THE ALL-NEW BMW IX3 - THE FIRST NEUE KLASSE MODEL TO HIT THE STREETS. FANCY STUFF.
The Neue Klasse is the start of a new chapter in the brand’s history. The very first production model of this future project is here, and it’s a familiar silhouette with a very unfamiliar heart: the BMW iX3. BMW calls this fully electric Sports Activity Vehicle the first taste of a whole new era of The Ultimate Driving Machine, and for good reason. It rolls out with fresh design language, sixth-gen eDrive tech, and enough software and computing power to make your laptop blush. At launch, the lineup kicks off with the iX3 50 xDrive, powered by dual motors for a combined 340 kW and 645 Nm of torque. That’s enough to sling this family-sized SAV from 0-100 km/h in less than 5.0 seconds, with a top speed of 209 km/h. BMW quotes an estimated range of up to 644 km, thanks to an all-new cylindrical-cell battery design and 800V tech that allows for 400 kW charging speeds. One clever twist? BMW is mixing motor tech. Out back sits an Electrically Excited Synchronous Motor (EESM), and up front an Asynchronous Motor (ASM). The blend reduces energy loss by 40% compared to the old Gen5 setup, drops weight by 10%, and cuts costs by 20%. In other words: more range, less compromise. The iX3 is the first BMW to ride on the Neue Klasse platform, a modular electric-first architecture that will underpin 40 new BMWs by 2027. It’s also the debut of a new software and electronics backbone that BMW calls its “superbrain” - four high-power computers running everything from driver assistance to real-time energy management.
BMW hasn’t gone down the “bland electric jellybean” road. Instead, the iX3 takes classic brand DNA and reimagines it for the future:
Front End: Upright stance with slim, vertical light signatures and new sculpted kidneys that nod to classics like the 2002. Optional illuminated grilles make a dramatic light show when you walk up.
Profile: Clean surfaces, flush handles, and a slightly sloping roofline for aerodynamics. Wheel arches are squared off for that traditional X-model muscle.
Rear: A wide, athletic stance with L-shaped light elements layered for depth, plus a diffuser and roof spoiler that mean business.
Inside, the vibe is clean and digital. The Panoramic iDrive display runs BMW’s new Operating System X, blending screens, light, and sound into a customizable environment. The HypersonX soundscape even pipes in bespoke EV noises so the car feels alive.
Materials lean toward sustainable luxury - Veganza upholstery in multiple colourways comes standard, with BMW Individual leather options for the traditionalists. Production of the iX3 kicks off at BMW’s brand-new plant in Debrecen, Hungary, a facility designed from the ground up for Neue Klasse EVs. First deliveries start in the U.S. summer of 2026, with more variants - including a single-motor rear-drive model - coming later. For those who like their electric SAV with some visual bite, BMW offers an M Sport package. Think chunkier aprons, two-tone skirts, aero-tuned wheels, and M-branded details inside. Step it up to M Sport Professional and you’ll unlock illuminated blacked-out kidneys, red brake calipers, and an even sharper stance.
Oliver Zipse, BMW’s CEO, calls it “more BMW than ever,” and for once, that isn’t just boardroom hype.
Take a look at the YouTube video that shows off the cool Neue Klasse design architecture that will be seen on the company's fleet of new EVs in the future - rather cool and way outta regular folks' budgets: The First of a New Era | Introducing the New BMW iX3. | BMW
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