3
Sheer Driving Pleasure – Cars from across BMW’s range.

303 Alexandra 2nd floor
Choose Your X – BMW’s range of X SUVs
Epitome of Luxury – The high-rolling X7 and 7 Series
Joy Electrified – The PHEV and BEV section 

At 315 Alexandra 
M Town – BMW M high-performance 
BMW Motorrad

“We have an opportunity in 2021 to innovate and change how we engage with our customers,” said Mr Christopher Wehner, the managing director of BMW Group Asia.

“#BMWWorldSG is unlike any brand experience event we’ve held in Singapore in the past. Both showroom setups, as well as the virtual event space, will remind you of being at a motor show. Whether you visit us in person or online, you can walk through six different zones, participate in exciting games, and explore all that the BMW brand has to offer in Singapore,” he added.

BMW World has always been a celebration of all things BMW, but despite the difficulties of 2020, the brand has had a little extra to cheer about. 

Like the rest of the industry, Circuit Breaker put a big dent in sales with three months of lockdown registering zero units sold. After CB was lifted, BMW fast-tracked its online/virtual buying experience – dubbed Convenience 360 – and debuted it in June 2020, along with aggressive promotions. 

The brand’s authorised distributor for Singapore, Performance Motors Limited (PML), also saw its 41st anniversary in September 2020, which saw it launch a new BMW app for customers and owners, and even more promotions. 

Those are moves which have paid off in a significant way: November 2020 saw PML enjoy its highest order intake ever in its 41-year history, and that was followed by another record month in December 2020. “We’ve come out a lot stronger after the Circuit Breaker,” said Mr Arnt Bayer, the managing director of PML.

BMW registrations for November 2020 were 519, and 598 in December 2020. In 2020, BMW sold a total of 4,349 cars, making it the fourth best-selling brand in Singapore behind Toyota (7,702), Mercedes-Benz (6,561) and Honda (6,338).

Given that, it’s clear BMW is still one of the best-selling and popular, car brands here in Singapore. If that’s not one reason enough to check out BMW World SG, here are five clear ones.

---

Where: This link from midnight 15 January, 2021
COVID’s at the forefront of everything these days, and with BMW’s massive push in 2020 to make its experiences digital, naturally you can witness the (near) entirety of BMW World SG 2021 without leaving the couch and entirely via browser through the link above.

2. See BMW’s least expensive new car, and its first Cat A car in ages

Where: Sheer Driving Pleasure, 303 Alexandra 
That’s the BMW 116i, which has a 1.5-litre turbocharged three-cylinder engine making 109hp which means yes, it is eligible for COE Category A. Quite significant when Cat A now costs S$40,609 and a Cat B cert costs S$49,001.

It’s the least expensive BMW on the price list now, ringing in at S$146,888 with COE, which is still lower than the previous 118i model, last listed in October 2020 at S$152,888 with a simlarly-priced S$40k Cat B COE at the time. Read our news story to see what the 116i has on board, and to find out if it scrapes the bottom of the barrel, or actually has a decent load-out.

3. Get up close and personal with the M-onsters: The M3 Competition and M4 Competition

Where: M Town, 315 Alexandra.
You’ve already seen our coverage of the global debut of the new M3 and M4 recently, but the two cars have already landed in Singapore – and word is ahead of many other countries as well.

The two high-performance powerhouses have more than 500hp apiece, and are the stars of the go-faster side of BMW World SG. Again, we’ve an in-depth news story on the cars’ debuts here, including how much you’ll pay and when you can expect to see them on the road.

4. Check out the 500km BEV nobody else in Asean has seen in person

Where: Power Of Choice, 303 Alexandra
BMW’s second-newest electric SUV, the iX3, sees its Asean debut at BMW World SG 2021. The iX3 is, simply, the all-electric version of BMW’s now popular X3 midsized SUV, which according to claimed figures can travel up to 460km on a single charge. 
The X3 is the first car in its segment, or indeed in Singapore, to offer a conventional petrol engine, a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle version (PHEV), and now with the iX3 (due here in mid-2021) a fully electric version as well. Wonder why BMW’s going for broke in giving customers triple the choice? We explain it all in our analysis story.

Speaking of choices, BMW is also showing the PHEV version of the newly facelifted 5 Series, the 530e, at the Joy Electrified section on the second floor of 303 Alexandra Road.

5. Witness BMW Motorrad’s mammoth cruiser and city-slicker side-by-side

Where: #MakeLifeARide entrance of 303 Alexandra
Like the four-wheeled side of the business, BMW Motorrad has been expanding and techn-nifying its lineup into what is now an extremely diverse and strong selection of motorcycles to suit all tastes, everything from speed-freak litrebikes to do-it-all street machines.

The ‘bookends’ of the Motorrad range are on show at 303 Alexandra, you can’t miss them: One is BMW’s new C 400 GT which is a city-slickin’ commuting machine, the other is BMW’s first custom-style cruiser, the R18, with a massive 1,800cc boxer twin engine. If two-wheels catch your fancy, then head to the Motorrad showroom at 315 Alexandra to go deep.

---

• 
  Aion Y Plus Premium 63.2kWh Review: OooOOoh! Square Room!
• 
  The Denza D9 is BYD’s next big thing for Singapore, we went to China to take a look
• 
  Cycle and Carriage Singapore launches new Smart showroom and unveils the Smart #3
• 
  Audi Singapore to premier all-new Lifestyle destination platform by end-2024
• 
  Zeekr X RWD Review: Futuristic urban cruiserweight champ