What Is BMW Neue Klasse?

What Car Shoppers Need to Know

• Neue Klasse is the design language behind new BMWs like the iX3 and i3.
• The phrase also refers to new key technologies.
• Neue Klasse interiors do away with the traditional gauge cluster.

If you’ve read anything about the new 2027 BMW iX3 electric SUV or its sedan counterpart, the i3, then you may have encountered the German phrase “Neue Klasse.” A phrase from BMW’s past, Neue Klasse has been redeployed as a sort of rallying cry and marketing banner for these next-generation electric vehicles. It will also extend to gas-powered models.

In the typically overwrought PR speak of automaker press releases, BMW says Neue Klasse “represents the redefinition of the BMW brand and thereby the whole new model generation being launched with the new BMW iX3.” Even stripped of hyperbole, though, Neue Klasse marks a dramatic change for the brand, and not just in how its cars look.

Related: Meet the New BMW i3, an Electric 3 Series Sedan With 440 Miles of Estimated Range

How Do You Pronounce ‘Neue Klasse’?

First things first. It’s pronounced “noy-uh klah-suh.” In German, it simply means “new class.” BMW’s new EVs do not represent the brand’s first “new class.” The original Neue Klasse — the Original Klasse, if you will — was the early-1960s line of sports sedans that eventually evolved into the 3 Series and 5 Series. While the X3 and X5 outsell BMW’s core sedans today, they remain key to the brand’s identity. Given the wholesale rethink represented by the latest Neue Klasse models, BMW does not seem to have resurrected the phrase lightly.

Exterior Design

While Neue Klasse is more than just a new design language, styling is certainly its most obvious element. First seen on the Vision Neue Klasse concept in 2023, the new look is highlighted by a broad grille — or what appears to be a grille, as EVs do not need the prodigious underhood airflow required to cool an internal combustion engine — flanked by thin, geometric LED lighting elements.

Aft of the nose, even the first two Neue Klasse products, the iX3 and i3, diverge greatly in their adoption of the design principles. Both share gently curved body sides set off by abrupt, vertical metal around the wheels, but the relative size of the curved and flat surfaces is quite different on the two EVs. Still, the common thread is apparent.

Interior Design

The most radical element of Neue Klasse is inside the vehicle, where it represents a reimagining of control and information layouts. BMW’s new philosophy banishes the traditional gauge cluster entirely. BMW has relocated critical instrumentation to what it calls Panoramic iDrive, a thin band that spans the width of the cabin at the base of the windshield. Important information is displayed in front of the driver, who can choose what appears in the middle of the screen and on the passenger side.

BMW sought to declutter its dash with Neue Klasse, preserving physical controls for only a few critical controls, including the windshield wipers, turn indicators, a volume knob and the shifter. Everything else is handled either through the central touchscreen, clusters of buttons on the steering wheel or voice control.

Technology

The less apparent elements of Neue Klasse are the various technologies behind the vehicles’ operation. An all-new central computer that BMW calls the “Heart of Joy” is claimed to process data 10 times faster than BMW’s previous powertrain controllers for improved power delivery and stability. BMW claims the advanced driver-assist processors that the company calls “superbrains” are as much as 20 times faster than those in current products. The processors are responsible for features such as adaptive cruise control and lane-centering steering assist.

Additionally, Neue Klasse includes the latest version of BMW’s infotainment operating system, BMW OS X. The backbone of the Intelligent Personal Assistant (voice control system), OS X is planned to eventually integrate AI large language models for more natural responses.

Powertrain

Both the iX3 and i3 utilize BMW’s latest electrical architecture. BMW says this 800-volt system boasts 20% greater energy density than that of BMW’s previous EVs, enabling the iX3’s expected range. It can also accept DC fast charging at up to 400 kilowatts, replenishing the iX3’s 400-plus-mile battery from 10% to 80% in as little as 21 minutes.

But Neue Klasse does not refer just to EVs. Oliver Zipse, BMW’s chairman of the Board of Management, said, “Our entire product range will benefit from the innovations of the Neue Klasse regardless of the drive technology.” The automaker says these principles and technologies will proliferate across its entire lineup by the end of 2027. So, no matter what powers your BMW, get ready to look a little bit higher for your speedometer.

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