New BMW iX3 to raise game with 350-mile range in 2024
BMW is preparing to launch an all-new version of its iX3 SUV, with a striking new look and a much longer range
The BMW Vision Neue Klasse concept shown at 2023’s Munich motor show whetted appetites for the brand’s electrified take on the next 3 Series, but SUV buyers might be first to experience the next wave of BMW models when the new X3 goes on sale in late 2025.
Likely to be badged the BMW iX3, reflecting its all-electric powertrain, the model was previewed in a video shown by BMW earlier this year, and camouflaged models have already been spotted testing, featuring a more rakish roofline than the current family SUV.
Along with a longer wheelbase (the distance between the front and rear wheels), both are a hint that the new car sits on the Neue Klasse platform – the name, meaning “new class”, a reference to the last time BMW’s range underwent a significant upheaval in the 1960s.
The Neue Klasse BMWs will offer significant improvements over their predecessors. Speaking to our sister site Auto Express, BMW development boss Frank Weber said the new models should have “30 per cent more range, 30 per cent faster charging and 25 per cent more efficiency” than current electric BMWs, meaning a new iX3, based on the existing car’s 285-mile range, could be good for more than 350 miles.
Most Neue Klasse models are expected to use a rear-mounted single motor setup, but BMW’s M division, responsible for its performance cars, says there’s the scope for a dual-motor, all-wheel drive layout, too.
Another benefit of the new platform is space. A longer wheelbase, plus a slimmer, more efficient battery pack could mean X5-sized cabin space in an X3-sized footprint, despite a lower, more aerodynamic roofline. Our images show how the model might look, with a clean design and a kidney grille that flows directly into the LED headlights – similar to those on the Vision Neue Klasse concept.
The interior is also likely to echo the minimalist look seen in the show car, using BMW’s new Panoramic Vision display – a full-width, 3D head-up display that projects information onto the bottom of the windscreen. A large touchscreen will be used for handling most functions, and drivers and passengers will be able to transfer widgets between the two displays.
BMW boss Oliver Zipse has said we can expect six models based on the Neue Klasse architecture to arrive by 2025, with a 3 Series-sized saloon and the new iX3 likely to debut around the same time. Other models should include a coupé, an estate, and a larger X5-sized SUV. BMW is aiming for at least half of its sales to be pure electric by 2030.
