BMW plans to follow 2010's launch of a long-wheelbase 5 Series in China with a new plug-in hybrid variant at the 2011 Shanghai Auto Show in April.

At the 2010 Beijing Auto Show, the German automaker introduced the stretched 535Li exclusively for the China market. The long-wheelbase 5 Series is being assembled at the BMW-Brilliance plant in Shenyang in Northern China.

The latest variant also will be produced in China, according to BMW boss Norbert Reithofer, who said, "This model will be our e-car from China for China - a long version of the BMW 5 Series as a plug-in hybrid."

BMW displayed its ActiveHybrid 5 prototype a year ago at the 2010 Geneva Auto Show, featuring an updated version of the hybrid gasoline-electric drivetrain that powers the ActiveHybrid 7.

At the time, BMW said the system would bundle a straight-6 gasoline engine with a 40kW electric motor and an eight-speed automatic transmission. It offered no specific timetable for production.

Last year's 535Li in Beijing featured a wheelbase that had been stretched by 5.5 inches, with most of the additional room in the rear passenger compartment - a nod to owners who prefer to be chauffeur driven.

Amenities included a new "high comfort" rear bench seat, plus such options as rear sun blinds, a folding table in the back of the front passenger seat, rear-seat entertainment and four-zone automatic climate control.

Reithofer this week said BMW is opening a second facility in Shenyang in 2012, and will assemble the X1 there for the China market. The new plant will boost BMW's annual production capacity in China to 150,000 units.