The BMW iX3 paves the way for a design and tech revolution at the German manufacturer.
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BMW’s new era has finally commenced with the recent unveiling of its first Neue Klasse model, the all-new iX3. Ushering in a whole new style and technological blueprint for the Bavarian brand, it will influence other models far sooner than you might have thought.
BMW is set to launch more than 40 new or facelifted models in the next two years in an almost desperate bid to prevent the rest of its line-up from appearing dated. However, the current internal combustion (ICE) models won’t move over to the new platform as such, but they will be extensively updated.
In a recent interview with Autocar, BMW’s Neue Klasse chief Mike Reichelt said that while most of the existing models will retain their current body structure, the updates will integrate the most relevant Neue Klasse aspects, such as frontal styling, the new Panoramic iDrive system, ADAS driver assistance features and other digital technologies.
BMW's new Panoramic Vision system projects information across the full width of the windscreen.
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"We have never done this before, but it is necessary when you look at the technology such as the computing power and the user interface. There have been so many big jumps,” Reichelt told the UK publication.
“The quantum leaps in technology in the Neue Klasse are so big that if we don’t integrate this technology in the current portfolio, it will feel like an old portfolio. With the Neue Klasse, we’ve made so much progress it’s like we skipped a model generation, so we have to do it across the range.”
As a result, the updates will be far more extensive than with traditional facelifts, he added.
The Neue Klasse platform has introduced an entirely new electric backbone, allowing signals to be sent and received at lightning speed.
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“It’s a big jump for the whole company, but it isn’t time for small steps; now is the time for big steps.”
The next all-new model to debut will be the battery-powered i3 sedan, which will share the full Neue Klasse architecture with the iX3 when it debuts in 2026. Other imminent new models, such as the facelifted 5 Series, will retain the current KLAR platform. The design language will be unified, with sedan models such as the i3 and 5 Series taking inspiration from the original Neue Klasse concept and Vision Driving Experience concept. Note how they lack the slim double kidney grille seen on the iX3.
BMW Vision Driving Experience concept.
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One of the technological highlights of the Neue Klasse family is the BMW Panoramic iDrive cockpit. The system can project content and information across the full width of the windscreen.
As for the electronics behind it, BMW has developed an entirely restructured “digital nervous system” for its new vehicles, effectively featuring four “super-brains”.
These high-performance computers cluster the computing power for infotainment, automated driving, driving dynamics and other basic functions, while reducing the number of electronic control units and providing over 20 times more in-car computing power.
“We are taking a huge leap forward with our new technology clusters – achieving maximum scalability, increasing the level of innovation and enhancing customer benefits," BMW Board Chairman Oliver Zipse said at the 2025 Annual Conference, earlier this year.
"We do not differentiate between segments or drivetrain technologies – we provide every customer with the latest technology.”