New BMW iX5: name trademarks, Neue Klasse design and latest details

A facelift of the current ‘G65’ generation BMW X5 is in the works, as we’ve reported recently, but an all-new, electric car alternative is being cooked up, too. The German manufacturer has a BMW iX5 SUV in the pipeline with the name trademarked and the design direction becoming clearer. 

The ‘iX5’ was recently put into use by the BMW iX5 Hydrogen, but we expect a new EV iX5 to arrive in 2027. BMW not only trademarked the iX5 name, but also potential derivatives such as an entry-level ‘iX5 40’, mid-range ‘iX5 50’ and an ‘iX5 60’ to top off the electric SUV’s range. 

Earlier this year we saw BMW take the covers off its Neue Klasse X concept - a car that previews the next-generation of BMW’s all-electric SUVs. As BMW put it, “the Vision Vehicle offers a glimpse of the future of BMW X models, starting from 2025”. The iX5 will be one of these future BMW X models and it should look almost identical to the facelifted X5 - which gains a lot of design inspiration from the Neue Klasse X, judging from our spy shots.

Unlike the Neue Klasse X, the iX5 will not utilise BMW’s new Neue Klasse platform. BMW has instead opted to use the CLAR architecture of the upcoming facelifted X5. This could mean the BMW iX5 will be compromised in terms of electrical efficiency, although a suspected longer wheelbase compared to the Neue Klasse X could also mean a large battery may still be possible. 

The first BMW Neue Klasse models will be produced at BMW’s new plant in Debrecen, Hungary in 2025. Those cars - the 3 Series-sized Neue Klasse Sedan and X3-sized Neue Klasse X should be followed by the iX5 towards the end of 2026, ahead of a 2027 on-sale date. In the meantime, the BMW iX SUV will be facelifted towards the end of this year to keep it fresh until the similarly-sized iX5 arrives. It is not yet known if BMW intends on directly replace the iX with the iX5, however. 

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