Our spy photographers caught one of the pre-production prototypes of the upcoming BMW iX3 Neue Klasse SUV, shortly after it rolled off the production line in Hungary. The fully electric model goes through the latest stages of development testing ahead of its market launch in 2025.

The BMW iX3 Neue Klasse made its spy debut in November 2023, but early prototypes were fitted with provisional lighting units. The new prototype is fitted with the production headlights and taillights, revealing a modern LED lighting signature. This was the last missing piece of the puzzle, as the bodywork of the SUV has already been uncovered in recent patent drawings.

More: 2026 BMW iX3 Neue Klasse Renders Patents Into Reality

The new prototype was also photographed with the hood open. Unlike other EVs, the BMW iX3 doesn’t appear to have a frunk, with the space being occupied by mechanical components. We can also see the iX3’s pop-out door handles, which are less futuristic than the fin-shaped solution of the Vision Neue Klasse X concept. Judging from earlier spy shots, these will likely find their way into the larger iX5.

The wheels of the prototype suggest that this is one of the lesser versions of the BMW iX3. Our spy photographers suggest that the wheel diameter of the production model will be between 18 inches and 22 inches depending on the trim. The larger size will likely be reserved for the performance-focused offering by BMW M.

The new BMW iX3 will be the first production model to adopt the Neue Klasse styling language before it gets applied to the automaker’s entire range of combustion and electric models. The iX3 will be followed by the i3 sedan, the similarly-sized 3-Series, and the new generation of the X5/iX5, which are set to debut in the coming years.

The Neue Klasse underpinnings are compatible with single and dual electric motors, rumored to produce anywhere between 300 and 600 hp. Furthermore, a new generation of batteries is expected to bring a 30% improvement in charging speed and range, taking the latter to a maximum of over 800 km (500 miles).

BMW recently stated that series production of its first Neue Klasse SUV will begin in late 2025.

SH Proshots

BMW has taken another major step toward its electric future with the production of the first “near-series” prototypes of its upcoming Neue Klasse SUV in Debrecen, Hungary. This move marks a key step toward the series production launch, which is scheduled for late 2025. The Debrecen plant, specifically built for the Neue Klasse lineup, is set to become the cornerstone of BMW’s EV strategy.

What BMW calls the “fully electric X model for the Neue Klasse” is, in fact, the next iteration of the iX3. Previewed by the Vision Neue Klasse X concept in March 2024, the SUV’s design has already been teased through spy shots and leaked patent drawings. While the official reveal is still months away, the glimpses we’ve had so far leave little room for speculation.

More: 2026 BMW iX3 Neue Klasse Revealed In Patent Leaks

The company has released a single image of the near-series iX3 prototype, captured within the BMW Group Plant in Debrecen. Draped in camouflage, the prototype showcases the production-ready bodywork and lighting units. It is more advanced that early development prototypes, whose production has been ramping up.

The 2026 BMW iX3 remains largely faithful to its concept origins but introduces some real-world concessions. It swaps the more futuristic features of the Vision Neue Klasse concept for more practical elements, including conventional LED headlights, standard side mirrors, slightly smaller wheels, and some design tweaks to the body.

According to the Bavarian automaker, the logistics and production processes at the plant are currently being “tested and constantly optimized under real conditions” as the vehicles inch closer to their final production form. The company added that every stage of the process is undergoing “close scrutiny,” while the “cutting-edge production systems and tools” are being validated. Additionally, new staff members will undergo intensive training in the coming months, as BMW prepares for launch.

What’s Next for Neue Klasse?

Production of the iX3 SUV is set to commence in Debrecen, Hungary, in late 2025, with its closely related i3 sedan following in Munich, Germany, in 2026. By 2027, Neue Klasse EV production will also expand to BMW’s San Luis Potosí plant in Mexico, ighlighting the automaker’s international approach to its next-generation EV lineup.

BMW aims for its fully electric lineup to account for more than half of its total sales by 2030. By 2027, no fewer than six Neue Klasse models—including the iX3 and i3—are set to launch, driving the automaker’s EV momentum. At the same time, BMW will continue introducing new generations of internal combustion engine (ICE) models, to maintain a diverse offering for its customers.

BMW’s huge factory complex in San Luis Potosí, Mexico, will start to build the brand’s next-generation Neue Klasse vehicles in 2027, and the first model that’ll roll off the production line will be the second-generation iX3.

The world was provided a glimpse of the new-age iX3 earlier this year with the launch of the Vision Neue Klasse X. While the name of the new road-going variant is yet to be confirmed, we do expect it to look very similar to the concept, and as such, radically different than the current iX3. Whether or not that’s a good thing will be up to the market to decide, but there’s no denying BMW is adopting a brave new design language in the Neue Klasse era.

Read: 2026 BMW iX3 Electric SUV Promises 500 Mile-Range With New Battery Tech

This new model isn’t far off. BMW has already confirmed it will be built at the i Factory in Debrecen, Hungary, starting next year, before sales and deliveries of the new all-electric SUV begin. It will be a true global model and BMW likely expects it to sell well, hence why it’ll also be built in Mexico. During a recent press event attended by BMW Blog, the president and chief executive of the brand’s San Luis Potosí facility confirmed the site would start assembly of the iX3 two years after the Hungary site, meaning sometime in 2027.

BMW confirmed in early 2023 that it was investing €800 million ($870 million) into Mexico its Neue Klasse EVs. Some €500 million ($543 million) of this investment is being directed to the construction of a new assembly center for high-voltage batteries, while the existing assembly site and body shop will be expanded. These investments will create 1,000 new jobs.

The new iX3 will be sold in the United States, and logic dictates that it will be the Mexican-made vehicle that’s sold locally, as opposed to the one manufactured in Hungary. However, if Donald Trump wins the upcoming federal election, BMW may have to change its plans. The Republican presidential candidate has threatened to hit vehicles imported from Mexico with 200% or even 500% tariffs, aiming to prevent a single Mexican-built car from being sold in the US.

“I don’t want their cars,” Trump told Fox News in an interview. “They will not be able to sell cars. I’m not going to let them build a factory right across the border and sell millions of cars into the United States and destroy Detroit further.”

Fortunately, BMW could make things work. It currently has a huge production facility in Spartanburg, South Carolina, and has confirmed that it will produce six EVs models by the end of the decade at this site. There’s no word on which models these will be and if they will be Neue Klasse-based models or instead built around the existing CLAR architecture.