For four years, BMW has outlined the »Neue Klasse« as a series of vision vehicles: from the circular-oriented Vision Circular and Vision Dee to Vision Neue Klasse, Vision Neue Klasse X and most recently the Vision Driving Experience. Chapter by chapter, an increasingly clear picture emerged of how the brand will position itself in the future—technologically, aesthetically, and with a view to circularity. In our conversations with BMW Group Chief Designer Adrian van Hooydonk over the past years and months, it also became clear what these outlooks aim for: extremely large technological leaps that require equally visible steps in design. Now the time has come: With the world premiere of the new BMW iX3 on September 5, 2025, in Munich, a new era begins for BMW. Chapter was on site.
Like its vision vehicle counterpart Vision Neue Klasse X, the new BMW iX3 marks a deliberate calming in terms of design. The precise lines, relatively large glass surfaces, and a significantly reduced surface design provide modern elegance on the one hand, and a certain lightness on the other – despite stately SAV proportions with a vehicle length of around 4.8 meters and a width of approximately 1.9 meters.
Thanks to flowing transitions to the front and rear, the design appears almost seamless from the side. Thus, the new BMW iX3 takes up the outlook of the studies: monolithic, clear, present. The SAV type remains recognizable, but appears more dynamic in its appearance—also due to the slightly sloping roofline. The door handles are elegantly integrated flush and extend automatically when the BMW Digital Key approaches.
The emphatically upright front lends a powerful presence. Large air intakes emphasize sportiness, chrome recedes into the background, a completely new horizontal light signature shapes the brand identity at the front of the vehicle. The newly designed BMW emblem is embedded above the BMW kidney grille in the so-called »Valley«—a line that extends along the hood from the windshield to the vertically aligned BMW kidney grille.
At the rear, too, the new BMW iX3 continues the clear design language focused on the essentials: In the upper area, generous surfaces framed by a few lines dominate; the lower rear apron is more expressively designed and accented by a black band and a diffuser element. From the rear view, the pronounced shoulder section and the significantly retracted greenhouse, which benefits aerodynamics, are particularly striking. Visually highlighted wheel arches, large, horizontally aligned taillights, and the new light signature emphasize the vehicle’s width and presence from this perspective as well.
This design philosophy continues in the interior. The new BMW iX3 dispenses with visual clutter and focuses on reduction, visual clarity, and driver orientation. Horizontal layers frame the cockpit, material changes are carefully dosed, and the partially textile surfaces create a high-quality haptic experience. The typical BMW driver orientation and high comfort are central. The generous glazing and an optional panoramic glass roof also bring a lot of light into the interior.
That the Neue Klasse is conceived as a »software-defined car« and that technology is at the forefront of the new model generation – despite all design innovations – becomes visible, among other things, in the new operating concept. The BMW Panoramic iDrive sees itself as a well-thought-out information architecture: Here, four central elements merge into a new display and operating system. The new BMW Panoramic Vision projects information across the entire width of the windshield. Optionally, the BMW 3D Head-Up Display provides integrated displays for navigation and automated driving, which are projected onto the road with spatial depth. Positioned ergonomically next to the multifunction steering wheel is the Central Display, designed in a free-cut style with matrix backlight technology.
BMW thus creates several levels for different functions and situations. How intuitively operable these are and how coherently they actually complement each other will be shown in practical tests. However, BMW promises an operating logic that takes the brand’s maxim seriously: »Eyes on the road, hands on the wheel«.
Finally, material and manufacturing are also important elements of the new iX3. For the Neue Klasse, the circular economy idea is a central theme. Secondary materials, reduced resource consumption, and durable components make the objective clear: design and responsibility are treated as interconnected.
Finally, it’s worth taking a look at the technology and the driving experience promised by BMW. The new iX3 is based on the sixth generation of BMW eDrive Technology. The new drive and driving dynamics control Heart of Joy will henceforth bundle the systems and is intended to elevate the driving experience to a new level. In addition, a new generation of applications for automated driving is intended to optimize the interaction between driver and vehicle.
As the premiere model of the Neue Klasse, the BMW iX3 certainly keeps the promised leap in technology and design. Aesthetically, this leap may be less revolutionary or radical than expected, but the design is clear, modern, and calmly reduced. Particularly noteworthy: By 2027, the design language and technologies of the Neue Klasse are to be incorporated into a total of 40 (!) new models and model updates—a project that can ultimately be described as truly »revolutionary« in the automotive industry. [CS]
