The roll-out of BMW‘s electric Neue Klasse continues with a first glimpse last week of a new “Group Vision Vehicle” taking the form of an SAV (Sports Activity Vehicle), the brand’s lingo for SUV. After showing the Vision Neue Klasse sedan at the IAA Mobility 2023 event in Munich, the Vision Neue Klasse X carries on the design theme but on a fully electric raised derivative of the new architecture that will go into production at Plant Debrecen in Hungary next year.

The world premiere of the new vision vehicle on the “Road to Neue Klasse” was presented by Oliver Zipse, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG, at the BMW Group Annual Conference last week.

“The Neue Klasse reflects the variety of all the models that customers want today and in the future— from sporty sedan, with all its derivatives, to a modern SAV family,” said Zipse. “In this way, we are underlining that the Neue Klasse is much more than just a car or a specific concept; it is redefining the BMW brand—and, at the same time, will be more BMW than ever.”

 

New super-brains

The company says that the three main characteristics of the Neue Klasse are electric, digital, and circular. Driving pleasure is said to be taken to the next level with drive and chassis control developed for the Neue Klasse and with the sixth generation of eDrive technology. Special lighting and sound effects enabled by the next generation of iDrive enhance the digital user experience. The sustainability concept ensures responsible production, operations, disassembly, and recycling.

The new drive and chassis control is engineered to deliver a superior driving experience tailored to individual needs. It is based on a new software stack developed in-house by the BMW Group with two of four new super-brains delivering the new Neue Klasse driving experience.

“The BMW of the future will have four totally new super-brains: high-performance computers working smartly together on what, up until now, was processed separately,” explained Frank Weber, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG responsible for Development. “We developed the first super-brain completely in-house. It integrates the entire powertrain and driving dynamics with up to ten times more computing power. The second super-brain will enable the next 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.”

 

Pared-down design

BMW says that the pared-down language of the Neue Klasse represents a major leap forward in both exterior and interior design. The electric vehicle architecture offers a long wheelbase for a more spacious interior and short overhangs. Large window areas and the panoramic glass roof flood the interior with natural light to create an airy spaciousness that is complemented by warm color textiles.

“The BMW Vision Neue Klasse X provides a look ahead to the X models of the Neue Klasse,” said Adrian van Hooydonk, Head of BMW Group Design. “The X models will always remain strong in character: monolithic, clean, and with a very distinctive vertical interpretation of the BMW light signature.”

Highlights upfront include vertically aligned LED units offering a fresh interpretation of BMW’s hallmark light signature. The BMW kidney grille is reimagined as a three-dimensional sculpture with vertically aligned and backlit contours. Lighting in the headlights and kidney grille is activated as the driver approaches the vehicle and continues in the interior.

The rear lights reach far into the center for a more horizontal interpretation of the BMW L shape. Their 3D-printed elements are individually controlled with variable light intensity for a depth effect.

Glass surfaces are flush. The rear side windows feature the brand’s signature Hofmeister kink realized not through chrome edging but with a “reflective print” that forms a transparent or reflective surface depending on the viewing angle.

Inside, the redesigned steering wheel with multifunction buttons, a central display with intuitive touch control functionality, BMW Panoramic Vision, and the advanced voice control of the BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant, serve as the interfaces for human-car interaction. Panoramic Vision, which projects key information across the full width of the windscreen, will be complemented in Neue Klasse production models by an enhanced 3D head-up display.

In the X concept, the central display provides both front passengers with access to infotainment functions, and its colors are transferred to the ambient light and the backlit textile surfaces of the instrument panel. With its new Hypersonx Wheel digital function, interior sound can be dynamically adjusted for a more immersive user experience.

 

Better efficiency and circularity

For vehicle propulsion, the sixth generation of eDrive technology has improved e-drive units and features new and now round lithium-ion battery cells with a volumetric energy density more than 20% greater than that of the prismatic cells previously used.

With the Neue Klasse, BMW is introducing bi-directional charging, which it has already tested extensively.

“Our customers can feed electrical energy stored in the vehicle back into their own house, electrical devices like your e-bike, or the public power grid,” said Zipse. “This lowers electricity costs and helps stabilize networks.”

In combination with the transition to an 800-V architecture, charging speed is improved by up to 30%—allowing for peak charging of 300-km (186-mi) range in just 10 min. Vehicle range will also see a boost, with up to 30% more range.

Vehicle efficiency is also boosted by aerodynamic drag reduced by 20% to a comparable model in the current BMW lineup. A new tire design and a new brake system help increase overall vehicle efficiency by up to 25%.

The choice of materials and construction methods enable easier disassembly of components and improved recyclability.

A plant/mineral-based and petroleum-free Verdana surface material was developed for the interior used in the lower portion of the door panels and the center console. “Maritime plastics” are being used “for the first time,” accounting for 30% of some injection-molded parts; the secondary raw material is obtained, for example, from discarded fishing nets.

The body side skirts and front and rear aprons are produced from recycled mono-materials. For this, the concept draws upon the principle used for the BMW i Vision Circular concept from 2021, which relied extensively on mono-materials to optimize recyclability.

 

At least six Neue Klasse models

Both Neue Klasse vision vehicles were on display at the BMW event, with Zipse describing them as “bookends of what we can imagine. But there is still plenty of room for other models and innovations in between.

“We will be taking both of these Vision Vehicles from the stage to the roads in a very similar form very soon,” he said. “At least six different Neue Klasse models will be released in the first 24 months following the start of production.”

The Neue Klasse will significantly accelerate BMW’s ramp-up of e-mobility.

However, “BEVs—along with our models in the upper premium and luxury segment—are already our biggest growth drivers,” he said.

Last year, BMW sold more than 375,000 all-electric vehicles. This year he is predicting that fully electric vehicle sales should see significant double-digit growth, with even more to come.

“We still expect half our deliveries to be all-electric before 2030,” said Zipse. “However, growth in BEVs worldwide is not linear. That was always clear to us. Development is volatile and market-specific, due to several factors. We remain as flexible as possible; that has been our strategy for years, and we have reflected that efficiently in our architectures.”

 

Local for local production

The first Neue Klasse production vehicles will start rolling off the line at BMW’s new Plant Debrecen in the second half of 2025. That is where the first SAV model will be launched. The sedan will ramp up from 2026 at Plant Munich, which is currently gearing up for the start of production.

Every second BMW produced at Plant Munich is already fully electric. From late 2027 onwards, the more than 100-year-old main plant will exclusively build EVs.

Neue Klasse models will also be produced at plants in San Luis Potosí, Mexico, and Shenyang, China.

To master e-mobility, BMW is focusing on batteries.

“We have made it our mission to understand every aspect of battery cells—from cell composition and cell format, all the way to industrial manufacturing,” said Zipse. “We are able to recreate the entire process at our Battery Cell Competence Centre in Munich and the Cell Manufacturing Competence Centre in Parsdorf in Bavaria.”

The company is applying its “local for local” principle to cell production for batteries, with facilities located in direct proximity to its vehicle plants.

“This has led us to build our own production facilities for Gen5, as we are now doing in Thailand, and for the sixth generation of BMW high-voltage batteries in Hungary, the U.S., Mexico, and China. This ensures short transport distances and secures our supply against unforeseen events around the globe.”

From 2026, Gen6 batteries for plants in Bavaria will come from a new location in Irlbach-Strasskirchen.

“Establishing an industrial site like this is no longer a straightforward process—especially in Germany,” he said. “We sought frank and open discussion with residents in the early stages and explained the sustainable design and advantages of our location in Lower Bavaria to them. We are very pleased that residents voted strongly in support of our new site.”

With the Neue Klasse, Zipse said BMW is taking mobility to a new level and becoming an entirely new company.

“All BMW models will benefit from the innovations,” he concluded.