The iX3 is a battery-electric version of the X3, BMW’s compact SUV and most popular vehicle.Fabian Kirchbauer/Courtesy of manufacturer
The new iX3 is the first of BMW’s “Neue Klasse” vehicles and marks the start of another transformation for the company focused on sustainability and reducing its carbon footprint.
Neue Klasse isn’t a new concept at BMW. In the 1950s, the company was on the brink of financial ruin. Its cars at the time consisted of outdated luxury sedans that looked like postwar holdouts and the diminutive Isetta microcar. BMW needed to build a “new class” of cars if it was to survive.
BMW Isetta bubble carBob English/The Globe and Mail
BMW struggled to make a profitable car following the Second World War (1939-46). In 1961, the BMW 1500, a four-door mid-range saloon, launched the pivotal “New Class” of cars.The Globe and Mail
The first Neue Klasse sedan, the 1500, was unveiled in 1961 at the Frankfurt motor show and was an immediate success. With its monocoque chassis, independent rear suspension and fuel-efficient four-cylinder engine, the 1500 was a thoroughly modern automobile. It was replaced by the improved 1600 shortly after and a larger 1800 sedan was added to the lineup. By 1963, the company was already turning a profit and by 1970 vehicle sales had more than tripled.
The 1800 is considered to be the grandfather of the 5 Series and the precursor to all the BMW sedans that have followed since. Design elements such as the vertical kidney grilles and the “Hofmeister kink” on the C-pillar are still used today. More importantly, the Neue Klasse cars established BMW as a maker of premium and sporty vehicles.
The new iX3 will be built at BMW’s freshly constructed production facility in Debrecen, Hungary. The ultra-modern plant relies on thermal storage and solar energy and doesn’t use fossil fuels to operate.
Next-generation EV
The iX3 is a battery-electric version of the X3, BMW’s compact SUV and most popular vehicle. It’s been on sale in Europe since 2020, but this new generation will mark the first time it’s available in North America.
The iX3 isn’t just a new car, but the tip of a transformation shift for BMW
We covered how the iX3 is BMW’s most sustainable product yet – and that a third of it is made from recycled materials – but it’s also BMW’s most advanced EV to date with a new 800-volt electrical architecture, next-generation batteries and an advanced new powertrain. It shares nothing with the outgoing iX3 or any BMW; everything about it is new, the company said at a recent media reveal and deep dive presentation in Munich ahead of the public reveal at the International Mobility Show Germany.
Production of the 2027 BMW iX3 is scheduled to begin in the fall, with cars arriving at dealers sometime in the summer of 2026. Additional models and trims will follow. While pricing isn’t yet available for Canada or the U.S., it will start at 68,900 euros in Germany, which is about 9,000 euros more than a base X3 there.
First to launch is the iX3 50 xDrive with a dual motor powertrain that makes a combined 463 horsepower and will have an estimated range of 643 kilometres from a 108-kilowatt-hour battery. With charging speeds up to 400 kilowatts, the iX3 can charge to 80 per cent from 10 per cent in 21 minutes, though it’s worth noting there isn’t a charger in Canada that powerful yet. A Tesla-style NACS port will be standard on cars sold here and an optional 22-kilowatt on-board charger is also available.
Next-generation design
The production iX3 looks similar to the Neue Klasse Concept X, heralding an all-new design language. The front end is a modern interpretation of the original Neue Klasse sedan, complete with smaller vertical kidney grilles, a refreshing pivot from the ever-increasing grille sizes of late.
The production iX3 looks similar to this Neue Klasse Concept X, heralding an all-new design language.Courtesy of manufacturer
The sheet metal is simpler with chiseled lines, monolithic surfaces and a heavy emphasis on the wheels, according to BMW. This design language will be the precursor for all BMWs that follow.
The concept-like styling continues inside with a minimalist cabin that centralizes all functions into a large 17.9-inch centre touchscreen. BMW was the first company to use a rotary infotainment controller in the 2001 BMW 7 Series, but there isn’t one in the iX3. The company says that the system’s simplified layout and menu structure make it easy to use and distraction-free.
The party piece is what BMW calls panoramic iDrive, a 1.1-metre wide, five-centimetre tall display projected onto the base of the windshield. It’s separated into sections with critical driving information such as speed and charge in front of the driver and an artificial intelligence-based personal assistant in the centre. You can also add up to six widgets, such as weather or performance data.
The party piece is what BMW calls panoramic iDrive, a 1.1-metre wide, five-centimetre tall display projected onto the base of the windshield.Fabian Kirchbauer/Courtesy of manufacturer
Next generation motors
“We had the opportunity to rethink every component with the change from 400-volt to 800-volt technology,” says Stefan Ortmann, a powertrain engineer for BMW. “With higher voltage, you can reduce the current and completely redesign the electric motor – and that’s exactly what we’ve done.”
The motor is now much more integrated into the chassis and forms a single unit that includes the transmission and inverter that uses silicon carbide technology. Ortmann says the inverter is the brain of the e-motor and is responsible for converting the battery’s DC power to AC.
“When you convert something, there are losses and the main benefit of silicon carbide is that you get a big improvement in terms of reducing conversion losses, which means improved efficiency for the customer,” Ortmann says.
Next-generation battery
The battery pack uses new cylindrical cells about the size of a Red Bull can. Instead of separating the cells within modules, they are laid out directly in the pack – a design the company says saves weight. The space around the cells, because of their shape, also offers increased cooling.
The new cells are 20 per cent more energy-dense and can be charged 30 per cent faster. The pack also forms the floor of the vehicle, another measure that saves weight and makes the iX3 even more rigid.
Driving dynamics still at the core
While the iX3 charts a new course for BMW, sporty driving dynamics will still play a big role. BMW has reduced the dozens of computer modules typically found in a modern car to just four: a main core “brain,” one for the infotainment, one for automated driving and one specifically for all functions related to the powertrain that BMW calls the “heart of joy.”
It combines powertrain, brakes, energy recuperation and steering into one supercomputer with 20 times the processing speed of previous systems. The company says it will provide a symbiotic relationship between the car and driver. A point we’d like to test when we get the opportunity.
The concept-like styling continues inside with a minimalist cabin.Fabian Kirchbauer/Courtesy of manufacturer
The writer was a guest of the automaker. Content was not subject to approval.
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