BMW will preview its future on September 2 by unveiling the Vision Neue Klasse concept. It’s an electric platform that will underpin the brand’s upcoming product lineup, and a new teaser shows off a bit of what we should expect to see.
The short video posted on social media highlights a portion of the front fascia and BMW’s kidney grille that extends out of the frame. A flat, embossed-like roundel sits between deep styling lines that stretch from the hood, through the grille, and onto the bumper, similar to the iVision Dee concept that debuted in January.
The grille on the new Vision Neue Klasse concept is now black and features unique lighting that mimics breathing. The rows of lights, which decrease in size the higher they are in the grille, illuminate from the bottom on the “inhale” and extinguish from the top on the “exhale,” which jives with BMW’s “Inhale innovation, exhale transformation” comment in the social media post.
In quick succession, BMW plans to launch six new models on the Neue Klasse electric vehicle platform. The automaker will have six new vehicles in the lineup within 24 months of each other. We’ll first see the platform underpin a sedan before a compact SUV arrives packed with new technology and features as automakers digitize the driving experience.
The platform will be capable of offering vehicles between 268 and 1,314 horsepower with battery packs ranging in size from 75 to 150 kilowatt hours. The Neue Klasse vehicles will have the company’s Gen 6 battery technology that promises to cut production costs by 50 percent while seeing a 30 percent improvement in range.
Neue Klasse production will begin in 2025 in Hungary before expanding to the company’s other facilities in China, Germany, and Mexico in 2026 and 2027. The new platform should emphasize iconic styling cues from the brand, like the Hofmeister kink on the C-pillar.
The concept will be one of several vehicles BMW Group will reveal at this year’s IAA Mobility auto show in Munich, Germany. We’ll see the plug-in hybrid version of the new 5 Series break cover, with Mini introducing the all-electric Cooper and Countryman.
