At the IAA Mobility show in Munich this week, BMW trotted out the latest design concept for its upcoming Neue Klasse next generation of vehicles. A concept design was shown at CES 2023 in January as the i Vision Dee. The first Neue Klasse production car is coming in 2025, leading BMW into a new era, according to Oliver Zipse, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG.

“The BMW Vision Neue Klasse combines our ability to innovate in the core areas of electrification, digitalization, and circularity,” he said.

The pursuit of those core elements began with the electrified models of the BMW i brand. The i Vision Circular concept highlighted the potential of implementing circular economy principles that reduce the consumption of raw materials and lower CO2 emissions. The i Vision Dee showed how digital, human-centric technology can enrich the user experience.

All of those topics have come together in the Vision Neue Klasse, a vehicle that represents the range of technological innovations through which the BMW Group aims to demonstrate its future sustainability. Increased use of secondary raw materials, resource-efficient production, and a fully electric drivetrain with the brand’s sixth-generation eDrive technology are intended to reduce the carbon footprint of the production Neue Klasse across the vehicle lifecycle.

“Thirty percent more range, 30 percent faster charging, 25 percent more efficiency—the Neue Klasse represents a major technological leap that will take EfficientDynamics to new heights,” said Frank Weber, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG responsible for Development. “With the Neue Klasse, we have embarked on the biggest investment in the company’s history. We are not just writing the next chapter of BMW; we’re writing a whole new book. That’s why the Neue Klasse will certainly impact all model generations.”

 

Design minimalism

The new vision vehicle shows a clear change in design language for BMW, pared “down to the essentials” with expansive surfaces and just a few distinctive lines. The approach emphasizes signature brand design elements like the kidney grille and Hofmeister kink rear side window graphic.

“The design of the Neue Klasse is typically BMW and so progressive it looks like we skipped a model generation,” said Adrian van Hooydonk, Head of BMW Group Design.

The “almost monolithic” vehicle body, with strong indentations at the front and rear, and large window areas, create a new BMW aesthetic. The powerful wheel arches, “retracted greenhouse,” and steeply forward-slanting “shark nose” front end are all characteristic BMW features. The exterior’s “Joyous Bright” subtle yellow hue contrasts with close-to-black side skirts and lower bumpers. The 21-inch aerodynamic wheels have a classic cross-spoke design inspired by motorsports.

A fresh interpretation of the BMW kidney grille and double headlights transforms the vehicle’s front end into a two-part “interaction area.” A three-dimensional lighting animation initiates the interaction between the customer and the vehicle as he/she approaches. E Ink elements in the lower portion of the side windows are part of the exterior welcome scenario, directing attention to the sensor area that activates automatic door opening. The rear lights use 3D-printed elements extended over several levels to create an impression of depth.

Inside, the design minimalism story continues. Bright comfortable fabrics and a light-colored instrument panel supporting the steering wheel, which is flattened at the top and bottom, and the parallelogram-shaped central display with matrix backlight. The center console has a smartphone charging cradle and a “glassy” selector lever space.

The front seats are attached to the floor by a single bracket, freeing up legroom for the rear passengers in the two individual seats. The interior is completely free of decorative chrome or leather to help optimize the production process’s carbon footprint.

 

New iDrive and Panoramic Vision

The next generation of the iDrive user experience that “merges real and virtual worlds.” Analog operating controls have been reduced to a minimum, with human-car interaction taking place through the Panoramic Vision, central touch display, steering wheel multifunction buttons, and voice control of the Intelligent Personal Assistant.

Available for the first time in the Neue Klasse, BMW says that Panoramic Vision is based on a completely new head-up display technology that projects information at a height matched to the driver across the entire width of the windscreen. Part of the next generation of iDrive, the driver and front passenger can interact with information displayed on Panoramic Vision, creating a shared user experience. Drivers can also move content shown on the central display to the Panoramic Vision display with a gesture.

Panoramic Vision is complemented by a new head-up display for active driving situations, which displays the required information, such as assisted driving or traffic guidance, with precise 3D animations in the driver’s line of sight.

The contents of the Panoramic Vision and 3D head-up displays can also be controlled with the new multifunction steering wheel, “according to the principle eyes on the road, hands on the wheel,” via the steering wheel buttons enhanced by active haptic feedback and multilayer technology.

The new central display with touch function features matrix backlight technology for high resolution, vibrant colors, and strong contrast regardless of the specific light conditions.

The new iDrive is based on an integrated software architecture that consolidates data related to the driving experience and infotainment with data from the vehicle’s electronics and electrical system and the cloud. So, the interaction between humans and vehicles can be tailored more closely to the driving situation and individual needs.

For instance, the coordinated choreography between the ambient lighting and graphic elements of the central display and Panoramic Vision can be customized using My Modes. In Sport, specific displays are set against a yellow background to support dynamic driving.

 

Production and operational efficiency

The Neue Klasse will be manufactured at the new plant in Debrecen in a process said to be entirely without fossil fuels and with much wider use of raw and secondary materials produced with reduced CO2. The higher percentage of secondary raw materials and significantly reduced material variety are targeted improvements made to enhance circularity. An improved dismantling concept will also help optimize the recycling of Neue Klasse vehicles.

High energy efficiency during the vehicle use phase will be ensured by optimizing weight, air, and rolling resistance, and through intelligent heat management, especially for the electric drivetrain, using sixth-generation BMW eDrive technology. In addition to highly efficient electric motors, major advances in the new eDrive include new “round” battery cells with more than 20% higher energy density than that of the prismatic cells previously used.