BMW Neue Klasse X mid-size SUV concept revealed

BMW has pulled the sheets from its second concept in the pivotal Neue Klasse family of models, revealing an advanced battery-electric mid-size SUV that is “very close” to a production version and due to arrive in 2025.

The Vision Neue Klasse X previews a BMW iX3 successor that, like the mid-size sedan concept underpinned by the same new vehicle architecture (shown in September 2023), is a dramatic departure from existing BMW construction, technology and drivetrains.

However, while the 3 Series-type concept will also evolve into a vehicle you can buy, the production version of the Neue Klasse X will beat it into showrooms.

With production lines poised to start manufacturing next year, the Neue Klasse X is close to launch and BMW has confirmed prototypes are already in final winter testing in Sweden.

The German manufacturer is remaining tight-lipped about what the production version will be named and, at this stage, there’s no clear favourite for the christening.

While a new-generation iX3 is possible, our money would be on BMW forging a new moniker for the model to mark its significance.

BMW says this car is not quite the final production model, but there are many elements that will make it through from the late-stage concept and the Vision Neue Klasse X offers the best glimpse yet into what the new family will look like.

Speaking at an early preview of the concept in Portugal in February, former BMW development executive and head of mid-size and luxury product line Marcus Flasch said the resulting vehicle will be “more BMW than ever before”.

“The ultimate driving machine meets the ultimate digital experience,” he said.

As to what drives the concept has not been completely detailed, but BMW is repeating the information it first went public with at the IAA in September 2023.

With the arrival of the Neue Klasse, BMW will introduce “four new super-brains” – high-powered processors that consolidate the functions of many control units into just a handful, with at least one looking after chassis and drivetrain.

The Neue Klasse X will get two of these so-called super-brains, while it’s anticipated the full might of all four combined brains is being reserved for something wearing an M badge at a point down the line.

With up to 10 times the processing power of previous units, BMW board member responsible for development Frank Weber said the significant advancement in technology will enable a family of vehicles that take a “quantum leap in automated driving”.

“Going forward, we will combine four key control units in a single high-performance computer. The result will be more dynamic performance, more precision, more efficiency and even more fun to drive,” he said.

It’s also known that part of the ECU renaissance will introduce the ability to control four separate electric motors. The X in the Neue Klasse X’s name indicates it will offer four-wheel drive, but just how many motors this will be achieved using remains to be seen.

A lithium-ion battery provides the power for BMW’s sixth-generation eDrive and, thanks to new cylindrical cell construction, offers 20 per cent improved energy density compared with previous prismatic cells.

The introduction of 800-volt systems will bring all the associated advantages for the BMW range including faster charging. Enough power for 300km can be recharged in 30 minutes with 30 per cent increase in overall range, according to the car-maker.

BMW has not specified an exact maximum claim but 30 per cent more than the current i5, for example, would be between 532km and 756km.

It’s not officially confirmed, but the production car will most likely introduce a milestone for BMW’s iDrive and the Operating System 10, with information and technology headlining the Neue Klasse X.

Forming the centrepiece will be the Panoramic Vision display that offers all occupants a head-up display reflected by the entire lower edge of the windscreen. It presents information and entertainment system options in a full-colour, full-width, high-definition display.

Unsurprisingly, the driver has a fully digital instrument cluster with a 3D head-up display, while the central display is a Matrix LED screen. BMW says that 400 screens were created in prototyping to arrive at the right display and the final production solution.

The system is highly customisable with simple drag-and-drop functions to rearrange which information is displayed and where, with the Panoramic Vision element divided into three paired sections. The final version could also incorporate the images from digital side-view cameras, says BMW.

The traditional iDrive central scroll wheel and buttons are gone from the centre console and instead moved to the right-hand spoke of the Hypersonx steering wheel and now feature solid-state construction but with haptic feedback.

While very few hard buttons exist in the concept, BMW confirms more physical hardware will be included for the production version, which might include the reinstating of an iDrive dial.

Android provides the basis for the operating system although both Apple and Android devices will be supported for smartphone and device integration. Amazon was partnered to provide the new speech integration technology as part of the latest BMW Personal Assistant features.

Images and media can be sent directly to the vehicle’s operating system directly from a device and owners can also connect a social media feed, essentially turning the Neue Klasse X into an extension of a smartphone.

A semi-translucent material covers the dashboard and allows LED backlighting to glow though, changing colour to match the digital chosen display theme.

As to what that theme looks like is, to a degree, up to the owner, with options to design your own aesthetic and the same goes for what the vehicle even sounds like, with BMW’s first customisable Iconic Sounds. Renowned Hollywood composer Hans Zimmer provided the blank canvas, but the customer can tweak and edit the variety of noises into a unique tone of their own.

Speaking of sound, a large central speaker integrated into the centre console forms part of a high-end stereo system but can be removed, providing a Bluetooth-connected sound pod to bring the Neue Klasse X’s entertainment options outside.

On the outside, the illuminated kidney grille will feature in the production model and will be worn exclusively by Neue Klasse SUV models. It welcomes the driver with an animated light signature on approach as well as providing an unmistakable visual identity after dark.

For those aficionados noticing the absence of BMW’s classic ‘Hofmeister kink’, which is normally featured by chrome trim surrounding the rear window, this time it’s achieved with a special film in the rear glazing and can only be seen at certain angles.

It’s known that some features definitely won’t be carried over to production including the low-drag fin-like door handles and the BMW emblem, which has been machined into the anodised aluminium bonnet.

A polished aluminium rear-view mirror may appear to be a strangely out-of-place retro feature but is actually in keeping with BMW’s quest to minimise the number of components utilised. By employing high-gloss polishing techniques, the entire mirror including the reflective surface can be made from the same material and just two pieces.

Other interior highlights include materials made completely from plants in a petroleum-free process, while some injection-moulded parts have been created using plastic recovered from ocean waste. Others use up to 30 per cent plastic from discarded fishing nets.

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