News in Brief from BMW Group UK.

BMW Group UK enters autumn in a strong position, having collected a variety of industry accolades at recent awards. Four of which were collected at the What Car? Electric Car Awards 2025, where the BMW i7 retained its Best Electric Luxury Car title for the third consecutive year. Similar success followed at the annual Towcar of the Year Awards with three category wins, including a double for the recently updated BMW iX. Meanwhile, MINI further strengthens its model lineup with the introduction of the new MINI Countryman E Monochrome, offering a sleek design and an enhanced standard specification.

BMW Group collects four awards at the What Car? Electric Car Awards 2025.
BMW Group recently secured four category wins at the What Car? Electric Awards, which each year celebrate the best electric vehicles (EVs) currently available for the UK market. Considering innovation, performance and sustainability, the awards help consumers identify the best EVs across a range of categories.

The BMW i7 was named Best Electric Luxury Car for the third consecutive year, as BMW continues to “set the standard” for electric luxury cars, said What Car? Editor, Steve Huntingford. “The i7 and iX are both so good that they’ve earned our maximum five-star rating.” Continuing its status as class-leader, the flagship saloon was praised by judges for its “incredible comfort”, “beautiful” finish, unique technology – such as the “fabulous 8K cinema screen” – and its “uncanny ability to shut out unwanted noise.”

Also celebrated by the publication was the BMW 330e, which claimed the title for Best Used Hybrid Executive Car. Commenting on the win, Huntingford praised its “low running costs”, “driver appeal”, and “plush interior”. Meanwhile, the BMW 530e secured the Best Used Hybrid Estate award, offering “space, quality and efficiency that’s unmatched”. The final trophy of the night was presented to the MINI Cooper SE Countryman ALL4, which topped the Best Used Hybrid Small SUV category, thanks to its impressive reliability – scoring 99.7 per cent in the recent What Car? Reliability Survey – and class-leading refinement.

BMW iX and BMW X3 commended at the annual Towcar of the Year Awards.
Continuing its winning streak, BMW celebrated success at the Caravan and Motorhome Club Towcar of the Year Awards – an annual celebration of the best cars currently available for consumers with towing needs. To qualify, all manufacturers must take part in a rigorous testing process across four days at Millbrook Proving Ground. Participating models are scored on practicality, innovation and overall driving experience, in addition to their all-important towing capacity.

The recently revised BMW iX secured two awards, leading both the Caravan Weight over 2,000kg and Electric Towcar categories. On presenting the accolades, judges named the iX “one of its star performers”, and paid tribute to the adaptive air suspension’s ability to “keep everything stable, composed and level when hitched, while regenerative braking helped control descents.”

An additional title was presented to the BMW X3 M50 xDrive, after topping the Caravan Weight 1700-1800kg category. Judges commended the M Performance model’s towing capabilities, stating, “The [BMW] X3 undeniably has a quality feel, especially when towing: it’s stable, secure and delivers immense confidence when braking.” The panel were equally impressed by its driving dynamics; “it’s a really fun car to drive that offers class-leading acceleration performance,” they continued.

Introducing the new MINI Countryman E Monochrome.
MINI is pleased to introduce the new MINI Countryman E Monochrome. The largest member of the MINI family is the third model to receive the Monochrome treatment, following the launch of the MINI Cooper Electric Monochrome and the MINI Aceman Monochrome in July.

Like its siblings, the special edition is offered in a fixed specification, where customers can select from Midnight Black or Nanuq White exterior paint finishes and benefit from an increased level of standard equipment, including MINI Navigation with Head-Up Display, wireless charging and LED headlights. Black 18-inch Asteroid Spoke alloy wheels are also standard, alongside a body-coloured roof for a seamless finish.

Inside, an Anthracite headliner is accompanied by a model-exclusive interior pattern, where the new multitone fabric spreads across the front and rear seats, finished with white and yellow stitching.

The MINI Countryman E Monochrome is equipped with a 64.6 kWh battery, enabling 10–80-per-cent charging in 29 minutes when using a 130 kW DC charger. The model is priced at £32,595 OTR, with initial customer deliveries commencing in January 2026.

For more information about the MINI Monochrome lineup, visit mini.co.uk.

Ends


The BMW Group

With its four brands BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad, the BMW Group is the world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles and also provides premium financial services. The BMW Group production network comprises over 30 production sites worldwide; the company has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.

In 2024, the BMW Group sold over 2.45 million passenger vehicles and more than 210,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax in the financial year 2024 was € 11.0 billion on revenues amounting to € 142.4 billion. As of 31 December 2024, the BMW Group had a workforce of 159,104 employees.

The economic success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term thinking and responsible action. Sustainability is a key element of the BMW Group’s corporate strategy and covers all products from the supply chain and production to the end of their useful life.

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For further information please contact:

Sam Buckingham
Press Officer, MINI
Tel: 07815 362 262
Samuel.Buckingham@mini.co.uk

Tom Evans
Senior Press Officer, BMW
Tel: 07815 371 705
Email: Tom.Evans@bmw.co.uk

James Morrison
Head of Product Communications
Tel: 07815 372 646
Email: James.Morrison@bmw.co.uk

Christina Burnham-Hepe
Corporate Communications Director
Tel: 07815 371 206
Email: Christina.Burnham-Hepe@bmw.co.uk