We’re getting closer to the official launch of the BMW iX3 Neue Klasse electric crossover based on the Vision Neue Klasse X concept. Slated for reveal in 2025, what we see in these latest spy photos gives some clues as to the final design of the production vehicle, which we expect to see on U.S. roads. For better or worse, it’s got an interesting version of BMW’s signature double kidney grille. These timely snapped photos also show off the production lighting, as well as the lack of a frunk under the hood.
Design Creeps Closer To Production
The design comes from the team headed by Domagoj Dukec, who recently exited BMW for Rolls-Royce, and who received quite a bit of criticism, especially for the controversial adaptation of the kidney grilles on vehicles like the XM and 4 Series. The iX3 takes a different direction, with the small but tall kidneys placed high in the center of the nose, their outlines peeking through the camouflage wrap that covers the car. Closer to production now, this is, at least, fairly faithful to the nose we saw in the Neue Klasse X concept. These shots also give us a good look at the production headlights and taillights complete with the slash-style LEDs from the concept, though still concealing the design of the sheet metal surrounding them.
Our spy photographer also managed to catch the iX3 with the hood open, revealing the lack of a frunk for extra storage. This doesn’t come as a surprise, as the iX, i4, and i5 also forego a front trunk in favor of using that space for mechanicals and electronics, which helps free up passenger space in the cabin.
The BMW iX3 is likely to be offered with one or two motors, with varying outputs, perhaps exceeding 500 horsepower in a variant with an M appended to its name. It will use an 800-volt battery architecture, which means it should charge quickly, taking advantage of 350-kilowatt DC chargers. BMW has already detailed that its Neue Klasse EVs will get batteries in 75-, 90-, and 105-kilowatt-hour capacities. Inside, we’ll see a tech-laden interior, probably with BMW’s new Panoramic Vision Display stretching across the base of the windshield.
BMW has also announced that it has started shipping its sixth-generation electric motors from its plant in Steyr, Austria to Debrecen, Hungary for use in Neue Klasse test vehicles like the one we see here. “Over the coming months, we will continue to validate and optimize the complex production process for the new electric motors,” said Helmut Hochsteiner, VP of Electric Engine Production at BMW Group Plant Steyr. We’ll get to see how good they truly are when production of the iX3 Neue Klasse begins next summer.
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