Confirmed: Pivotal new BMW iX3 to be unveiled in September at Munich Motor Show

It’s official: the next-generation BMW iX3 will make its world debut in September at this year’s Munich Motor Show. The all-electric SUV will launch the brand’s hugely important new ‘Neue Klasse’ family of cars, based around a totally fresh design language and cutting-edge technology. 

Currently in the final stages of testing, the second-generation iX3 will sit on a brand-new platform and act as the starting gun for BMW’s ambitious plan to introduce “at least six" all-new Neue Klasse models in rapid succession by 2027. The next 3 Series saloon will be among them, and is also out and about testing at the moment, getting ready for launch next year.

We’ve recently spied facelifted versions of the BMW 5 Series and 7 Series testing as well, both sporting Neue Klasse styling cues. These are just two of the astounding 40 new or updated models that the BMW Group as a whole – which also includes MINI and Rolls-Royce – is set to launch over the next two years. 

With regard to the iX3, the outgoing model was simply the electric version of the petrol and diesel-powered BMW X3, the latest iteration of which has just been launched. This time, however, the two SUVs will look different, sit on different platforms and feature radically different interiors.

The pivotal new model will go into production before the end of the year, and when it arrives will rival the Audi Q6 e-tron, Porsche Macan Electric, the newly refreshed Lexus RZ and forthcoming Mercedes GLC EV, which we drove a prototype of very recently.

New BMW iX3 design

While the prototype seen here undergoing hot weather testing in South Africa is sporting heavy camouflage, it’s clear that the design hasn’t strayed far from BMW’s Vision Neue Klasse X concept presented back in March 2024. This has been confirmed by spy pictures and even leaked patent filings of the car.

The new family face for all the Neue Klasse models ditches the enormous, polarising, vertical kidney grilles on the BMW iX and i7. Instead, the iX3 will feature a much smaller arrangement, inspired by the BMW 2000 saloon from the mid-Sixties and other classic models. 

On either side of the kidney grilles are large, flowing panels that incorporate the headlights with a sharp new lighting signature. The panels will house the sensors and other tech needed for the advanced driver-assistance systems.

The profile of the new iX3 isn’t far removed from the firm’s current range of SUVs, particularly the larger iX flagship and the latest X3. The windscreen is steeply raked for an SUV to help improve the aerodynamics, which are also helped by the flush-fitting door handles and aero-optimised wheels.

BMW’s signature Hofmeister kink can be seen in the rear windows, while images of the rear highlight the bulbous haunches that give the car visual width and a strong stance. Unlike the XM SUV, which has a rear windscreen that flows smoothly into the bodywork, the iX3 has a roof spoiler at the back that wraps around the window, plus ridges that flow into the roof.

Interior and new Panoramic iDrive 

The iX3, and all future Neue Klasse models, will feature BMW’s latest cockpit design called ‘Panoramic iDrive’ that we experienced for the first time earlier this year. The new set-up uses what the brand calls its ‘Panoramic Vision’ – a pillar-to-pillar display stretching across the base of the windscreen, which replaces the traditional instrument cluster. 

Elsewhere, the huge 17.9-inch central touchscreen is an unusual, trapezoidal shape designed to mirror the arc of the driver’s arm, so no controls are ever out of reach. The two displays will be running BMW’s new Operating System X, which was created entirely in-house.

The iX3 will also feature a unique four-spoke multifunction steering wheel, but there won’t be a rotary control dial. BMW previously confirmed to Auto Express it has ditched the familiar, once-revolutionary controller for all its Neue Klasse models.

Neue Klasse platform and eDrive

The second-generation BMW iX3 will sit on a brand-new scalable platform that BMW says has been “uncompromisingly optimised for electric drivetrains”. It will feature an 800V electrical architecture, like its chief rival, the Audi Q6 e-tron, which allows ultra-rapid charging speeds – fast enough, according to BMW, to add 186 miles (300km) of range in only 10 minutes.

Powering the electric SUV will be BMW’s sixth-generation eDrive technology. That should provide up to 30 per cent more range, 30 per cent quicker charging and 25 per cent better efficiency than today’s tech. Based on the current BMW iX3’s maximum 285-mile range, the new EV could reach over 350 miles on a single charge. Standard models are expected to use a single, rear-mounted electric motor, although the platform can allow for up to four motors, so we’re certain all-wheel drive will be available too.

Many more Neue Klasse models to come

As mentioned, there are at least half a dozen ‘Neue Klasse’ models coming very soon using the same technology as the new iX3. BMW CEO Oliver Zipse has promised “from SAVs to sedans, there will be something for every customer”. 

That includes high-performance electric cars from BMW’s legendary M division, with the first-ever zero-emissions M3 due to hit the streets in 2027 and previewed very recently by the quad-motor BMW Vision Driving Experience.

M division head of development Dirk Hacker told Auto Express: “When we're thinking about a high-performance electric M car, you want to see the M characteristic. 

“We know the feeling from the M2 and M3 CS, but also pure electric. We have also launched some ideas for that with four electric motors and a lot of functions,” he said, referencing BMW's quad-motor i4 M50 prototype.

“We are working on a central intelligence made by BMW and not made by the suppliers,” he added. “We are working on electric motors, high-voltage batteries and it's very important also on how we can emotionalise such a car.”

BUY A BMW IX3 NOW