With more than 800 km of range, the new BMW iX3 is set to go far
The first Neue Klasse model debuts on Sep 9, as BMW faces rising EV rivals, trade turbulence and the pressure to reinvent itself
[MUNICH] At a historic film studio on the outskirts of Munich, BMW chose a stage where cinematic visions are brought to life to debut a vision of its own. Under bright lights, it gave selected media an early look at the 2026 BMW iX3, months before the electric sport utility vehicle’s (SUV) public debut at the Internationale Automobil-Ausstellung, the huge mobility trade show that opens on Sep 9.
On one level, the iX3 is BMW’s newest model but, in a broader sense, it’s the opening act of a new story about the luxury brand’s fate. Conceived during the pandemic, the car is a clean-sheet approach to what a BMW should be in the coming years, as the Munich-headquartered company navigates the twin threats of Tesla and a wave of fast-rising Chinese electric vehicle (EV) makers.
The iX3 is so vital to BMW’s future that management christened its technology platform “Neue Klasse” (German for “new class”), invoking the name of a 1962 model line that rescued the company from bankruptcy and shaped its product strategy for six decades.
“The Neue Klasse is our biggest future-focused project and marks a huge leap forward in terms of technologies, driving experience and design,” Oliver Zipse, chairman of the board of management of BMW, said about the iX3, describing its debut as the start of a new era for the company.
That new era involves a major overhaul to battery and motor technology, as well as the software that controls the car. BMW says its sixth generation of electric hardware includes battery cells that are 20 per cent more energy dense than those in its current EVs. Being cylindrical in shape allows more cells to be stuffed under the car, resulting in a 108 kilowatt-hour battery pack for the iX3 that enables up to 805 kilometres of range in WLTP testing – more than enough to compete with China’s long-legged EVs.
Performance is still central to BMW’s pitch, so the iX3 will first hit Europe’s showrooms next March in dual-motor 50 xDrive trim. That version packs 469 horsepower and 645 Newton-metres of torque, good for 0 to 100 kmh in 4.9 seconds and a 210 kmh top speed.
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Charging is equally aggressive. Switching from 400 to 800-volt architecture means a peak current of 400 kW, which adds 372 kilometres of range in just 10 minutes. “Charging shouldn’t take longer than having a coffee,” one engineer told The Business Times.
To some extent, the new tech is about playing catch-up. BMW’s share of pure battery-powered cars currently lags the broader market, making up 18.3 per cent of its global deliveries in the first half of 2025 when you include sales from Mini and Rolls-Royce, its English brands. The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that one in four new cars sold this year will be pure electric.
“Our data shows that, despite significant uncertainties, electric cars remain on a strong growth trajectory globally. Sales continue to set new records, with major implications for the international auto industry,” IEA executive director Fatih Birol said in a report.
But while it needs to reinvent itself for the EV transition, BMW is facing the short-term turmoil from US tariffs and a slowdown in China that hasn’t spared Germany’s luxury players. First-half earnings from arch rivals Audi and Mercedes-Benz plummeted 37.5 per cent and 55.8 per cent year on year, respectively, and BMW’s 4.02 billion euro (S$6.03 billion) net profit figure marked a 29 per cent drop. At 1,207,594 cars, deliveries were flat, although growth in legacy markets helped to offset a steep 15.5 per cent slump in China, its biggest market.
Numbers like that show the industry can’t afford to coast on existing line-ups. For BMW, the response is a hefty, long-term bet that Neue Klasse is the way forward for its cars. The company plans to scale the iX3’s technology across 40 models by 2027. Its smooth lines and LED-decorated face show where BMW design is headed.
The cabin has a customisable driver display that stretches 1.1 metres across the entire dashboard, a feature that will make its way into every upcoming BMW. Just four computers run the underlying systems (current cars have dozens), which makes communication between steering, braking and motor controllers 10 times faster for a more surefooted drive, sharper handling and smoother stops.
That level of change raises the stakes. If the new iX3 doesn’t land, the entire Neue Klasse strategy will look shaky. Zipse is keenly aware of the risk. On Aug 28, the chairman told German news magazine Der Spiegel that the industry as a whole “cannot afford mistakes”.
The box office will ultimately pass judgement on the Neue Klasse platform. The iX3 50 xDrive will cost 68,900 euros in Germany, with plans for a less powerful, single-motor variant to join the range in mid-2026, priced around 60,000 euros. At today’s taxes and Certificate of Entitlement premiums, BT estimates the latter version could cost roughly S$365,000 in Singapore.
If the iX3 is a blockbuster, it will ensure that BMW continues to have a starring role in the post-combustion world. If it flops, the Neue Klasse name risks becoming one of history’s most infamous sequels.
BMW iX3 50 xDrive
Motor power/Torque: 469 hp/ 645 Nm Battery type/Net capacity: Lithium nickel manganese cobalt/108 kWh Charging time/Type: 12 hours (11 kW AC, estimated), 21 minutes 10 to 80 per cent (400 kW DC) Range: 678 to 805 km (WLTP) 0-100 kmh: 4.9 seconds Top speed: 210 kmh Efficiency: 17.9 to 15.1 kWh/100 km Agent: Eurokars BMW or Performance Motors Price: S$365,000 with COE (estimated) Available: Second half, 2026
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