With its latest design concept, the BMW Vision Neue Klasse, the BMW Group is showcasing what the next generation of vehicles from its core BMW brand will look like. “The BMW Vision Neue Klasse combines our ability to innovate in the core areas of electrification, digitalisation and circularity,” says Oliver Zipse, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG. “In this way, we are always able to stay two steps ahead of the future: The Neue Klasse is already bringing the mobility of the next decade to the roads in 2025 – and leading BMW into a new era.”
The Vision Vehicle, which will be unveiled for the first time in public at the IAA Mobility 2023 International Motor Show in Munich, embodies a clear design language, with expansive surfaces and just a few distinctive lines that have been streamlined to the essentials. This approach emphasises signature features like the brand kidney grille and the Hofmeister kink of the side window graphic, giving the design an even stronger feel.
Inside, the next generation of iDrive ensures a unique digital user experience, seamlessly merging real and virtual worlds. Increased utilisation of secondary raw materials, resource-efficient production and a fully-electric drive train with sixth-generation eDrive technology reduce the carbon footprint of the Neue Klasse across the vehicle lifecycle.
CO2-reduced production, sixth-generation BMW eDrive technology
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, the Neue Klasse will also provide significant impetus for resource-efficient individual mobility. High energy efficiency during the vehicle use phase will be ensured by optimising weight, air and rolling resistance, as well as through intelligent heat management, especially for the electric drive train, using sixth-generation eDrive technology.
Alongside highly efficient electric motors, major advances in the new eDrive technology include newly-developed round battery cells, with more than 20 percent higher energy density than that of the prismatic cells previously used. The sixth generation of eDrive technology will enhance the charging speed for Neue Klasse models 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.
Providing vision: Next generation of BMW iDrive
Analogue operating controls have been minimized in the brand Vision Neue Klasse. Human-car interaction takes place through the Panoramic Vision, the Central Display and multifunction buttons on the steering wheel. The user experience is complemented by the tried-and-tested voice control of the BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant. With the new multifunction steering wheel, the display contents of Panoramic Vision and the BMW 3D head-up display can be individually controlled, according to the principle of keeping eyes on the road and hands on the wheel.
Similar to the introduction of the iDrive controller in the centre console and the brand Head-Up Display, the brand is once again pioneering with BMW Panoramic Vision, which is debuting in the Neue Klasse. Information is projected at the ideal height into the driver’s line of sight and, for the first time, across the entire width of the windscreen. In the next generation of BMW iDrive, both the driver and front passenger can interact with information displayed on BMW Panoramic Vision, creating a shared user experience. Drivers can transfer content shown on the Central Display to the BMW Panoramic Vision with a simple gesture.
New BMW design language: clear, elegant, timeless
The exterior showcases design elements that will define the various Neue Klasse models. It is clear, elegant, timeless. The new, fully-electric vehicle architecture also opens up fresh possibilities for the interior design. A fresh interpretation of the brand’s signature design elements, such as the BMW kidney grille and double headlights, transform the vehicle’s front-end into a single interaction area. A lighting effect with precise three-dimensional animation initiates intuitive interaction between the human and their vehicle as soon as they approach the car. E Ink elements in the lower part of the side windows also feature in the exterior welcome scenario, drawing attention to the sensor area that activates automatic door opening. Innovative technology similarly defines the design of the taillights, with 3D-printed light elements spanning several levels and controlled in a targeted manner to create a distinctive sense of depth. The interior design, devoid of decorative chrome or leather, helps optimise the carbon footprint of the production process. Inside the BMW Vision Neue Klasse, bright cord fabrics create a comfortable atmosphere.
Innovations guarantee signature BMW driving pleasure for future generations
Electrification, digitalisation and circularity form the core elements of the transformation actively shaped by the BMW Group, commencing with the electrified models of the BMW i brand. The BMW i Vision Circular highlights the tremendous potential of systematically implementing a circular economy to reduce raw material consumption and lower CO2 emissions. BMW i Vision Dee, on the other hand, illustrates how digital, human-centric technology can enhance the user experience.
All these themes converge in the BMW Vision Neue Klasse, a vehicle representing an array of technological innovations through which the BMW Group is demonstrating its future sustainability. The BMW Vision Neue Klasse marks the inception of a new era of individual mobility rich in digital experiences, locally emission-free and committed to long-term circularity – –ensuring that distinctive BMW driving pleasure for generations to come.
