THE LATEST BMW VISION HAS BEEN REVEALED - THE NEUE KLASSE X - AN ALL-ELECTRIC, FUTURISTIC SAV.
The latest motoring segment that’s on fire worldwide is that of the SAV, or Sports Activity Vehicle. It’s an evolution of the SUV, aimed more at those with an active lifestyle and so the end result is basically an SUV with more power than sense and a host of features that make life easier. The latest SAV release comes from BMW, and it’s not your run-of-the-mill creation, the new Neue Klasse X is an addition to the future-looking BMW Vision range of cars. While they’re not going to see mass series production any time soon, we’ll have to wait for 2025 for that, the cars show off what the automaker is capable of along with all the latest and greatest tech and drivetrains. “Together with the BMW Vision Neue Klasse, the BMW Vision Neue Klasse X showcases the breadth of our future BMW model line-up. The Neue Klasse reflects the variety of all the models that customers want today and in the future – from sporty sedan, with all its derivatives, to modern SAV family,” says Oliver Zipse, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG. “In this way, we are underlining that the Neue Klasse is much more than just a car or a specific concept; it is redefining the BMW brand – and, at the same time, will be more BMW than ever.” The BMW Vision Neue Klasse X brings the aesthetics, technology, sustainability, and philosophy of the original Neue Klasse released in September of 2023, to the Sports Activity Vehicles segment. The three main characteristics of the Neue Klasse – electric, digital and circular – are expanded here to include a fourth dimension, driving pleasure. This is taken to the next level with new drive and chassis control systems developed specifically for the Neue Klasse based on a new software stack developed in-house that will ensure the Neue Klasse range guarantees a smooth drive at all times. “Neue Klasse means BMW driving at an even higher level,” explains Frank Weber, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG responsible for Development. “The BMW of the future will have four totally new super-brains: high-performance computers working smartly together on what, up until now, was processed separately. We developed the first super-brain completely in-house. It integrates the entire powertrain and driving dynamics with up to ten times more computing power. The second super-brain will enable the next quantum leap in automated driving,” Weber continues. “Going forward, we will combine four key control units in a single high-performance computer. The result will be more dynamic performance, more precision, more efficiency and even more fun to drive.”
The design of the BMW Vision Neue Klasse X is what you see first, and it's amazing. The SAV features increased ground clearance and the fully-electric architecture offers up possibilities for a more spacious interior while having a long wheelbase, short overhangs and classic BMW SUV/SAV proportions. The illusion of space sees the Neue Klasse cars fitted with large windows and a panoramic glass roof. The SAV also features vertically aligned LED units, a new-style BMW kidney grille that loses those oversized dimensions, now being reimagined as a 3D sculpture with vertically aligned and backlit contours. For added gimmick value, the headlights and kidney grille create a lighting effect that is activated as the driver approaches the car. The horizontal rear lights feature 3D-printed elements which are individually controlled with variable light intensity to convey an effect of depth, but they look a little odd. They remind me of a Mk1 Golf I saw some years back that had Passat rear lights grafted in, but being longer than the OEM lights it looked sort of squint from the rear. BMW’s signature Hofmeister kink is achieved with a “reflective print” in the rear portion of the side windows, and it works as intended. For the exterior, the flush glass surfaces and the Coral Silver paintwork give the BMW Vision Neue Klasse X a certain lightness. The BMW Vision Neue Klasse X aerodynamics has an impressive drag coefficient reduced by 20 % to a comparable model in the current line-up. The new tyre design and a special brake system for fully electric vehicles help increase overall efficiency by up to 25 %. The Neue Klasse X uses the latest, 6th-generation eDrive technology with improved e-drive units, and new round lithium-ion battery cells, with a volumetric energy density more than 20 % higher than the prismatic cells previously used. Combined with the transition to an 800-volt system, this improves charging speed by up to 30 % which allows a charge enough for a 300-kilometre range in as little as 10 minutes while delivering up to 30 % more range, too. Actual power and torque figures are yet to be released, but we’re hoping that the output matches the looks, and that the performance does the same.
Take a look at the YouTube video showcasing the latest future-looking model released under the BMW Vision banner - the Neue Klasse X - an all-electric Sports Activity Vehicle. It's a 'vision' of the German brand's future, and it looks great, especially since losing the oversized BMW kidney grille. : The BMW Vision Neue Klasse X. | BMW
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