The new BMW iX3, the all-electric iteration of the company's mid-size Sports Activity Vehicle (SAV) and based on the BMW Neue Klasse platform will have its world premiere at the IAA Mobility 2025 in Munich in September.
Neue Klasse relates to a new type of full electric cars from the German premium brand featuring new and highly advanced electric drivetrains, and new aesthetic designs that are separate from regular BMW X3 models.
Development of the first Neue Klasse series continues with prototypes undergoing extensive testing in Miramas, southern France and it is expected to start rolling off the production line at the new BMW Group plant in Debrecen, Hungary, at the end of the year.
A longer range and faster charging times are promised, as is an all-new BMW Operating System X. The new development offers extensive customisation and intelligent support for the driver and software updates.
The BMW Panoramic iDrive is another new feature that projects all relevant driving information in the driver’s ideal line of sight onto a black printed, pillar-to-pillar surface in the windscreen. The optional 3D head-up display beams navigation and automated driving protocols into the driver’s direct field of vision above the new panoramic vision display.
It will not be the trending minimalist approach in the cabin. Illuminated buttons on the multifunctional steering wheel with haptic feedback will provide tactile engagement for safer operation.
The centrepiece is the high-voltage battery — a cylindrical battery cell with a 20% greater energy density than the prismatic cells previously used in the old iX3. The cells are integrated directly into the 800V high-voltage battery, which plays an important role in the body structure of Neue Klasse models.
They also charge faster, and able to add more than 350km to the vehicle’s range in just 10 minutes on rapid chargers. They continue to support 260-400kW DC fast chargers, though. The driving range is said to be up to 800km on a full charge for the new BMW iX3 50 xDrive model.
Artificial Intelligence features prominently, too, and makes the charging process easier through an intelligent charging flap which detects when the driver is intending to stop to charge the car and opens (and then closes) automatically.
The new BMW iX3 will also introduce bidirectional charging functions, turning the vehicle into a mobile powerbank to supply energy for one or several consumers, such as a home energy storage, reducing living costs.
The new Heart of Joy and BMW Dynamic Performance Control software stack is pivotal to power train, brakes, recuperation and sub-functions of the steering system. It processes information 10 times faster than previous systems, and therefore responds more directly than ever to the driver’s command.
Next generation BMW Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) with a new system based on AI are integrated. They respond faster, with functions including automated driving and parking, lane change warning, road priority warning, safe exit, and assisted view now improved.
The motorway assistant with automatic lane change will be available with extended features in the BMW iX3. Upon request, it can assist drivers from when they join a motorway to when they leave it and allow drivers to take their hands off the steering wheel for long periods. It also brakes automatically at red traffic lights and moves off again or sounds an audible signal when the lights turn green.
BMW SA says we can expect the new iX3 sometime towards the end of 2026.
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