BMW’s first Neue Klasse electric vehicle is here, and it’s already one of the most interesting new EVs to come from Europe in the past couple of years.
First announced in 2023, the Neue Klasse (that’s German for “new class”) is a radical rethinking of BMW’s philosophy, with a new design language, a minimalistic, digital-first interior, and promises of smarter tech, as well as more range, efficiency, and speedy charging — in short, all of the things that buyers of electric vehicles crave.
The BMW iX3 is the first officially unveiled Neue Klasse car, and it delivers on all of the above, at least on paper.
From the side, it almost looks like a regular BMW family hauler.
Credit: BMW
Somewhat oddly, it bears the same name as the current BMW iX3, a fairly pedestrian electric SUV (or SAV — sport activity vehicle — as BMW calls it). And yes, the new BMW iX3 is still a mid-sized family hauler that runs on battery power, but it’s also miles ahead of its predecessor on most counts.
The first model to hit the stores — in spring 2026 in Europe, followed by a U.S. launch in the summer —will be the BMW iX3 50 xDrive. It comes with a massive 679–805-kilometer (421–500-mile) WLTP range, thanks to a huge, 108.7kW lithium ion battery. The car allows for 400kW charging at compatible charging stations, meaning it’ll charge from 10 to 80 percent in 21 minutes.
The iX30 50 xDrive is powered by two electric motors, giving it a maximum output of 469 horsepower, which should be enough to get from 0–100 km/h in 4.9 seconds, with a top speed of 210 km/h (130mph). BMW says that the drive tech it developed for Neue Klasse reduces energy losses by 40 percent compared to its fifth-gen eDrive tech, which is part of the reason why the new iX3 boasts a combined electric power consumption of 17.9–15.1 kWh/100 km.
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Those taillights will be unmissable on the road.
Credit: BMW
While the exterior design isn’t that much of a radical departure from some of BMW’s newer models (yay for smaller “kidneys” on the front grille), the interior is a different story. The oddly shaped, sort-of square center display probably won’t be to everyone’s taste, but it’s certainly different from everything we’ve seen inside other cars. Same goes for the Panoramic Vision display that’s spread under the entire length of the windshield, offering a quick glance of features like navigation, music, weather and time.
It’s not just for show (pun intended). BMW’s new infotainment system, the BMW Panoramic iDrive (based on the freshly developed BMW Operating System X) “brings together displays, geometry and light & sound design into a holistic experience,” according to the company.
We need a name for the shape of the center display.
Credit: BMW
OK, now that we’ve had a chuckle, it really does seem like BMW put a lot of thought into modernizing the infotainment while making sure you actually pay attention to the road. There’s also the optional BMW 3D Head-Up-Display, and nearly all of it can be controlled by the busy array of buttons either side of the steering wheel.
The brains behind all of this are all brand new — all four of them, that is. BMW claims that its Neue Klasse features four “superbrains.” One of them, called Heart of Joy (BMW just likes giving names to things), is responsible for the drivetrain, brakes, energy recuperation, and steering. Another, which BMW claims has “20 times greater processing power than conventional control units,” takes care of the car’s automated driving and parking functions.
As for the regular car stuff, suffice to say that the BMW iX3 measures 4,782 millimeters in length and has a respectable 520 liters in the back, alongside a small frunk which can hold 58 liters of cargo.
There’s no word on price for all of this, but it’ll sure make your eyes water if you opt for the optional M Sport or M package or M Sport package Pro. On the other hand, BMW says other, cheaper models will follow down the road.
This model is a big deal for BMW. The company plans to implement some of the Neue Klasse tech into 40 new models and model updates by 2027. It looks pretty great from afar, though it’ll take a closer look to see how well it’s all been put together.
Topics
Electric Vehicles
Cars
