Munich Motor Show 2023: news round-up and all the new cars

The 2023 Munich Motor Show was a huge success, with some big new car reveals from some major manufacturers. 

Also known as IAA Mobility, the biennial show was sprawled out across the city with guest speakers, displays and even test drives. As ever, there were plenty of world debuts of new production cars and concepts with a particular focus on EVs and fresh technology.

The German brands, of course, had a strong presence in Munich, with Mercedes unveiling the Concept CLA Class that previews an all-electric entry-level saloon. BMW was also there, showcasing its future design direction with the Vision Neue Klasse concept – a car that will probably morph into the next-generation 3 Series.

MINI arguably stole the show, though, with launches of the new Cooper and Countryman, while Tesla showed off the facelifted Model 3. There was also new metal from BYD, Vauxhall, Renault and many more. 

Munich Motor Show 2023: gallery

Click on the image below to view all of our pictures from the 2023 Munich Motor Show.

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Munich Motor Show 2023: top news stories

• New BMW X3-sized SUV on Neue Klasse platform teased
• New MINI JCW hot hatch confirmed: petrol or 'JCW E' electric power
• New small Mercedes G-Class to arrive as retro mini off-roader
• New VW ID. GTI Concept takes performance brand into the electric age
• Volkswagen Golf to live on in the electric age with hot Golf R flagship
• New Seres 3 EV: UK launch confirmed for Chinese Qashqai rival
• SEAT set for 'new role' in Volkswagen Group
• New Denza D9 could be a luxury MPV option for UK customers

Munich Motor Show 2023: manufacturer A-Z

Scroll below for our run-down of everything each major manufacturer displayed at the 2023 Munich Motor Show... 

Audi

While the new Audi Q6 e-tron was not unveiled in full at Munich, the brand did reveal the interior of its forthcoming all-electric SUV. The state-of-art cabin features three screens, including one for the passenger that can play movies on the go without distracting the driver. There's also an augmented reality head-up display and a redesigned infotainment suite based on Android Automotive.

BMW 

Want to know what the next BMW 3 Series will look like? Well, the brand gave plenty of strong hints with the launch of the Vision Neue Klasse concept at Munich. BMW CEO Oliver Zipse has said the concept is “close to standard production and will be on the roads soon”, although we don't expect the all-electric alternative to the 3 Series to arrive before 2025.

BMW’s ‘round cell’ battery technology features on the Neue Klasse concept, with the German firm claiming a 20 per cent improvement in energy density, a 30 per cent increase in range and a 30 per cent boost to charging speed. 

The new 5 Series was also in attendance along with the all-electric i5 variant. The eighth-generation 5 Series represents the first time we’ve seen pure-electric power in a 5 Series and both will go on sale in October, before being joined by Touring estate alternatives in 2024.

BYD

All-electric car maker BYD recently announced the Seal U will come to Europe and it made its European debut in Munich. The Seal U is a mid-size SUV that’ll provide competition to the Volkswagen ID.4 and Tesla Model Y. It was joined on BYD's stage by the new Dolphin and the regular Seal.

The brand also took the decision to drop the controversial ‘Build Your Dreams’ slogan from its cars after customer feedback in Europe. The slogan will remain on the boot of the new entry-level Dolphin, however.

Cupra

After revealing the DarkRebel in holographic form earlier this year, Cupra announced that its electric sports car concept is “ready for the next stage of its evolution from the digital to the physical world”. So, naturally, Munich was the ideal location for this physical debut to take place. Sadly the bold concept is not set to make production, but something like it could, seeing as the UrbanRebel concept eventually morphed into the Raval.

Mercedes 

Mercedes has spoken on its plans to become more focused on premium models, but there's space for a new all-electric model to sit at the bottom of the brand's EV range. This new car was previewed at Munich with the Concept CLA Class, which features plenty of cutting-edge technology found in the EQXX. Inside, it's the first time we've seen Mercedes' new MB.OS system in action as well, which the brand says provides the basis for an "unparalleled user experience”.

Alongside the recently unveiled E-Class Estate, the off-road focused All-Terrain also returned for another generation. Although it doesn’t sell in big numbers (Mercedes expects around 10 per cent of Estate sales to be All-Terrains), it’ll still prop up a large portion of the lifted estate genre – especially now Volvo has axed its estate cars. 

MG

The Cyberster is a bit of a curveball from MG as it looks to capitalise on rapidly increasing sales of its practical, affordable family-friendly cars. As an all-electric roadster that’s set to cost from around £50,000, the Cyberster is none of those things, but it does sit in a very niche market where it currently has no rivals (although Porsche will soon have something to say about that with a new Boxster EV). 

Alongside the Cyberster was the MG4 XPower, an all-electric hot hatch with four-wheel drive, two electric motors, 429bhp and a 0-62mph time of 3.8 seconds. 

The Marvel R, which we didn’t get in the UK, will soon be replaced by a new model. That car was also on display in Munich and should sit on the same MSP architecture as the MG4, making it a more likely candidate to make its way over to the UK.

MINI

The fifth-generation of Britain’s beloved MINI Cooper was unveiled with a new look that’s based on “charismatic simplicity”, according to the brand’s head of design. 

Much like the model it replaces, the new Cooper will be available in either petrol or electric form, with the latter offering up to 250 miles of range. MINI’s new OS9 infotainment operating system will also feature, and drivers can choose from a number of ‘Experience Modes’ to enhance their experience – each of which even comes with its own soundtrack.

The largest member of MINI’s lineup also made its debut. The new Countryman is larger than the old model in order to boost the practicality of this small family SUV, and it has been treated to the same tech upgrades as its smaller sibling. Fully-electric power has also been introduced for the first time, with up to 287 miles of claimed range on offer.

Porsche

While Porsche didn't reveal the upcoming all-electric Macan - that’s destined for an unveiling at the LA Motor Show in November -  the futuristic Mission X hypercar was on display in Munich. The stunning concept showcases Porsche’s plans for future electric sports cars.

Renault

The ‘Renaulution’, as the French firm puts it, means big changes are on the way for the Scenic badge. It now sits on a new all-electric family car that was revealed at Munich. Styling remains broadly similar to the Scenic Vision Concept that was uncovered in 2022, with strong influence from the new Megane E-Tech and Rafale. The new Scenic also adopts the brand's CMF-EV architecture – the same setup found in our 2022 Car of the Year, the Nissan Ariya. 

Smart

After its initial unveiling at the Shanghai Auto Show back in April, the all-electric Smart #3 made its official European debut in Munich. Although official details are being kept quiet for now, we know that the #3 will share many of its underpinnings with the smaller #1 crossover. It also shares a number of both interior and exterior styling cues, but its larger size will see the #3 fighting-off fierce electric coupe-SUV competitors like the Tesla Model Y and Skoda Enyaq iV.

Tesla 

Although there was rumour of an all-new Model 2 making its debut at the show, Tesla instead unveiled the long-awaited updates to its top-selling Model 3 executive saloon.

Originally codenamed ‘Project Highland’, the updated Model 3 features a fairly subtle exterior redesign. Underneath the new skin you’ll find a number of improvements to areas such as battery range and refinement – the Long Range model has been boosted to 391 miles. Seemingly following in Ferrari’s footsteps, the indicator controls have been integrated into the steering wheel, with the traditional stalks now entirely removed.

Vauxhall

The Experimental concept was unveiled in full in Munich. Vauxhall is keeping its cards close to its chest in terms of specs, but it's likely the brand will utilise the Medium STLA architecture from parent company Stellantis, allowing for the family-sized EV to reach up to 435 miles on a single charge. 

Volkswagen

Volkswagen's show star was the new ID. GTI Concept. It previews a future ID.2 hot hatch, and confirms that the iconic GTI badge will enter the all-electric age. The concept is based on the ID.2all that was revealed earlier this year, but features plenty of sporty touches synonymous with the brand's GTI models of the past.

The new Passat sat alongside the ID. GTI concept on Volkswagen's stand. The ninth generation of VW’s family car is now only available as an estate, and gets a number of improvements to materials, quality and styling. It helps it take on a more upmarket stance in a bid to rival the BMW 3 Series Touring.

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