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Is this a peek into a future 3 Series sedan? Expect to see the Neue Klasse’s design philosophies to feature in future Beemer products.
BMW has taken the wraps off the Vision Neue Klasse concept car, which heralds a step change in design along with a massive effort in sustainability. Stuff was on hand to witness the reveal of the concept in Munich and talk shop with a few BMW execs.
First, and arguably most importantly, the Neue Klasse platform will debut in production form in 2025 as a replacement for the current CLAR architecture, which debuted in 2015.
No fewer than six models will spawn from it in the 24 months following its launch, likely to include the next-gen 3 Series as well as some SUVs. All will be electric, and at least one will also have a hydrogen option.
BMW is throwing everything at Neue Klasse, including a huge effort towards sustainability. Neue Klasse will be manufactured at the new plant in Debrecen entirely without fossil fuels and with much wider use of raw and secondary materials produced with reduced CO2. It’s the culmination of the i Vision Circular and i Vision Dee from previous years, and should result in net-zero carbon impact for production.
New, round battery cells will offer as much as 20% more energy density than the prismatic cells previously used, while charge speeds will increase by up to 30 percent, in addition to boosting their range by up to 30 percent. As a result of all these measures, overall vehicle efficiency will increase by up to 25 percent.
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Minimalist sheet metal gives the Neue Klasse a suave look, while making it more slippery in the air.
The concept itself is pretty stunning, with lots of throwbacks to older BMW models, aside from the repeat of the name, which BMW previously used in the 1960s and ‘70s to reinvent itself back then.
There’s a new take on the shark-nose front end, the classic Hofmeister kink, a retracted glasshouse, pronounced wheel arches, and a brilliant new grille design which incorporates the headlights. It’s also refreshingly small, further pushing those bygone 3 Series links, but still retain a high degree of aerodynamic efficiency.
While the Neue Klasse will reach production, expect some design cues like the razor-thin camera wing mirrors and the distinct lack of door handles to be tweaked.
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Open and airy, the flowing cabin in the Neue Klasse is a refreshing change in pace from today’s all-enveloping cockpits.
Another big rework comes in the cabin, with a new twin-spoke-but-vertical steering wheel, a new generation of iDrive, and a massive pillar-to-pillar projection display.
This will blast all important information onto the windscreen, sort of like a full-width head-up display, meaning the traditional driver binnacle can be deleted. A large central touchscreen will also be included, while pretty much all the interior trimmings and materials will be recycled.
During our conversations at the debut, we learnt from Domagoj Dukec, head of BMW design, that the company wants to launch the Neue Klasse design with a sedan.
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The Neue Klass builds upon the Vision Dee (middle) and the i Vision Circular (right).
“It was clear we needed an electrified X3 very very early, because it’s an important product … But we didn’t want to launch Neue Klasse with that car,” said Dukec. “A lot of people will see a picture of Neue Klasse and an SUV and think this is what BMW stands for. So it’s very important that we showcase with this car.”
Dukec also said the six models coming between 2025 and 2027 likely won’t include an M model, but that Neue Klasse vehicles will still have a degree of sportiness typical of BMW.
Interestingly, it seems the all-electric NK vehicles will exist alongside combustion-powered models. It was unclear if these would also be Neue Klasse-based or (probably more likely) carry-over variants running on the CLAR platform. This is to ensure BMW offers vehicles for all customers in all markets.
