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The German luxury automaker on Thursday teased the compact crossover and its future electric utility vehicle lineup with a concept.
The BMW Vision Neue Klasse X showcases a new electric platform that will underpin several models planned this decade.
BMW Group's chief technology officer Frank Weber says the Neue Klasse architecture is the "biggest investment in the company's history."
"We are not just writing the next chapter of BMW; we're writing a whole new book," Weber said.
The iX3, built in Debrecen, Hungary, leads a wave of next-generation models that BMW hopes will make it an EV powerhouse. Last year, among legacy premium automakers, BMW had the highest number of EV registrations in the U.S. — 42,997.
Further, faster
The Vision Neue Klasse X concept features BMW's sixth-generation eDrive electric technology, which the company said increases overall efficiency by up to 25 percent compared with its current EVs.
Neue Klasse vehicles will use cylindrical batteries, which are said to have 20 percent more energy density than BMW's prismatic cells while boosting range by 30 percent.
The battery pack is integrated into the vehicle's body structure to reduce weight and production costs.
Design twists
The new platform features a long wheelbase and short overhangs to help maximize interior space.
The Vision Neue Klasse X's front is upright and blocky, distinct from the sleeker fascia on the sedan concept previewed at the IAA Mobility show in Munich in September.
The concepts adapt BMW's design DNA for the electric future.
The brand's signature kidney grille is re-imagined as a "three-dimensional sculpture" with vertical, backlit contours. It is bracketed by LED headlights.
The taillights feature 3D-printed elements and extend into the center, creating a horizontally stretched twist on BMW's traditional L-shaped design.
The Vision Neue Klasse X tweaks another signature BMW design element. In the concept, the angular Hofmeister kink in the rear side windows is created not by chrome edging but with a "reflective print" that shifts from transparent to reflective, depending on the viewing angle, BMW said.
Sustainability
The lower portion of the door paneling and the center console are covered with a plant-based, petroleum-free material. BMW also used recycled material in the side skirts and front and rear apron attachments. Discarded fishing nets are recycled and used to make some injected-molded parts. The recycled material accounts for about 30 percent of the concept's plastic content.
Digital interior
BMW aims to simplify the user interface in new EVs, allowing the driver to interact with the vehicle via a central display, steering wheel buttons and voice control.
The Vision Neue Klasse X concept showcases head-up display technology, called BMW Panoramic Vision, that transforms the windshield into a secondary display that delivers driving information, navigation prompts and incoming notifications. Content is projected from three screens across the lower section of the windshield. The ultrawide display is in the driver's line of sight but low enough not to obstruct the view of the road.
Future models
According to AutoForecast Solutions, a 3 Series-sized sedan and the coupe-style iX4 crossover will follow the iX3. Those Neue Klasse models go into production in Europe in late 2026.
The forecaster said the replacement for the iX1 compact crossover is planned for late 2027, followed by a sedan a year later.
Source: autonews
