► Finally – BMW’s first Neue Klasse car has arrived
► All-new iX3 launches with bold design, new tech and huge range
► xDrive50 launch model priced from £58,755
BMW has bet the house on doing a Neue Klasse all over again – 60 years on from the first time it did so. This is the first production model that’s been span out of it: the new, electric iX3 SUV.
Billions in R&D. Overhauled design. Cutting-edge technology. Powertrain flexibility that’s second to none. BMW has set itself an almighty roster of targets and objectives for its Neue Klasse strategy, which has been designed to completely overhaul the way it makes cars – in an industry that’s more competitive than ever.
That’s quite the gamble. And yet, BMW’s board member for development Joachim Post, disagrees. He says it’s more about ensuring BMW is ready for all future outcomes in terms of powertrain and tech, noting differing levels of electrification take-up around the world and various geopolitical battles it’s facing.
‘I don’t think it’s a gamble. The flexibility we will have in our architectures that allows us to integrate all powertrains, is highly valuable at this time because we must deal with such uncertainty,’ he says. ‘Once we have that flexibility, it’s not a risk; then we’ll be very well positioned with our production, our facilities and in our factories. This segment – the X3 and the sedans – is core for BMW. Now is the right time to focus on that core with Neue Klasse.’
A big deal, then. Let’s talk design first…
Bold, right? In reality, and if you’ve been paying some attention, it’s less of a surprise than it ought to be. As well as countless camouflaged prototypes that have been seen in public for years, BMW has slowly gotten us used to the idea of how this car will look with concepts like the i Vision Circular and i Vision Dee, before showing us more deliberate ones like the Vision Neue Klasse saloon and Neue Klasse X SUV. This production iX3 effectively clones that lattermost show car – albeit with proper door mirrors, number plates and more conventionally sized wheels applied.
Stood next to it, it’s much cleaner and simpler than recent BMW designs – with a face that’s still distinctive without being entirely garish. Surfacing is cleaner, with fewer lines and creases than what we’ve seen from BMW for years. Chrome has been entirely removed, with that new take on the brand’s kidney grille motif being (optionally) trimmed with light around the edges.
Whether you’re a fan of it or not, though, you’ll have to get used to it; design head Adrian van Hooydonk says the new design language ‘marks the beginning of a whole new vehicle generation and will define BMW’s future to a large extent.’ The next car to use this design will be an all-new 3-series due later in 2026.
What about the interior?
Again, we’ve had advanced notice and hands-on time with demos of the new Panoramic iDrive that comprises a parallelogram-like central display and short, full-width display that’s fixed directly below the windscreen – removing the need for conventional driver’s instruments. The new Panoramic Vision element – the name for that black panel below the bottom edge of the windscreen – is customisable with various widgets. It’ll also change the design and info provided depending on your drive mode.
The software running on this new tech is BMW’s Operating System X (OS X), which aims to be much simpler to use than OS 8.5 (used in cars like the 5-series) or OS 9 (currently active in the latest 1-series and 2-series Gran Coupe) has been. ‘Speaking self-critically, it was quite a mess with all of the BMW apps and menus [in the older versions], and they were quite small where even when you were at a standstill, you really needed to focus,’ says Frederic Cohrssen, BMW’s project manager for user interfaces. ‘We’ve cleaned this up.’
Don’t go thinking it’s all touchscreen, though; physical switches remain on the chunky, almost cyberpunk-like steering wheel and in the centre console. ‘We still have normal buttons in the car!’ assures Cohrssen. ‘Some features we didn’t go digital on, based on numerous customer studies we did.’ Even so, this version of iDrive does without the trad click-wheel of older versions.
After having some hands-on time with the car, we can confirm that the central screen is largely easier to navigate – particularly compared to 8.5 with its myriad menus. It will take some getting used to, but many settings have been cleared up and bundled into tidier menus than before. The screen itself responds very quickly, and is augmented by AI Large Language Models for its voice assistant services. That said, we’re not wholly convinced by the buttons on the chunky steering wheel; they (thankfully) aren’t haptic but feel a little fiddly.
Naturally, given the new iX3 is brimming with tech, BMW has worked on its suite of driver assistance aids. According to BMW’s execs, the new ‘Heart of Joy’ – a supercomputer responsible for natural vehicle dynamics – plays a significant part in making them as natural-feeling and inobtrusive as possible, relying on driver monitoring and more nuanced driver responses to inputs. ‘Because the system knows you’re alert and looking at the road, you can chance lanes without any blinker,’ says Christian Thalmeier, Neue Klasse dynamics expert – almost leaning into the stereotype of BMW drivers not using their indicators. ‘It means you don’t have to deactivate the system and helps the car feel symbiotic because you won’t feel hindered by them.’
Like the exterior design, BMW’s executives confirm that interior set-up and many elements of the new tech launching here will eventually end up on all its cars – everything from the 1-series hatch to the X7 beyond.
Tell me more about iX3 performance and specifications…
Neue Klasse EVs benefit from BMW’s sixth-generation electric motors that have been designed to reduce losses by around 40 per cent compared to the Gen5 motors. For the iX3 xDrive50 launch model, two are applied, generating a total of 464bhp and 475lb ft, good for a 0-62mph launch in 4.9sec and a top speed of 130mph.
Those e-motors are powered by a completely new battery and 800-volt architecture, designed with cylindrical cells that are extremely energy dense and much easier to cool than pouch cell configurations. BMW claims a 500-mile range from the 108kWh (usable) xDrive50 launch model, as well a 400kW charging peak via the most potent DC plugs. ‘That’s 40 per cent more energy than the previous iX3,’ says powertrain development expert, Manuel Kainz. ‘The weight is slightly higher, yes, but the size is comparable – we’re looking at the same [battery] volume.’
BMW is also keen to point out that its Neue Klasse EVs can still use older 400-volt chargers, too – something that’s dented the reputation of Mercedes’ new CLA which is now incompatible with those older charge points – and has future-proofed its cars with vehicle-to-load, -home and -grid capabilities. Provided, of course, you sign up to using a BMW wallbox capable of handling the technology.
Thalmeier says that he and his team want the iX3 to be light-footed. ‘But light-footed is a very high aim, because this is still an electric vehicle, so it’s heavier than a combustion car,’ he says. ‘But the car still has to be fun to drive.’ The iX3 features a 49/51 front/rear weight balance, and the car’s four ‘super brains’ – including that Heart of Joy – are designed to make the car feel as alert and agile as it can. We’ve already driven a prototype, and the signs are positive.
Is there anything else I should know?
BMW’s focused on upping the amount of recycled content in its future cars. For the new iX3, BMW says around a third of the car is made up of ‘secondary’ – i.e. recycled – raw materials. As well as synthetic materials used in its upholstery (like the base model’s Econeer fabric), details like the wheel hub carriers are 80 per cent recycled aluminium. The wheels you see pictured are also made from 70 per cent aluminium.
As well as 520 litres of boot space, a 58-litre bonnet storage area is included. And, provided you spec the electronically-deployable tow bar, you can tow up to two tonnes.
How much is the new iX3? When can I have one?
BMW says production of the new iX3 will start in November 2025, with the first deliveries arriving in the first few months of 2026. In the UK, the new BMW iX3 is priced from £58,755 for the xDrive50 launch model – around £7k cheaper than the outgoing model.
That base spec includes 20-inch wheels, the Panoramic iDrive setup, BMW’s Driving Assistant Plus, electric front seats, parking sensors and a rear-view camera, ‘Econeer’ seat upholstery, a powered tailgate and more. That price rises to £61,255 for the M Sport model and £62,755 for M Sport Pro.
After the xDrive50 launch model, BMW has confirmed a lower-powered version will launch. While info on that is unconfirmed, it’s likely to be a two-wheel drive version with a smaller battery – likely launching below £55k.