BMW has just unveiled the concept model that previews its next generation of SUVs – the BMW Vision Neue Klasse X. This isn’t the first Neue Klasse (which means new class in German) concept model shown by the brand, as it presented the Neue Klasse concept sedan during International Motor Show Germany (IAA) 2023. If the Vision Neue Klasse concept sedan previewed the next-generation BMW 3 Series, the Vision Neue Klasse X is essential giving a glimpse of the brand’s next generation iX3.
Head of BMW i Design, Kai Langer, even said that if he were to show his mother the production version of the Neue Klasse SUV next to this concept model, she wouldn’t be able to tell them apart. This essentially means the actual car will look very much like the concept model we see here.
BMW says the Neue Klasse platform will allow its next-generation SUV to have a long wheelbase, and short overhangs, which result in classic BMW proportions. This also allows the car to have increased ground clearance.
The Vision Neue Klasse X’s exterior sports vertically aligned LED units, along with an oddly small BMW kidney grille, a total opposite of the large kidney grille trend the German carmaker has been embarking on in recent years. The grille has been reimagined as a three-dimensional sculpture with vertically aligned and backlit contours. Together, the headlights and kidney grille create a lighting effect that activates as the driver approaches the vehicle.
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BMW has designed the Vision Neue KLasse’s taillights to reach far into the centre, providing a horizontal interpretation of the familiar BMW L shape. Its 3D-printed elements are individually controlled with variable light intensity to convey a particularly expressive depth effect. The brand’s signature Hofmeister kink features a “reflective print” that forms a transparent or reflective surface, depending on the viewing angle.
Like the Neueu Klasse sedan, powering the BMW Neue Klasse X is the sixth generation eDrive technology. In addition to improved drive units, the next generation BMW SUV, or SAV, as BMW would prefer to call it, also features new and round lithium-ion battery cells. The battery cells come with a volumetric energy density (VED) more than 20% higher than that of the prismatic cells previously used.
In combination with the transition to an 800V system, this will help improve charging speed by up to 30%, which allows the car charged enough for a 300 km range in just 10 minutes. The sixth generation BMW eDrive also delivers up to 30% more range.
The German carmaker’s next-generation SUV will be equipped with a new type of drive and chassis control, based on a new software stack developed in-house by the BMW Group. This helps deliver a better and smoother driving experience.
Instead of the conventional system-specific ECUs found in many cars of today, the BMW Vision Neue Klasse X will feature four completely new “super-brains”. These are described by BMW AG member of the Board of Management, Frank Weber as “high-performance computers working smartly together on what, up until now, was processed separately.”
BMW says the super-brains not only help enable the “next quantum leap” in automated driving but also result in “more dynamic performance, more precision, more efficiency, and even more fun to drive”, according to Weber.
The BMW Vision Neue Klasse X’s design helps reduce drag by 20% to a comparable model in the brand’s current line-up, presumably the current generation BMW iX3/X3 it is meant to replace. New tyre designs and a special brake system designed for fully electric vehicles also help increase overall vehicle efficiency by up to 25%.
Inside, the BMW Vision Neue Klasse X sports a redesigned steering wheel with multifunction buttons, along with the BMW Panoramic Vision display. This advanced display projects key information across the full width of the windscreen, and is complemented in production models of the Neue Klasse by the enhanced BMW 3D head-up display (HUD).
Also included is a central display that is integrated into the instrument panel, providing both front passengers with access to all infotainment functions. The colours shown are not only transferred to the ambient light but also to the backlit textile surfaces of the instrument panel. New here is the Personal Sound Experience. This allows the driver to change the sound the car makes while it is driven.
Aside from the technological advancements, BMW is also using more recyclable material in the Vision Neue Klasse. To achieve this, the completely plant-based, mineral-based, and petroleum-free surface material “Verdana” was developed for the interior, and will be used in the lower portion of the the door panelling and in the centre console in the car.
This isn’t the first time BMW has given us a glimpse of its upcoming Neue Klasse SUV. Previously, a side profile of the Neue Klasse SUV was shown in a video shared by BMW during its Neue Klasse keynote speech. The SUV adopted a similar profile to the BMW iX with a short front overhang and a long rear overhang, and features flush door handles along with bulbous wheel arches.
The BMW Neue Klasse X SUV (presumably the next-gen iX3) will be going into series production in 2025 at BMW’s plant in Debrecen, Hungary. The factory has been developed as the brand’s iFactory.
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