BMW will kick off a new chapter of its electrification strategy in 2025 with the launch of a new platform for electric vehicles. The Neue Klasse (New Class) architecture will underpin at least six new zero-emissions SUVs and today, we can take an early look at one of those electric models in prototype form. Our spies in Germany sent us a batch of spy shots with what is currently known as the NA5 project, which is expected to arrive in the summer of 2025.
The high-riding EV here is believed to be roughly the same size as today’s X3. However, smarter packaging combined with longer overhangs should result in a bigger storage area behind the rear seats, as well as a roomier cabin. The trial vehicle looks a little too bubbly from certain angles but that’s likely due to the additional fake panels attached to the front wheel arches and the shape of the bumpers.
Even at this early development stage, this SUV is already showing parts of its front fascia. We can see hints from the Neue Klasse concept, though those headlights don’t seem to be the final production units. What else is worth pointing out? The flush door handles, the massive 255/45 R20 rear tires, the blue brake calipers on all four corners, and that weird rear quarter glass panel.
In August last year, BMW confirmed the first product to be based on the Neue Klasse platform will be an electric sedan. It will be followed by this SUV here and some sources even claim it will arrive first. We won’t speculate on that topic but we’ll mention production of the electric family hauler is expected to begin in July 2025 in Hungary. “By the end of the decade, the Neue Klasse is expected to account for more than half of our sales,” BMW’s CEO Oliver Zipse said last year.
As for the powertrain options, there’s not much info available yet. Naturally, we expect rear- and all-wheel-drive versions, as well as a few different battery packages. Early reports suggest the range between two charges will be up to 360 miles depending on the battery capacity.
Within two years of launching the replacement for the iX3, BMW will introduce no fewer than five electric vehicles. Some of them will be built in Germany and by the end of the decade, the company’s South Carolina factory will also start producing Neue Klasse-based models.
