BMW Vision Neue Klasse 2024 Review

Styling and dimensions

This is not the first BMW to be called the ‘Neue Klasse’. That honour belongs to a mid-sized sedan from 1962 that pioneered a whole new design and tech direction for BMW. 

And that’s also what this car – and the previous Neue Klasse saloon concept that we saw in 2023 – is doing, too. The BMW Vision Neue Klasse X is a concept to show what BMW SUVs of the future will look like, and what tech will lurk beneath those smoothly sculpted body panels.

Of course, ‘Neue Klasse’ is German for New Class, and while this is a concept it is very close to what you’ll get with the next generation BMW iX3. It’s a very similar size to the current iX3, and terms of design, there’s a lot of inspiration from the brilliant little BMW i3. There’s also the canted forward ‘shark nose’ front-end that harks back to historic BMW design, and a vertical kidney grille complete with the illuminated outline that we’ve seen on recent BMW models including the BMW i5 and i7. A rather lovely, minimalist BMW badge design also features. 

All of these aspects will make it to production but, thankfully, we’ll also get door handles and more conventional side mirrors. Even so, what you see here is close to what you’ll get with the next BMW iX3. 

There’s also a host of new tech underneath, not the least BMW’s new control unit, which sounds very techy and boring but it’s like an electronic super-brain that will deliver super-fast responses and streamline all of the car’s processing functions. Basically, it’ll make the Neue Klasse better to use and (because BMW is building the hardware and software for this new super-brain itself rather than using third party suppliers, as is common at the moment) it opens the door to lots of new powertrain and interface tech that BMW believes can make its cars feel more unique and interesting. 

It is called the ‘Heart of Joy’, though, which is all a bit cringey, and sounds like it might get thrown into the sea at the end of the movie, Titanic, anyway. 

Interior

There’s a big emphasis on sustainability in the Neue Klasse X, which will largely use materials from recycled plastics, or plant-based textiles such as hessian, in the cabin. 

BMW’s designers also told us that more vibrant colours, along the lines of the Terracotta finish in the concept car, will be on the options list when the new BMW iX3 arrives in 2025. 

It’s roomy, too, of course, helped by the all-new, electric car-specific platform. We’re hoping that the scatter cushions will make it to production versions, too. 

Up front, the new BMW Panoramic Vision infotainment incorporates a new touchscreen interface that you can personalise easily with your most-used functions on the home page. There’s even a head-up display that beams information onto the entire width of the windscreen so that it becomes a giant, interactive display that the passenger can also see.   

Battery and charging

The next BMW iX3 will be one of the first models to get new sixth-generation battery technology that the BMW boffins and have been working on for some time, now. These batteries still use lithium-ion NMC cell chemistry, but the cells will be cylindrical rather than prismatic as they are now, and are said to offer around 20% better energy density. Meaning that you’ll get more range from a lighter battery pack. Which is what we all want to hear. 

There’s also 800V charging, like that you get from Porsche, Kia and Hyundai, and is expected to support DC charging of 350kW. All of which means that BMW estimates you’ll be able to get 186 miles of additional range into the next-gen iX3’s battery in around ten minutes.  

While it’s not been confirmed, total range could be as much as 500 miles per charge. 

Verdict

We’ll see the new BMW iX3 go on sale in 2025, and it can’t come soon enough for us. The electric car world has needed a push towards efficiency rather than simply more battery for more range, for quite some time, and the Neue Klasse X looks set to do just that. 

And anything that brings back the character and boutique feel of the BMW i3 is a winner in our books, too.