BMW has begun reassessing its future product strategy, including putting its rival for the Mercedes-Benz G-Class on ice, as changing market conditions have forced the German car maker to review which models will go into production later this decade.

The move follows what new CEO Milan Nedeljković described as a dramatic shift in the automotive landscape over the past year, with weakening demand in China, growing pressure from new Chinese rivals, stricter US trade barriers and diverging demand across global markets.

Speaking after BMW reported its second-quarter results, Nedeljković said the company was taking a fresh look at its future product plans rather than assuming existing programmes remain appropriate for every market.

"In all these areas, we are taking significant steps and increasing the pace," he said. "For example, we are once again reviewing which technologies, model variants and drivetrains we will need in the future. In addition, we are looking at where new partnerships could make economic and technological sense."

Nedeljković stopped short of suggesting individual models could be cancelled or delayed, but the comments represent one of BMW's clearest acknowledgements yet that future new-model planning is becoming increasingly fluid as global demand evolves at different speeds.

The review is understood to have already claimed at least one eagerly awaited model. Insiders at BMW’s Munich-based headquarters suggested the proposed G74 off-roader has failed to receive final approval and is currently on hold.

The now stalled new model is believed to have evolved from an early Neue Klasse-based electric concept to a proposal based on the cluster architecture (CLAR) and which would have offered a broad range of drivetrains.

While BMW has not officially commented on the status of the G74, its apparent demise reflects the new approach to future new model investment outlined by Nedeljković.

In outlining the revised new model reassessment process, Nedeljković pointed to China as one of BMW’s biggest challenges.

"The rapid deterioration of market conditions in China was the main reason we adjusted our guidance in June," he said, adding that new competitors are now expanding beyond China into other Asia-Pacific markets, Latin America and Europe.

He also pointed to a combination of tariffs, trade barriers, currency fluctuations, tighter regulation in Europe and the continuing conflict in the Middle East as factors that have fundamentally altered BMW's business.

Rather than committing exclusively to electric models, BMW continues to develop petrol, diesel, plug-in hybrid, electric and hydrogen-powered models, arguing that customer demand is now diverging more sharply between major markets.

"The needs and expectations of customers vary greatly from market to market – and even within individual markets," Nedeljković said. "Our sales figures in the second quarter reflect this reality and the strength of our technology-open approach."

He noted that electric model sales in Europe grew by more than a third during the second quarter, while internal combustion-engined vehicles generated double-digit growth in the United States as demand for electric models dropped across the wider American market.

The review comes despite strong momentum behind BMW's Neue Klasse programme.

Nedeljković said the new iX3 is continuing to attract strong demand, with BMW now approaching 100,000 orders. It has already introduced a second production shift at its new Debrecen plant in Hungary to meet demand.

BMW describes the Debrecen ramp-up as the fastest yet achieved at one of its new production facilities, with the second shift introduced ahead of schedule in response to customer demand.

Early demand for the new i3 has also exceeded expectations, according to Nedeljković, with pre-orders opening ahead of schedule in June before the full order books open at the end of September.