BMW won a considerable amount of awards in Germany this week: it won two “Golden Steering Wheel” trophies from Auto Bild and Bild am Sonntag and scored a record nine class wins in the Auto Zeitung’s “Auto Trophy” readers’ poll. The results include combustion, hybrid and electric models and show strong support for BMW’s current product range across various segments.
BMW iX3 wins “Best Innovation”
The new BMW iX3, the first production model of the Neue Klasse generation, won the Golden Steering Wheel in the “Best Innovation” category. The jury highlighted the iX3’s range of up to 805 km (WLTP), its charging power of 400 kW and efficiency values of just 15.1 kWh/100 km. During test drives at the DEKRA Lausitzring, attention was also drawn to the new architecture of the electric SUV, including the Panoramic iDrive interface and the Heart of Joy central computer, which controls the electronics of the new class. This is the seventh year in a row that at least one Golden Steering Wheel went to BMW.
The M5 Touring takes over the luxury category
The BMW M5 Touring won the Golden Steering Wheel in the luxury class category. Despite being one of the most controversial M5s of all time due to its weight and choice of powertrain, the new M5 Touring achieved the highest overall score of any car in this year’s competition. In addition, the jurors recognized the suitability of the station wagon for everyday use thanks to its cargo space volume of 500 to 1,630 liters and noted that it outperformed all other finalists in driving ratings, consumption tests and value assessments.
9 Auto Trophy victories across the team
BMW’s strong performance also continued in the Auto Zeitung’s long-standing “Auto Trophy” readers’ choice. Almost 10,000 participants cast their votes in 18 categories, with BMW taking first place in nine categories – a record for the brand.
The winning models covered a wide range of vehicle types:
- BMW 1 Series – Best small cars, city cars and compact cars
- BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe – Best mid-range
- BMW 5 Series – Best luxury class
- BMW X3 – Best SUV (€30,000-€60,000)
- BMW X5 – Best SUV (over €60,000)
- BMW i5 – Best electric sedan
- BMW iX1 – Best electric SUV (under €50,000)
- BMW iX3 – Best electric SUV (over €50,000)
- BMW – The best brand in the world
This year’s nine wins surpass BMW’s eight wins in 2024 and mark the strongest result in the award’s history.
A strong signal for the beginning of the introduction of the “New Class”.
Commenting on the results, BMW boss Oliver Zipse said the awards reflect the strength of BMW’s current product range and the early momentum behind the introduction of the Neue Klasse. According to Zipse, pre-orders for the iX3 are already above internal forecasts – a rare situation for a model that has not yet reached dealers.
