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BMW’s Neue Klasse is coming in 2025

“The BMW Vision Neue Klasse combines our innovation capabilities in electrification, digitalization and circularity,” said Oliver Zipse, Chairman of the Management Board of BMW AG. “In this way, we can always be two steps ahead of the future. In 2025, the Neue Klasse brings the mobility of the next decade to the road – and leads BMW into a new era.”

In a nutshell

The BMW Vision Neue Klasse interprets a new design language with large surfaces and only a few character lines. The car looks very minimalist. This approach accentuates familiar BMW design features such as the kidney grille and the Hofmeister nod at the side windows to give the design a powerful BMW look. In the interior, we detect the next generation of the BMW iDrive control concept. The carbon footprint over the entire life cycle of the Neue Klasse packs a small punch due to intensive recycling of raw materials, highly energy-efficient production and an all-electric powertrain with sixth-generation BMW eDrive technology.

Plus 30 percent

“With 30 percent more range, 30 percent faster charging and 25 percent more efficiency, the Neue Klasse takes a giant leap forward for EfficientDynamics. The same goes for the design, which really couldn’t be more futuristic,” said Frank Weber, Member of the Management Board of BMW AG responsible for Development. “With the Neue Klasse, we have embarked on the company’s largest investment. In doing so, we are not writing another chapter of BMW, we are writing an entirely new book. For that reason, the Neue Klasse will have a great influence on our model generations.”

More on design

The exterior shows design elements that will characterize the various Neue Klasse models. “The design is clear, elegant and timeless. The new all-electric vehicle architecture opens up new possibilities for interior design. The Neue Klasse is overtly BMW and at the same time so progressive that it seems as if we have skipped a model generation,” said Adrian van Hooydonk, Head of BMW Group Design.

Features

Powerful-looking wheel wells, a sloping roofline and a forward-sloping “shark-nose” front end are signature BMW design features. The 21-inch aerodynamic wheels stand out with a classic cross-spoke design that stems from motor racing. At the same time, the almost monolithic body, with powerful indentations at the front and rear, and the large window surfaces create a new aesthetic image.

Joyeus Bright

The body color “Joyeus Bright,” with a subtle yellow tint, emphasizes the friendly, forward-looking personality of the BMW Vision Neue Klasse. The black side skirts and bumpers provide some contrast. With a higher percentage of raw material reuse and a significant reduction in various materials, clear gains have been made in terms of circularity. An improved disassembly concept will also help optimize the recycling of Neue Klasse models at the end of their use phase.

The next generation of BMW iDrive

Analog controls have been reduced to a minimum in the BMW Vision Neue Klasse. Human-vehicle interaction takes place via BMW Panoramic Vision, the central display, multifunction switches on the steering wheel and the proven voice control of the BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant. In this way, this next generation of BMW iDrive is a modern interpretation of the characteristic driver-oriented control.

BMW Panoramic Vision

With the premiere of the BMW Panoramic Vision in the Neue Klasse, the brand is once again taking the lead, as it has previously done with the BMW iDrive Controller in the center console and the BMW Head-Up Display. The driver sees information projected at the ideal height of the field of vision and also, for the first time, across the full width of the windshield. This innovation complements the enhanced BMW Head-Up Display in production models of the Neue Klasse.

In this next generation of BMW iDrive, both driver and front passenger can access and share information on BMW Panoramic Vision. The driver can move the displayed content from the central display to BMW Panoramic Vision with a simple swipe.

Interior lighting

A coordinated interplay between the Ambiance interior lighting, the graphics on the central display and BMW Panoramic Vision enrich the user experience, which is also customizable with My Modes. The new BMW iDrive is based on a highly integrated software architecture that bundles driving experience-related data and infotainment with data from vehicle electronics, from electrical systems and from the BMW cloud.

Leather? Not done!

Fabric upholstery provides a comfortable atmosphere in the BMW Vision Neue Klasse. Behind the steering wheel with flattened top and bottom, a light-colored dashboard adorns the central display with matrix backlighting along its edges. A compartment for smartphone charging and a glossy transmission handle are located in the center console. The front seats are connected to the floor via a single rail for more legroom in the rear. Rear passengers enjoy space at the same time thanks to two individual seats. The interior is completely free of decorative chrome and leather and contributes to a lower carbon footprint of the production process.

CO2 reduction in production, sixth-generation BMW eDrive technology

Production of the Neue Klasse will soon take place at BMW Group’s new plant in Debrecen, Hungary. This plant runs entirely without fossil fuels and makes intensive use of raw and recycled raw materials whose extraction and production involves less CO2 emissions. The Neue Klasse will also provide a significant boost to energy-efficient individual mobility. Contributing to this are the optimized vehicle weight and low air and rolling resistance. The high level of efficiency is achieved in part by intelligent heat management, especially for the electric drive train with sixth-generation BMW eDrive technology.

In addition to highly efficient electric motors, newly developed battery packs are also part of the new BMW eDrive technology. The round battery cells used in them have a more than 20 percent higher energy density than the prismatic cells used so far. With sixth-generation BMW eDrive technology, the Neue Klasse’s charging speed will improve up to 30 percent and the car will also offer up to 30 percent greater driving range. This ultimately leads to a maximum 25 percent increase in vehicle efficiency.

Future of BMW

In summary, the BMW Vision Neue Klasse is a concept car that encompasses the entire spectrum of technological innovations with which BMW Group demonstrates its future sustainability. The BMW Vision Neue Klasse heralds the beginning of a new era of individual mobility.