New BMW iX3 will kick off the Neue Klasse era on 5 September
BMW is about to enter a new era, and it all starts with this bleeding-edge, all-electric SUV
Mark your calendars everyone: the next-generation BMW iX3 is finally going to be unveiled on Friday 5 September at 10am sharp.
The all-electric SUV will mark the start of a hugely important new era for BMW, called ‘Neue Klasse’. The car showcases a fresh, more restrained design language, a brand-new platform and cutting-edge technology, from the battery cells that will power the brand’s EVs to a radical new Panoramic iDrive cockpit design.
The second-generation iX3 will act as the starting gun for BMW’s ambitious plan to launch an astonishing 40 new and updated models in rapid succession over the next two years.
The next-generation 3 Series will be among them, and it’s already been spotted out and about testing, getting ready for launch next year. We’ve spied the next-generation BMW X5 and X7 as well, plus facelifted versions of the BMW 5 Series and 7 Series, all sporting Neue Klasse styling cues.
The pivotal new iX3 will go into production before the end of the year. When it arrives, rivals will include the Audi Q6 e-tron, Porsche Macan Electric and Polestar 3, which are all available to buy or to lease through the Auto Express Buy A Car service. Another competitor is the forthcoming Mercedes GLC EV, which will be revealed at next week’s Munich Motor Show, and the long-awaited mid-size SUV from Lotus coming later this year.
What will the new BMW iX3 look like?
The latest teaser image BMW shared reaffirms that the design of the new iX3 will stick very closely to the Vision Neue Klasse X concept presented back in March 2024. We knew this after seeing hundreds of spy pictures and some leaked patent filings of the car in the build-up to its reveal.
The new family face for all the Neue Klasse models ditches the enormous, polarising, vertical kidney grilles on the BMW iX and i7. Instead, the iX3 will feature a much smaller arrangement, inspired by the BMW 2000 saloon from the mid-sixties and other classic models.
On either side of the kidney grilles are large, flowing panels that incorporate the headlights with a sharp new lighting signature. The panels will house the sensors and other tech needed for the advanced driver-assistance systems.
The profile of the new iX3 isn’t far removed from the firm’s current range of SUVs, particularly the larger iX flagship and the latest X3. The windscreen is steeply raked for an SUV to improve the aerodynamics, which are also helped by the flush-fitting door handles and aero-optimised wheels.
BMW’s signature Hofmeister kink can be seen in the rear windows, while images of the rear highlight the bulbous haunches that give the car visual width and a strong stance. Unlike the XM SUV, which has a rear windscreen that flows smoothly into the bodywork, the iX3 has a roof spoiler at the back that wraps around the window, plus ridges that flow into the roof.
What technology will the new BMW iX3 feature?
The iX3, and all future Neue Klasse models, will feature BMW’s latest cockpit design called ‘Panoramic iDrive’ that we experienced for the first time earlier this year. The new set-up uses what the brand calls its ‘Panoramic Vision’ – a pillar-to-pillar display stretching across the base of the windscreen, which replaces the traditional instrument cluster.
Elsewhere, the huge 17.9-inch central touchscreen is an unusual, trapezoidal shape designed to mirror the arc of the driver’s arm, so no controls are ever out of reach. The two displays will be running BMW’s new Operating System X, which was created entirely in-house.
The iX3 will also feature a unique four-spoke multifunction steering wheel, but there won’t be a rotary control dial. BMW has confirmed to Auto Express it has axed the familiar, once-revolutionary controller for all its Neue Klasse models.
How much range will the new BMW iX3 offer?
The previous iX3 was simply an electric version of the petrol and diesel-powered BMW X3, the latest iteration of which has just been launched. However the new second-generation iX3 will sit on a brand-new scalable platform that BMW says has been “uncompromisingly optimised for electric drivetrains”.
For instance, it will feature an 800V electrical architecture, like its chief rival, the Audi Q6 e-tron. This allows for ultra-rapid charging speeds – fast enough, according to BMW, to add 186 miles (300km) of range in only 10 minutes.
Powering the car will be BMW’s sixth-generation eDrive technology, which is claimed to deliver up to 30 per cent more range, 30 per cent quicker charging and 25 per cent better efficiency than today’s tech.
Key technical details remain under wraps for now, but when Auto Express got a chance to drive a prototype of the new iX3 earlier this year, we learned buyers could expect around 500 miles of range. That’s nearly double what the old model could achieve.
Many more Neue Klasse models to come
There are at least half a dozen brand-new ‘Neue Klasse’ models coming very soon using the same technology as the new iX3. BMW CEO Oliver Zipse has promised “from SAVs to sedans, there will be something for every customer”.
That includes high-performance electric cars from BMW’s legendary M division, with the first-ever zero-emissions M3 due to hit the streets in 2027 and previewed very recently by the quad-motor BMW Vision Driving Experience.
M division head of development Dirk Hacker told Auto Express: “When we're thinking about a high-performance electric M car, you want to see the M characteristic.
“We know the feeling from the M2 and M3 CS, but also pure electric. We have also launched some ideas for that with four electric motors and a lot of functions,” he said, referencing BMW's quad-motor i4 M50 prototype.
“We are working on a central intelligence made by BMW and not made by the suppliers,” he added. “We are working on electric motors, high-voltage batteries and it's very important also on how we can emotionalise such a car.”
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