iX3, the car of the future according to BMW

The BMWs of the future are here. The Munich brand has unveiled the brand-new iX3, the electric SUV that debuts the new Neue Klasse concept, the Bavarian brand's new aesthetic language. In other words, from now on, all BMW models will have a front end design very similar to that of this electric SUV. The brand maintains the stylized, somewhat aggressive headlights, emphasizing the double central kidney grille characteristic of all the brand's models and opting for an overall design that is modern and contemporary, yet rationalist, stylized, and rational, eschewing the baroque style of other generations of the brand.

The rear of the new iX3, on the other hand, is striking with its oversized headlights on an angular body dominated by straight lines and geometric shapes. The new iX3's body measures 4.78 meters in length and stands out for its interior space, including a 520-liter rear trunk and a 58-liter front storage space.

As for the interior, the new iX3 stands out for its more technological configuration, with a central horizontal strip that serves as the dashboard called BMW Panoramic Vision, which can be equipped with a 3D Head-up Display system that incorporates more information on the windshield. Adding to this functionality is a large central touchscreen that coexists with the persistence of conventional controls using buttons or levers to activate the windshield wipers, turn signals, the handbrake, to regulate the temperature and fan speed, or to increase the volume, for example.

A completely new platform

The Neue Klasse platform that debuts on the new iX3 is particularly innovative in terms of its technical and technological capabilities. This platform features four high-capacity processors to control information and infotainment, the power of the electric motors, and autonomous driving assistants, and opens the door to the use of AI and future technological developments in the automotive world. Without going any further, the new iX3 debuts a new cruise control system that is not deactivated when braking lightly to adapt the car's speed, or new functions such as automatic stop and start at red lights, for example.

This new platform is 20 times more powerful in terms of information management than its predecessors, but also 30% lighter thanks to the rationalization of the use of cables and devices, debuting new batteries of up to 800 V compatible with a charging system of up to 400 kW with 108.7 kW / 81% of its capacity in just 21 minutes, or approved a range of 805 kilometers. The new Neue Klasse platform that this iX3 debuts will be the spearhead of the Bavarian brand's new electric offensive, since it will serve as the basis for a total of 20 new models that BMW plans to present between 2026 and 2028.

The first iX3 to reach the market will be the so-called iX3 50 xDrive, a model that BMW will manufacture in Hungary for the entire world and that will arrive throughout the spring of 2026 with a layout of two electric motors (one on each axle) that allow a total combined power of 469 hp and a range of up to 805 kilometers 100 kilometers. Its power and all-wheel drive system allow the model to accelerate from 0 to 100 in just 4.9 seconds and reach an electronically limited top speed of 210 km/h.

The price of this new electric SUV will be over €60,000, a price that puts it far behind the mainstream models in the segment. BMW will also later market an entry-level version with a single rear-wheel drive engine and a smaller battery, although it has not yet confirmed the launch date for this entry-level version.