BMW will launch over 40 new or facelifted vehicles worldwide by the end of 2027.
Facelifts will focus on digital upgrades, not just styling tweaks or trim changes.
Refreshed models will adopt Panoramic iDrive and powerful computing tech.
After years of waiting, BMW’s Neue Klasse era is finally right around the corner. The second-generation iX3 is the first model to arrive, and soon, it’ll be followed up by the new i3, the all-electric version of the 3-Series. Not only does the Neue Klasse bring a new design language, but it also adds advanced new technologies that’ll be introduced across the rest of the BMW family.
By the end of 2027, more than 40 new or updated BMW models will arrive, all sharing the same core computing systems as the iX3. Many will also adopt the brand’s new Panoramic iDrive setup. The company is calling the iX3’s suite of tech features a “quantum leap” in its evolution.
A Faster Digital Future
“Every technology, everything on the iX3 is all-new,” BMW Neue Klasse boss Mike Reichelt said in an interview with Autocar. “We will roll out this technology across the whole portfolio, and fast. 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 emphasized that these leaps are too significant to be confined to just one generation. “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,” he added.
One of the biggest changes will be to BMW’s upcoming facelifted models. Ordinarily, the tech updates in a refreshed model are relatively minor, with the focus instead being on refining the aesthetics. However, Reichelt confirmed that its next generation of updated models will be much more complex than a traditional facelift.
“Traditionally we’ve had one mid-life update in a product cycle of seven to nine years, mostly design but a bit digital [too],” he said. “Today, every year we’re updating the digital side, so it’s really important to get that into the car. We won’t change the body structure [of existing models], but we will integrate the most relevant aspects of Neue Klasse: the design language, Panoramic iDrive, ADAS, all the digital things.”
BMW will launch 40 models by 2027 with next-gen software and electronics.
Key to the brand’s new models is its Heart of Joy high-performance control unit.
Software volume is quadrupled versus current BMWs, enabling faster updates.
The second-generation BMW iX3 arrives not just as a sharper, more capable successor to the original, but also as the first model in the Neue Klasse lineup, the range that will shape the brand’s direction for the next decade. At the heart of this shift is software. Munich stresses that the digital backbone of these cars will be central to their evolution, with the iX3 designed to receive up to three major updates every year.
BMW positions the Neue Klasse as a major technological leap, thanks in part to what it refers to as the “Heart of Joy”, a high-performance control unit that all future models will use. It works alongside the company’s proprietary Dynamic Performance Control software and controls all driving-related processes within milliseconds, including control of the wheels and the steering.
According to Munich, this technology delivers more than just numbers on a spec sheet. Christoph Grote, BMW’s senior vice president of electronics and software, told Automobilwoche that the iX3 feels light, precise, and even playful on the road.
“I hardly know a BMW driver who has gotten out of the New Class iX3 after a few laps on the handling course without a broad smile on their face,” he said. “It’s difficult to put into words. You have to experience it. The car handles very easily, almost playfully, and with unprecedented precision.”
Always Evolving
But BMW also points to long-term potential. Every electronic system in the Neue Klasse is designed to be updated over the air, ensuring the iX3 will gain new capabilities long after it leaves the factory. The same will apply to all of its future Neue Klasse models.
“Most competitors can only update the infotainment system, but we can update the entire car – all control units, the drive system, charging, ADAS… This is an essential capability for the Software Defined Vehicle,” Grote said.
“Compared to our current production vehicles, the software volume in the New Class vehicles is roughly quadrupled. So it’s great that we already have so much experience with over-the-air updates, and that in the future, the update installation in a BMW will also be completed in approximately 20 minutes – across all drive types.”
BMW’s next-generation electronic systems are slated to reach 40 models by the end of 2027, all of them benefiting from frequent updates.
“On the functional side, we’re constantly evolving for our customers. We plan to release three updates per year, which will also bring tangible, new features to customers,” Grote said when speaking about the iX3. “This allows us to keep the vehicles looking fresh for a very long time without having to physically intervene on the car itself. Our customers will experience many exciting innovations in the New Class vehicles over the coming years.”
BMW plans to launch 40 models in 2 years with help from AI-driven tools.
AI cuts coding time drastically, completing tasks in minutes not days.
Development teams shrink to 1,000 people per car, boosting efficiency.
In recent years, Chinese carmakers have pushed boundaries not only with cutting-edge in-car tech and advanced powertrains but also with the blistering pace at which they bring new models to market. Yet according to BMW’s development director, Joachim Post, the German brand has now reached a point where it can move even faster than its rivals in China.
The brand’s Neue Klasse transformation is well underway. Not only is this new era bringing with it a radically different design philosophy, but newly launched EVs have a new platform, better motors, and more advanced batteries. As part of its overhaul, BMW is promising to release 40 new models and updates in the next two years.
Faster Than Fast
“Who can do that?,” Post asked while speaking with Handelsblatt. “Our colleagues in China can’t do that either. A single car can always be developed quite quickly. But that wasn’t the approach with the iX3 and the New Class. We have invested a lot of time and energy here to enable a major technology boost for the entire model range. Because we will only be successful if we integrate the technologies now developed into the entire model range.”
With that foundation laid, the pace is now accelerating. “We can now bring cars onto the market the way you bake pretzels, as they say in Bavaria,” Post said. “Nobody will imitate us so quickly what we plan to do in the next two years. And that’s why I say, what we’re doing now is more than China Speed.”
Earlier this month, Audi said it was going “China speed” with the next-generation TT, announcing that it will hit the market just 30 months after being signed off. Evidently, German manufacturers know they must cut development times if they want to keep up in a rapidly evolving market.
AI In The Workshop
According to Post, one of the reasons BMW will be able to launch more models faster than ever before is because of AI. He explained that the technology “helps us massively,” especially in coding and software development, where tasks that once filled an entire day can now be completed in minutes. Moving forward, development times could be slashed further.
It isn’t just about saving time. According to Post, far fewer people will be needed for each new car. “Only 1,000 people will work on a new car,” he predicted, compared with the significantly larger teams required in the past.
“We’ve needed significantly more manpower in the past,” he said. “Now we can leverage much greater efficiency potential. And AI is helping us massively in this regard, for example, with coding. We’re gaining incredible speed in software development, and with it, we’re gaining additional speed in the entire development process.
Knowledge That Stays
AI is also helping BMW retain valuable expertise. In the past, when an experienced engineer left the company, much of their know-how left with them. Now, Post explained, BMW can train AI systems to capture and preserve that knowledge, keeping it within the company and reducing the risk of competitors gaining an edge.
BMW quietly featured a mystery sedan on the iX3’s German product page.
Concept looks wider and sportier than the upcoming Neue Klasse i3 sedan.
No confirmation yet if this concept sedan will reach production status.
Is BMW preparing a completely new four-door sedan to expand its Neue Klasse family? The upcoming all-electric i3 sedan is already confirmed to join the lineup, following the second-generation iX3, but BMW’s own website now features something unexpected: a sporty Neue Klasse-inspired model that, unless we’re mistaken, has never appeared before.
This mystery car has been added to the German page for the new iX3 and serves to showcase some of the iX3’s driving assistance systems. The short clips, which are entirely animated, preview features like the radar cruise control, automatic sign recognition, and BMW’s new autonomous lane change function. It also shows how BMW’s Parking Assistant Professional system works, allowing vehicles to be pulled in and out of parking spaces using the BMW app.
The vehicle created to showcase these driving and parking assistance systems carries the Neue Klasse design language, yet it looks noticeably different from the new i3, seen both in repeated concept form and more recently, in camouflaged pre-production guise.
Up front it wears stylized kidney grilles paired with slim LED headlights, while along the sides the smooth surfacing is complemented by flush door handles. At the rear, narrow taillights complete the look, and overall the car appears wider and more substantial than the i3. Another noteworthy detail is the use of production-style exterior mirrors, a feature not typically seen on more far-fetched concept cars.
Digital Stand-In or Hidden Teaser?
These vehicles are typically referred to as computer-generated concepts, although it is a little weird that it went to the trouble of designing a new concept just for this purpose, rather than using the iX3 to showcase these autonomous functions. Then again, it might stem from an earlier development sketch of the upcoming i3, whether from the concepts that preceded it or as part of the design process for the production model.
Perhaps a New i4, or Maybe Nothing at All
Could a vehicle resembling this make it to production? There’s always a chance, especially if BMW is considering a successor to the i4 Gran Coupe, as the proportions and stance suggest it could serve as a sportier counterpart to the i3. On the other hand, the company may have no intention of adding another all-electric sedan to the Neue Klasse range, choosing instead to let this computer-generated design influence smaller styling elements across future models.
We’ve reached out to BMW and will update this story if we hear back. In the meantime, what’s your verdict on this concept? Would you want to see BMW put something like it into production?
Germany’s big automakers used the Munich Motor Show to push new design ideas.
BMW’s iX3 is the first production Neue Klasse car and Mercedes reinvented its grille.
Audi rebooted the TT, while Volkswagen’s ID. family showed a newfound confidence.
The presence of Chinese automakers added some international flavor to this week’s Munich Motor Show, but in reality the event was more about familiar German brands and their new, and in some cases unfamiliar, faces.
All of the big German automakers were on hand with fresh concept cars and production models that showcased new stylistic directions. It feels like we’re at one of those moments where car design is changing across the industry for premium European brands after a period during which the big players have struggled to reinvent themselves and work out how to differentiate EV and combustion cars, or whether to even differentiate them at all. But have the Germans really rediscovered their design mojo?
Photos Stefan Baldauf & Guido ten Brink
Let’s start with BMW and the iX3, arguably the biggest story from the show because it’s about so much more than a new SUV. The iX3 is the first of the Neue Klasse cars and brings a fresh design language that will shape the brand’s entire lineup for the next decade, as well as a crucial new EV platform.
There was some murmuring here at Carscoops that the iX3’s profile deviated too far from Munich’s conventions, but overall this has to be viewed as a massive hit. BMW designs have mostly either been butt ugly or blandly handsome over the last 20 years, but finally here’s a fresh, modern-looking car with real presence, and one that brilliantly manages to riff on the classic face of old-timers without looking like a lazy retro rip-off.
Photos Stefan Baldauf & Guido ten Brink
To our eyes, the iX3’s key rival, the electric Mercedes GLC, is far less successful. The body looks flabby and dull next to the BMW’s and while we’re all for the three-pointed star marque borrowing some classic inspiration to put new energy into its famous grille, the light-up nose on the GLC, which will find its way onto other future models as well, looks like an afterthought here.
Photos Stefan Baldauf & Guido ten Brink
Audi’s Concept C looked far more confident. Previewing an electric TT successor that will share tech with the upcoming Porsche 718 Boxster and Cayman EVs, it takes inspiration from both the TT and Auto Union’s 1930s Type C racers.
We’re reminded of the string of uber-strong Bauhaus-infused concept cars Audi delivered in the late 1990s and early 2000s, many of which made production, as well as Jaguar’s Type 00 concept, though we think Audi did a better job.
Photos Stefan Baldauf & Guido ten Brink
Volkswagen’s ID. Polo and Polo GTI, the near-production versions of the car we previously knew as the ID.2, looked less radical in comparison, but they still represent a shift in the automaker’s design that hearkens back to the solid shapes and surfaces that made some of the brand’s biggest sellers so enduring.
Think about how fresh the Mk4 Golf still looks almost 30 years after we first met it, or the Mk1 does more than 50 years after it debuted. That’s the kind of self-assured, non-faddy style the ID. Polo embraces, but at the same time the ID. Cross showed VW could also have some fun with the same design language.
Photos Stefan Baldauf & Guido ten Brink
And now it’s time for our question of the day: do you think the German automakers have got their design act together, or do some of them need to get back to the drawing board? And in the battle of the grilles, who did it best – BMW, Audi or Mercedes? Leave a comment below and let us know your opinions and the reasoning behind them.
The new 2026 iX3 is BMW’s first production EV to ride on the Neue Klasse platform.
It introduces a new styling language, and many new technologies inside the cabin.
The iX3 50 xDrive arrives in the US in mid-2026 with 463 hp and a 400-mile range.
Update: We’ve just added a fresh batch of live photos from the Munich Motor Show. Check them out below for a closer look at BMW’s Neue Klasse SUV strutting in the wild.
BMW has entered its Neue Klasse chapter with the world premiere of the second-generation iX3. More than just another electric SUV, this model sets the stage for the brand’s future with a new design language, a purpose-built EV platform, and four high-powered computers BMW calls its “superbrains.”
The first version to reach showrooms will be the iX3 50 xDrive in mid-2026. It delivers 463 hp (345 kW / 469 PS) from dual motors, offers an impressive EPA-estimated 400-mile range (644 km), and carries a starting price of about $60,000. Let’s take a closer look at what makes it stand out.
A New Era of BMW Design
Photos Carscoops / Stefan Baldauf & Guido ten Brink
Photos Carscoops / Stefan Baldauf & Guido ten Brink
The production iX3 remains faithful to the Vision Neue Klasse X concept from 2024, incorporating the brand’s new styling direction that will be eventually applied across its entire lineup, including ICE and EV models.
“The design of the Neue Klasse provides a very modern interpretation of what BMW has always stood for,” says Adrian van Hooydonk, Head of BMW Group Design. “With our new design language, the new BMW iX3 looks future-focused, modern, and timeless – but, above all, more BMW than ever.”
At the front, the vertical kidney grille and twin headlight setup of the new iX3 take cues from classic BMWs such as the 2002 Series, reinterpreted here with a modern, futuristic twist. They’re paired with sculpted intakes and glossy black bumper accents, which stand in for the plastic cladding typically seen on SUVs and crossovers.
Photos Carscoops / Stefan Baldauf & Guido ten Brink
Photos BMW
The profile is defined by rectangular contours and crisp character lines that underscore its athletic stance. Yet apart from the signature Hofmeister kink, it may be the least traditionally BMW aspect of the design.
At the rear, horizontally arranged taillights are divided by a recessed section that echoes the shape of the roof spoiler. Aerodynamic refinements have reduced the drag coefficient to 0.24, a notable improvement over the previous iX3’s 0.29.
For buyers looking for a sharper edge, the optional M Sport package brings a restyled body kit and alloy wheels in 20, 21, or 22 inches, paired with blue brake calipers. Those who choose the M Sport Professional package get an illuminated grille, black trim details, and red calipers.
The new iX3 measures 188.3 inches (4,783 mm) long, 74.6 inches (1,895 mm) wide, and 64.4 inches (1,636 mm) tall with a 114.1-inch (2.898 mm) wheelbase. This means it is 1.9 inches (49 mm) longer compared to its predecessor, with an extra 1.3 inches (34 mm) between the axles.
Futuristic Interior
Photos Carscoops / Stefan Baldauf & Guido ten Brink
The interior’s focal point is BMW’s new Panoramic iDrive, a sweeping pillar-to-pillar display integrated along the base of the windshield. It works in tandem with a 17.9-inch central screen and an optional 3D head-up display, all powered by the latest BMW Operating System X, which promises a cleaner and more intuitive interface. For longtime BMW drivers, it’s a dramatic departure from both the brand’s current layouts and the more driver-centric dashboards of the past.
While the climate controls are integrated into the touchscreen, BMW designers kept some physical controls for the essentials such as wipers, indicators, mirrors, volume, gear selection, and the parking brake.
The multifunction steering wheel now features the often-debated touch-sensitive buttons, while the voice-activated BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant are designed to cut down on distractions, though how well this works in practice remains to be seen.
Optional features include a 13-speaker Harman Kardon audio system, the panoramic moonroof, and a three-zone auto climate control. The EV also introduces new driving sounds and sound effects from the BMW HypersonX soundscape.
BMW highlights the roomy five-seat layout of the iX3, made possible by the smart packaging of its EV-dedicated platform. Cargo space is generous, with 30.4 cubic feet (861 liters) available behind the rear seats and up to 65 cubic feet (1,841 liters) when folded, based on US measurements that extend floor to ceiling. European figures, which measure only to the top of the rear seats, list capacity from 520 to 1,750 liters.
A small 2 cubic-foot (57-liter) frunk adds extra practicality, complemented by multiple storage compartments throughout the cabin.
Smarter Than Your Average EV
The Neue Klasse iX3 is equipped with four high-performance computers called “superbrains”, which are part of the vehicle’s “digital nervous system”. Each unit controls the driving dynamics, automated driving systems, infotainment, and basic functions. For example, the “Heart of Joy” superbrain is responsible for the drivetrain, brakes, energy recuperation, and steering, making sure that the driver always gets the best out of them.
Another unit is dedicated to the automated driving and parking functions. Speaking of which, the standard Active Driving Assistant Plus is a complete suite of ADAS, while the optional Highway Assistant allows hands-off driving for prolonged periods of time. Furthermore, the “BMW Symbiotic Drive” means that the driver inputs can merge seamlessly with the autonomous systems without disengaging them.
According to BMW, the iX3 is a software-defined vehicle, meaning it will keep improving throughout its lifecycle with over-the-air updates.
Platform And Performance
The new iX3 is the first production model to ride on the Neue Klasse platform that will eventually underpin all electric BMWs. This 800-volt architecture introduces the sixth-generation eDrive system, pairing newly developed electric motors with high-density cylindrical battery cells. It also integrates the “Heart of Joy” driving dynamics system along with advanced autonomous driving functions.
The launch version, the iX3 50 xDrive, uses dual electric motors with all-wheel drive, delivering a combined 463 hp (345 kW / 469 PS) and 476 lb-ft (645 Nm) of torque. That output propels the SUV from 0 to 60 mph (0–97 km/h) in 4.7 seconds, with a top speed capped at 130 mph (209 km/h). Drivers can choose between Sport, Efficient, Silent, and Personal modes to tailor the experience.
Range And Charging
The company hasn’t specified battery capacity, but the 400-mile (644 km) EPA figure, likely even higher under WLTC testing, speaks volumes. Thanks to 400 kW DC fast charging, the iX3 can gain 230 miles (370 km) of range in just 10 minutes, or recharge from 10 to 80 percent in 21 minutes. The model supports bi-directional charging and features a NACS port with CCS adapter. A sensor-based flap even opens and closes automatically.
The all-wheel-drive 50 xDrive will be just the beginning. A rear-drive, single-motor version is already in the pipeline, and it’s only a matter of time before BMW M puts its stamp on a high-performance iX3.
Pricing And Availability
BMW expects the iX3 50 xDrive to reach US dealerships in summer 2026 with a starting price of “around $60,000”. That figure undercuts the similarly sized X3 M50 xDrive, powered by a six-cylinder gasoline engine, by roughly $6,000. Pricing should also line up closely with Tesla’s upcoming Model Y Performance, which is projected to come in roughly $10,000 above the $48,990 Long Range AWD.
In the premium electric SUV segment, the iX3 will go up against the Audi Q6 e-tron, Porsche Macan EV, and upcoming entries like the Mercedes GLC EV and Volvo EX60.
Production for US models will begin in the first quarter of 2026 at BMW’s new plant in Debrecen, Hungary.
More To Come
The Neue Klasse strategy is far bigger than a single model. By 2027, BMW expects nearly 40 new or refreshed vehicles to adopt its technology, from sedans to SUVs. The next Neue Klasse debut will be a four-door sedan positioned as the electric counterpart to the 3-Series.
As BMW CEO Oliver Zipse put it, this platform represents a “huge leap” in design, technology, and driving experience. For the company, the iX3 is only the beginning.
A BMW iX3 prototype was involved in a serious head-on collision in Hungary.
Local reports allege the EV was speeding before colliding with the passenger bus.
Eight passengers, including a child, were hospitalized with injuries from the accident.
A BMW iX3 prototype has been involved in a serious crash with a bus in Hungary. Local reports suggest multiple people were injured and several passengers were thrown from the bus.
The bus’ operator, MÁV-csoport, said the vehicle was traveling to Gyöngyös when the iX3 “drifted into the lane” of the bus and “crashed into it head-on.” Seven passengers on the bus – including a child – were injured as was the bus driver.
Photos from the scene show the devastation as the bus’ front end was smashed, while several windows were broken. The front side section was also ripped off and mangled.
MÁV-csoport said the driver “did his best to avoid the collision,” but “didn’t have a chance against the oncoming car.” The company also noted the bus was “totally damaged and a considerable amount of fuel flowed onto the road.”
The incident reportedly occurred near Mátrafüred and Gyöngyös Ma claimed the electric crossover was driving too fast. That remains to be seen, but the prototype appears to have been totaled as the entire front end was obliterated.
In the few pictures taken before the crossover was covered, we can see the front wheel was ‘ripped’ off, while the bumper and front fender were apparently destroyed. The hood was also popped open, while the airbags deployed.
Személygépkocsi és autóbusz ütközött a 24-es főúton Mátrafüred közelében.
A balesetből 8 embert szállitottak kórházba,…
While a number of questions remain, the iX3 will become the first member of the Neue Klasse family and will debut at the Munich Motor Show next month. It will be built in Debrecen, Hungry which is roughly two hours away from the accident site.
Thanks to L.F. for the tip!
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Súlyos balesetet szenvedett ma délelőtt a Kékestetőről Gyöngyösre tartó…
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