The new BMW iX3 has been revealed, and it’s the first of the Munich company’s much-vaunted “Neue Klasse” electric cars.
The Neue Klasse name – literally New Class – is lifted from the 1962 BMW 1500 saloon, a compact but sporty car that not only set the template for three decades of BMW models, but also saved the company from bankruptcy.
Now, the name has been repurposed to give BMW a serious leg-up against marauding Chinese electric car competition, and this new iX3 will arrive on sale next March in Ireland, packing some seriously impressive claimed figures.
First off, there’s the price – €73,925, which makes the iX3 surprisingly affordable (in relative terms) considering the technology it’s packing.
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That tech includes an ultra-fast 800-volt charging system, which allows DC fast-charging power of up to 400kW, meaning that the iX3 can recoup as much as 371km of range in just 10 minutes.
Currently, the only DC chargers on the island capable of delivering that kind of charging power are at the Fastned charging hub in Banbridge, Northern Ireland, just off the A1 dual carriageway, but IONITY is planning a Europe-wide roll-out of chargers more powerful than its current 350kW units.
In any case, you might not need to do much in the way of public charging, as the iX3’s quoted WLTP range is an impressive 805km. Even allowing for the normal rule of thumb of subtracting 100km or so to get the actual usable daily range, that’s still impressive endurance.
It has been achieved with new batteries that are meant to be 30 per cent more efficient overall, making up a 108kWh pack, and a new electronic management system that lies at the heart of the iX3 – and eventually all Neue Klasse models – which BMW calls its “superbrain” and which includes a driving control module called The Heart Of Joy.
The Heart Of Joy controls all of the iX3’s driving experience, and BMW’s claim is that it can blend cutting-edge software control of all of the car’s systems with the kind of crisp driver-centric feel for which the brand is justifiably famed.
The initial iX3 50xDrive model will have two electric motors with four-wheel drive and 459hp, meaning that the iX3 will be able to accelerate from 0-100km/h in just 4.9 seconds.
BMW has confirmed that other model derivatives will follow on, so it’s quite likely that there will be a more affordable single-motor model, which could breach the 900km range figure. The iX3 will be followed, in 2027, by an all-new electric 3 Series, called the i3, using the same high-tech, long-range platform.
Inside, there’s a complete change for BMW’s cabin layout. While the large rhombus-shaped touchscreen in the centre of the dash looks fairly conventional, it’s part of a new interior design that includes a massive, but shallow, coast-to-coast Panoramic Vision Display that spans the full width of the dashboard, just below the edge of the wind screen.
The idea is that this gives the driver a clear view of all major instrumentation while still keeping their focus on the road. There’s also a new design of a multi-function steering wheel, and sophisticated voice control that is meant to take the place of physical buttons.
As well as a battery, the iX3 also represents a styling revolution for BMW, as it eschews the enormous tall grilles of current models such as the iX and X7, and instead returns to a more horizontal look, closer to the classic style of the brand’s 1980s models, with two small “kidney” grilles inset into the centre.
This will be the new corporate look for BMW in the future, with SUVs such as this getting the extra small grilles – with their surround-lighting effect – and saloons getting a cleaner look that does without those grilles.
“The design of the Neue Klasse provides a very modern interpretation of what BMW has always stood for,” says Adrian van Hooydonk, BMW’s head of design. “With our new design language, the new BMW iX3 looks future-focused, modern and timeless – but, above all, more BMW than ever.”
BMW has also ramped up its use of recycled materials in the iX3, and that, combined with its battery efficiency, allows the company to claim a 30 per cent reduction in the car’s carbon footprint, compared with the outgoing iX3. It doubtless helps in that respect that the new iX3 will be built in Hungary, rather than China as with the existing model.
“The Neue Klasse is our biggest future-focused project and marks a huge leap forward in terms of technologies, driving experience and design,” said Oliver Zipse, BMW’s chairman.
“Practically everything about it is new, yet it is also more BMW than ever. Our whole product range will benefit from the innovations brought by the Neue Klasse – whichever drive system technology is employed. What started as a bold vision has now become reality: the BMW iX3 is the first Neue Klasse model to go into series production. We are not only bringing the next generation of one of our most successful fully electric vehicles on to the road; we are launching a new era for BMW.”
