It’s been almost 18 months since BMW first shared the Vision Neue Klasse X concept. For some, revealing what was essentially a production-ready design so far in advance was a bold statement of intent. For others, it was an admission by Munich it had alienated too many, and was now seeking to make amends.

Given the styling of the iX3 is being hailed as a return to core BMW values, it’s fitting that the manufacturer has revived the Neue Klasse tagline. But there’s more than just marketing at play here. This new generation of clean-sheet EVs is being positioned as a definitive turning point for BMW – just as the original Neue Klasse came to define the company and the cars it built.

No pressure, then.

So what’s changed from concept reveal to production unveil? True to BMW form, very little. The headlights have been subtly revised, the front bumper is now less aggressive, and the concept’s haptic door handles have been replaced with flush-fitting ones. It looks smart – and, crucially, is instantly recognisable as a BMW. For the anoraks out there, the iX3 will take the model code NA5.

The real news, however, lies beneath the new styling direction. The Neue Klasse platform is set to underpin 40 new models and updates over the next two years. Packing BMW’s sixth-generation eDrive system, it introduces 800-volt hardware, more efficient motors, and a 108.7kWh capacity battery offering up to 500 miles of range on the WLTP cycle. 

The debut iX3 50 xDrive features two electric motors developing a combined 463bhp and 475lb-ft (645Nm) of torque – enough to propel the 2,285kg SUV to 62mph in 4.9 seconds and on to a 130mph top speed. In terms of charging performance, if you can access a 400kW charger, 231 miles of range can be added in the benchmark 10 minutes. 

Efficiency is a big deal with the new platform. The iX3 is 10 per cent lighter than its predecessor, and the sixth-generation eDrive system is said to cut energy losses by 40 per cent, alongside lowering manufacturing costs by 20 per cent. BMW has passed some of that saving on to customers, with the £58,755 iX3 50 xDrive undercutting its predecessor by £6,405, while delivering 181bhp more and stretching its WLTP range by up to 215 miles. 

To put the advantages of the Neue Klasse platform in a wider market context, the Audi Q6 e-tron Sport Quattro with a 100kWh battery costs £69,515, and only musters 382bhp and 382 miles of range.

For us, the most interesting development lies in the iX3’s “superbrain” vehicle architecture. The key component is the so-called Heart of Joy – a high-performance control unit that governs all aspects of driving dynamics, including steering, braking, throttle response and energy recuperation. Previously, these systems operated independently via separate modules. Now fully integrated, BMW claims the architecture processes data 20 times faster than before and reduces electric cabling by over 600 metres.

To validate the system, a prototype producing 13,269lb-ft of torque was built as a one-off stress-test mule to push the ECU to its limits. In the iX3, the result is a setup that enables regenerative braking to handle 98 per cent of deceleration, improving overall efficiency by up to 25 per cent and delivering a more consistent, intuitive pedal feel.

Despite the advanced software, the underlying hardware remains conventional: there’s no rear-wheel steering, and damping is passive (for now), with a familiar BMW double-joint strut front axle paired with a five-link rear.

The interior is a bigger departure from the norm and, like the exterior, it closely follows the Vision Neue Klasse X concept – corduroy-inspired fabric aside. Two features dominate: the new panoramic HUD display visible to all occupants, which takes the role of the instrument housing, and a new parallelogram-shaped infotainment display angled toward the driver (which will be flipped for RHD cars), in a nod to BMW interiors of old. 

The new design also improves packaging, with the iX3 offering 520 litres of boot space plus an extra 58 litres of storage under the bonnet. Elsewhere, the interior majors on sustainability, with recycled fabrics taking centre stage, as seen in the new Mini range. The Econeer upholstery is made entirely from recycled PET textiles, while other surfaces use sustainable or recycled materials as part of BMW’s leather-free approach.

In total, more than one third of the car is manufactured from secondary raw materials – from marine plastics in the under-bonnet storage cover to secondary aluminium in the chassis and recycled yarn in the headlining and floor mats.

Back in the 1960s, BMW was in dire straits, and the original Neue Klasse saloon transformed the company’s fortunes and laid the blueprint for every model that followed. Today, BMW stands on secure financial ground, with the motivation for the new Neue Klasse coming from increased competition from emerging Chinese manufacturers and established EV players such as Tesla and Lucid. BMW hasn’t been shy in calling the new platform the biggest investment in its 109-year history, with much of the new technology – Heart of Joy included – developed in-house.

Group chairman, Oliver Zipse, gave quite the statement at the iX3’s launch: “I’ve been with the BMW crew for more than 34 years now. And during this time, I’ve witnessed many world premieres, exciting new leaps and bold technological innovations. But for me, and everyone at the BMW Group, today’s premiere is truly a once in a lifetime moment. When else do you get to reimagine a brand like BMW from the ground up?”

Zipse went on to say the iX3 is “just the beginning” before teasing a camouflaged Neue Klasse i3 saloon, due out next year. 

In the meantime, production of the iX3 will start in November at BMW’s new Debrecen factory in Hungary. UK deliveries are scheduled for March 2026, and three trim levels will be available from launch: basic line, M Sport and M Sport Pro. The order books for the Neue model are open now.