The next BMW iX3 is in the final testing stages, with the model set to debut BMW’s sixth-generation electric vehicle (EV) technology.
Set to launch at the IAA Mobility show in Munich in September 2025, the iX3 will be the first model in BMW’s Neue Klasse series, a long-awaited overhaul of the brand’s entire lineup.
The sixth-generation EV technology uses new cylindrical battery cells, giving 20% greater energy density than the previous prismatic cells.
This allows the new BMW iX3 to travel up to 497 miles without charging, with fast charging (up to 400kW) adding 217 miles of range in 10 minutes.
Artificial intelligence (AI) technology features in the car, with functions such as an automatic charging flap, which opens when the vehicle approaches a frequently used charging point.
A new digital interface will also debut on the car, with a new operating system integrating with a projector, which displays information on a black surface that spans the width of the windscreen.
A 3D head-up display will be optional, projecting automated driving and navigation information directly into the driver’s field of vision.
The steering wheel will have haptic feedback, and illuminated buttons, showing drivers at a glance which functions are available.
The iX3 will also feature Vehicle-to-Load (V2L), Vehicle-to-Home (V2H), and Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) technology, allowing the vehicle’s battery to act as a power storage unit, powering devices, homes, and even powering the electricity grid, in periods of high demand.
A new vehicle control unit, dubbed the ‘Heart of Joy’, processes information 10 times faster than previous systems, improving computer control of driving dynamics.
The system will control the powertrain, steering, and brakes, boosting on-road stability.
The model will also feature enhanced regenerating braking, allowing the vehicle to be brought to a standstill without using the friction brakes in 98% of cases, boosting smoothness and energy efficiency.
New drivers aids, optimised with AI, include Motorway & City Assistant, which can automatically brake for red lights, and move off again when the light turns green.
Neue Klasse models will also have a radical new styling language, with the trademark kidney grilles integrating into new, slimmer lights.
