With the slogan ‘the start of a new era’, BMW has just shown the first of an extensive range of models based on an entirely new platform, already known as the ‘Neue Klasse’. First in line is the iX3, the SUV variant (or SAV for ‘Sports Activity Vehicle’ as BMW likes to call it), but it will soon (beginning of 2026) be followed by the i3 sedan.
Decades ago, BMW introduced the first ‘Neue Klasse’, transforming the Munich car manufacturer gradually into a successful premium car producer. At the press event in Munich, BMW Group CEO Oliver Zipse called this launch the most important in his entire 35-year career at BMW. One can easily say that this ‘Neue Klasse’ will shape the future of this still ambitious manufacturer.
‘Sheer Driving Pleasure’
BMW has also polished its old but renowned slogan, ‘Freude am Fahren’ (Joy in Driving), into ‘Sheer Driving Pleasure’, which actually means the same. The new-generation BMW iX3 is the car that gives BMW customers their first on-the-road taste of this whole new era.
A new design language gives the car a character-rich appearance that, according to BMW, faithfully conveys the technological progress made by the latest model. With sixth-generation BMW eDrive technology, a range of up to 805 kilometers (WLTP) and a peak charging rate of 400 kW, the new BMW iX3 is bound to set new standards for efficiency and long-distance capability.
“A new electronics and software architecture, including four ‘superbrain’ high-performance computers, makes the first Neue Klasse model more intelligent and better equipped for the future than ever,’ boasts BMW proudly. “The ‘Heart of Joy’ drivetrain and driving dynamics management technology enables unmatched handling dynamism and precision, while the latest systems for automated driving optimise
symbiotic human-vehicle interaction.”
“The Neue Klasse is our biggest future project and marks a huge leap in terms of technologies, driving experience, and design,” says Oliver Zipse, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG. “Practically everything about it is new, yet it is also more BMW than ever. Our entire product range will benefit from the innovations of the Neue Klasse, regardless of the drive technology. What started as a bold vision has now become reality: the BMW iX3 is the first Neue Klasse model to go into series production. We are not only bringing the next generation of one of our most successful fully electric vehicles onto the road, but we are also launching a new era for BMW.”
New design language
The new BMW iX3 will launch the new BMW design language, which will be replicated across the whole of the brand’s model range. “This new use of forms provides a very modern interpretation of BMW’s original and enduring blueprint,” says BMW design chief Adrian van Hooydonk. “The design of the Neue Klasse provides a very modern interpretation of what BMW has always stood for. With our new design language, the new BMW iX3 looks future-focused, modern, and timeless, but, above all, more BMW than ever.”
At 4,782 mm in length, 1,895 mm wide, 1,635 mm tall, and with a wheelbase of 2897 mm, the new BMW iX3 has the hallmark proportions of a serious midsize SUV. Detailed optimisation of the car’s aerodynamics enables a drag coefficient of 0.24, quite spectacular for a boxy and tall SUV. In its top iX50 trim, the car weighs 2,285 kg and can load 540 kg.
The load compartment capacity of the new BMW iX3 can be increased from 520 to a maximum of 1,750 liters by folding down the rear seat backrest elements as required. The additional storage compartment
under the bonnet, or ‘frunk’, can hold another 58 liters of cargo, usually the charging cables and some other utilities.
Customers needing additional transportation capacity can specify their car with the optional electric fold-in/fold-out trailer tow hitch. The maximum trailer load of the new BMW iX3 50 xDrive is 2,000 kilograms.
The most prominent influence in the interior design is the horizontally arranged cockpit with its new control/operation system, BMW Panoramic iDrive, which is based on the likewise newly developed BMW Operating System X.
“It brings together displays, geometry, and light & sound design into a holistic experience, customisable via the My Modes. Also playing a role here are the new driving sounds, sound effects, and sound signals of the BMW HypersonX soundscape created specifically for the Neue Klasse,” BMW says.
Key element here is BMW’s Panoramic iDrive: “With its neatly judged balance between digital functions and physical elements, BMW Panoramic iDrive elevates intuitive operation, according to BMW’s fabled ‘hands on the wheel, eyes on the road’ principle, to a new level of driver focus.”
Sixth-generation eDrive
The sixth-generation BMW eDrive technology developed for the Neue Klasse comprises highly efficient electric motors, fundamentally new high-voltage batteries with cylindrical cells, and 800V technology.
The BMW iX3 50 xDrive top model is powered by two electric motors, which together generate an output of 345 kW/469 hp and 645 Nm of torque. The car accelerates from 0 to 100 kph in 4.9 seconds and reaches a top speed of 210 kph.
Its electric all-wheel-drive configuration consists of an extensively upgraded electrically excited synchronous motor (EESM) with high levels of efficiency at the rear axle and, at the front axle, a new asynchronous motor (ASM) distinguished by its compact design and high cost efficiency.
The combination of EESM and ASM is evidence of the BMW Group’s commitment to technological neutrality within electric mobility as well. The drive technology developed for the Neue Klasse promises to reduce energy losses by 40% compared to the current fifth-generation BMW eDrive technology, weight by 10% and manufacturing costs by 20%.
The new high-voltage battery concept with cylindrical cells heightens the energy density on a cell
level by 20%, and the new concept also paves the way for a 30% increase in charging speed. The cylindrical cells are integrated directly into the high-voltage battery (‘cell to pack’), which benefits energy
density and cost efficiency.
The high-voltage battery is integrated into the vehicle architecture as a structural component to minimise weight (‘pack to open body’). The high-voltage battery in the BMW iX3 50 xDrive has a usable energy content of an impressive 108.7 kWh, enabling a range of up to 805 kilometers in the WLTP cycle.
A maximum charging rate of 400 kW enables users to fill their new BMW iX3 with enough energy at an 800V DC fast-charging station to add up to 372 kilometers of range in just ten minutes. The high-voltage battery can charge from 10 to 80% capacity in 21 minutes. It can top up on alternating current (AC) at 11 kW as standard or 22 kW as an option.
Extensive bidirectional charging functions are also available for the new BMW iX3, meaning that it can be used as an energy source for a variety of applications. The Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) function can supply electric devices with power while on the move. Vehicle-to-Home (V2H) hands it the role
of a storage unit for solar energy generated by home-fitted photovoltaic systems. Customers can also connect their cars to the energy market through the Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) application, earning money in the process.
Four ‘superbrains’
The completely newly developed electronics architecture comprises a total of four high-performance computers known as ‘superbrains’. They pool their processing power for driving dynamics, automated driving, infotainment, and basic & comfort-enhancing functions.
They also provide the basis for a new software architecture that can be continuously upgraded and is therefore designed to incorporate upcoming function updates, including AI features.
“With its four superbrains and highly connected software platforms, the BMW iX3 is a true software-defined vehicle and exceptionally well equipped for the future,” BMW claims.
Sustainability
A variety of measures ensures that the product carbon footprint of the new BMW iX3 50 xDrive over its full life cycle, based on a mileage of 200,000 kilometers, is 34% smaller than that of its predecessor. This means that, when charged with electricity from the European energy mix, it has a smaller product carbon footprint than a comparable ICE model after around 21,500 kilometers. When charged exclusively with electricity from renewable sources, it beats the comparable ICE model after only 17,500 kilometers.
Around one third of the new BMW iX3 is made from secondary raw materials. The overall product carbon footprint of the supply chain for the BMW iX3 50 xDrive has been reduced by 35%. And thanks to the sixth-generation BMW eDrive technology and other ‘EfficientDynamics’ measures, the energy consumption of the new BMW iX3 is 20% lower than that of the predecessor model (WLTP combined).
How much?
And now to one of the most critical questions: what will be the price? In Germany, this top model of the range will start at €68,900; in Belgium, it will be €69,900. That’s not cheap, but it seems a fair price when you see that a current X3 PHEV costs practically the same.
Of course, when BMW wants to really compete in the sector they so cleverly dominate in the Belux, the professional part of the market, it won’t be the top model that will be most popular. There will be other, less powerful and more basic versions to come. At first glance, it appears they have the assets to succeed.
