The New Era of BMW
BMW Neue Klasse Buying Guide
A new generation of BMW begins with Neue Klasse. Discover the design, technology, electric performance and driver-focused innovations shaping the next era of BMW vehicles.
Neue Klasse is more than the name of a new vehicle platform. It represents a fundamental evolution in how BMW approaches design, electric mobility, software, driving dynamics and the relationship between driver and vehicle.
The first production model of this new generation is the BMW iX3, followed by the new BMW i3. From there, Neue Klasse technology will continue expanding across the BMW lineup.
A New Chapter
What Is BMW Neue Klasse?
BMW Neue Klasse is the foundation for a new generation of BMW vehicles. It brings together advances in electric powertrains, battery technology, vehicle software, digital interfaces, driving dynamics and exterior design.
The name itself comes from BMW's history. In the 1960s, the original Neue Klasse helped establish a new direction for BMW. Today's Neue Klasse carries that idea into a new era, combining the character of a BMW with technologies developed for the future of driving.
The result is a vehicle generation designed around a closer relationship between hardware, software and the driver.
Designed Around The Driver
BMW Neue Klasse Technology
Panoramic iDrive
BMW Panoramic iDrive creates a new digital environment for the driver. Information is positioned across the driver's field of view, working alongside the central display, steering-wheel controls and voice interaction. BMW Operating System X brings the interface together into one connected experience.
Heart of Joy
BMW Heart of Joy is a high-performance control unit that coordinates key driving functions. Working with BMW Dynamic Performance Control, it helps synchronize acceleration, braking, recuperation and other driving processes in milliseconds.
Sixth-Generation eDrive
Neue Klasse introduces BMW's sixth-generation eDrive technology, including an 800-volt electrical architecture and new battery technology. The system is designed around electric efficiency, charging performance and the driving characteristics expected from a BMW.
A New Interpretation of BMW Design
Neue Klasse introduces a fresh interpretation of familiar BMW design cues. The signature kidney grille, distinctive lighting and recognizable proportions remain part of the visual identity, while the surfaces become cleaner and the overall form more purposeful.
The result is a BMW that looks forward without losing the design language that made the brand recognizable in the first place.
Neue Klasse also creates a common visual foundation for different types of BMW vehicles. An electric SAV, a sport sedan and future members of the lineup can each have their own personality while sharing the same generation of design thinking.
The New BMW Design Language
Familiar. Refined. Forward-looking.
Neue Klasse respects the proportions and details that have defined BMW while introducing cleaner surfaces, new lighting signatures and a more digitally integrated approach to the vehicle.
Meet The First Models
BMW Neue Klasse Vehicles
Neue Klasse is a broader BMW generation rather than a single model. The first vehicles show how the new architecture can take different forms while maintaining a common approach to technology, design and driving.
First
BMW iX3
The BMW iX3 is the first series-production Neue Klasse vehicle. This all-electric SUV introduces the new design language alongside sixth-generation eDrive technology, BMW Panoramic iDrive and BMW Heart of Joy.
Second
BMW i3
The new BMW i3 brings Neue Klasse technology to a sport sedan. It is a fully electric BMW designed around the next generation of 3 Series heritage, with the new digital and electric technologies at its core.
Expanding
BMW X5
The next generation of BMW X5 models will bring the Neue Klasse era into one of BMW's most recognizable SUV families. The X5 demonstrates how the technology and design philosophy can extend across different vehicle types and powertrains.
Electric, Connected, Intelligent
The Electric Side of Neue Klasse
Electric mobility sits at the center of the first Neue Klasse models. BMW's sixth-generation eDrive technology uses an 800-volt architecture and new battery technology to support the performance and charging characteristics of the next generation of BMW EVs.
The architecture also supports bidirectional charging capabilities. With the appropriate equipment, a compatible Neue Klasse vehicle can be used as an energy source, opening possibilities for powering devices or supporting energy use at home.
But Neue Klasse is not simply about replacing a combustion engine with an electric motor. BMW is redesigning the entire vehicle experience around the capabilities of electric propulsion, advanced computing and connected software.
More Than Electric
Where Neue Klasse Goes Next
The first Neue Klasse vehicles establish the foundation for a much broader BMW transformation. The technology developed for these models is intended to move across the BMW lineup, bringing the new electronics architecture, software, design and driving technologies to additional vehicles.
That makes Neue Klasse important whether you're shopping for an electric BMW today or simply interested in where the brand is heading. The iX3 and i3 provide two very different expressions of the same new generation, while future BMW models will continue expanding the concept.
For drivers considering a new BMW in the coming model years, understanding Neue Klasse is a useful starting point for understanding what's changing—and what remains unmistakably BMW.
Frequently Asked Questions
BMW Neue Klasse FAQ
What is BMW Neue Klasse?
BMW Neue Klasse is a new generation of BMW vehicles and technology. It brings together new electric drive systems, battery technology, software, digital interfaces, driving dynamics and design. The BMW iX3 is the first series-production Neue Klasse vehicle, followed by the new BMW i3.
What is special about BMW Neue Klasse?
Neue Klasse introduces technologies including sixth-generation BMW eDrive, an 800-volt electrical architecture, BMW Panoramic iDrive, BMW Operating System X and BMW Heart of Joy. It also introduces a new interpretation of BMW exterior and interior design.
Is the BMW iX3 the first Neue Klasse vehicle?
Yes. BMW identifies the new BMW iX3 as the first series-production Neue Klasse model. It introduces the generation's new design, electric technology and driver-focused digital systems.
Is the new BMW i3 the same as the old BMW i3?
No. The new BMW i3 is a fully electric sport sedan and the second model of the Neue Klasse generation. It is very different from the compact electric BMW i3 that BMW introduced in 2013.
Is BMW Neue Klasse only for electric vehicles?
The first Neue Klasse models are fully electric, but the broader Neue Klasse technology strategy extends beyond a single electric vehicle. BMW is using the new generation as a foundation for technology and design across its wider lineup.
What BMW models are part of Neue Klasse?
The BMW iX3 is the first series-production Neue Klasse model, followed by the new BMW i3. BMW is continuing to expand Neue Klasse technology and design into additional models, including the next generation of BMW X5 vehicles.
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