BMW Alpina to launch in South Korea in 2028, targeting gap between 7 Series and Rolls-Royce

Maximilian Missoni, senior vice president of BMW Alpina and Luxury Class Design at BMW Group, and Oliver Filleichner, senior vice president of BMW Alpina at BMW Group, pose for a photo at a BMW Alpina brand presentation. From left: Missoni and Filleichner. [BMW Korea]

BMW Group is moving into South Korea's premium car market with BMW Alpina, its top-tier luxury brand. Positioned between BMW and Rolls-Royce in both price and brand identity, the label is set to introduce new models to the Korean market sequentially from early 2028.

BMW Korea held the "BMW ALPINA Seoul Signature Moment" event Tuesday at Banyan Tree Club & Spa Seoul in Jung-gu, Seoul, unveiling the brand's philosophy and its plans for the Korean market. The event marked the brand's first community showcase in Asia.

BMW Alpina is the first new brand BMW Group has launched in roughly 25 years. After BMW Group acquired the Alpina trademark, the associated rights were officially transferred starting in January this year, giving the label a fresh start under the BMW Alpina name.

"It has been about 25 years since BMW Group welcomed a new brand — the last time was when Rolls-Royce joined the group," said Oliver Filleichner, senior vice president of BMW Alpina. "Even for those who work at BMW, this is a special moment that rarely comes along."

Alpina traces its roots to 1965, when Burkard Bovensiepen founded the brand in Buchloe, Bavaria, Germany. It began as a tuning operation focused on extracting more performance from BMW vehicles before growing into an independent automaker. Last year it recorded its best-ever sales, delivering around 2,600 vehicles.

The logo of BMW Alpina, BMW Group's newly launched top-tier luxury brand. [BMW Korea]

BMW's decision to develop Alpina as a standalone brand reflects shifts in the luxury car market. The company sees growing demand for exclusivity, craftsmanship and personalized experiences over conspicuous displays of wealth. Across the global auto industry, competition at the top of the market has intensified, with brands combining distinctive narratives and bespoke production experiences rather than simply offering high-performance variants.

BMW Alpina sits between BMW and Rolls-Royce — targeting the ultra-luxury segment above the BMW 7 Series and X7 but below Rolls-Royce. Its direct competitors include Bentley, Mercedes-Maybach and the upper Range Rover lineup.

Maximilian Missoni, senior vice president of BMW Alpina Design, described the brand's core philosophy as "restrained confidence." "Alpina was a car that only those in the know could recognize," he said. "People with a discerning eye could tell from the subtlest details that this was an Alpina — a car combining serious performance with genuine luxury."

Another defining concept for BMW Alpina is "speed, not sport." Unlike BMW M, which emphasizes track performance, Alpina positions itself as a grand tourer — fast and comfortable over long distances.

"Alpina is clearly distinct from BMW M in that it delivers the highest level of comfort alongside strong performance on long journeys," Missoni said.

Performance specifications will match the brand's top-tier ambitions. BMW Alpina vehicles will be equipped with a dedicated twin-power turbo V8 4.4-liter gasoline engine, and an electrification powertrain is also in development. The brand places high-speed capability, refinement and long-distance comfort at the center of its value proposition.

Premium materials and bespoke customization are also central to the offering. Interiors will feature Lavalina leather, considered among the finest automotive hides available. Buyers can choose from more than 100 special exterior colors alongside Alpina's signature palette, while the cabin will offer 20 leather color options and 26 stitching color combinations. A top-tier Manufaktur bespoke order program will also be available.

"Everything you see, feel and touch in a BMW Alpina must deliver an experience that is a step above," Filleichner said. "Personalization — allowing customers to order a BMW Alpina that is one of a kind in the world — is a core element of an ultra-luxury brand."

Maximilian Missoni, senior vice president of BMW Alpina and Luxury Class Design at BMW Group, speaks at the BMW Alpina brand presentation. [BMW Korea]

The brand's visual identity modernizes Alpina's heritage. The signature "deco line" running along the body sides will no longer be applied as a sticker but painted directly beneath the clear coat, finished by hand so the surface feels completely flush to the touch. The brand's iconic 20-spoke wheel design will also carry over in a dedicated new form.

BMW also unveiled a concept car called the Vision BMW Alpina, intended to illustrate the brand's design direction. Inspired by the 1978 Alpina B7 Coupe, the vehicle is a large two-door GT coupe measuring 5.23 meters in length. Key design features include a pronounced shark nose, a closed kidney grille, an ALPINA wordmark on the front splitter and four oval exhaust outlets.

BMW Korea also pointed to strong domestic market conditions. The BMW 7 Series sold 3,077 units in South Korea in the first half of this year — 1,236 more than the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, including the EQS sedan.

"These results show that customers choosing large luxury vehicles are developing a more discerning eye," said Kim Gang-min, head of BMW Korea's sales team. "Customers no longer choose a car based on the brand name alone. They now weigh product quality, the luxury experience and personal expression together."

South Korea's ultra-premium import car segment has also expanded sharply. Domestic sales of premium large models grew 2.8 times, from about 12,000 units in 2014 to about 34,000 in 2025. Sales of top-tier luxury brands — including Maybach, Lamborghini, Bentley and Ferrari — rose 5.8 times over the same period, from 452 units to 2,605.

BMW Korea plans to continue BMW Alpina brand communications through the end of this year. From early 2027, it will begin formally introducing the brand through offline platforms, and in the second half of 2027 it plans to open seven BMW Alpina exhibition spaces across the country. Rather than standalone showrooms, these will take the form of dedicated zones within existing BMW dealerships.

"I am confident there is demand in Korea for a level of restrained luxury that goes beyond the 7 Series," Kim said. "We plan to launch new models sequentially from early 2028 and build out the full BMW Alpina lineup in Korea."

kwater@heraldcorp.com