Unveiled in September, the BMW Vision Neue Klasse previews the brand’s future, not only in terms of technology but also design. In 2025, we will see the first Neue Klasse vehicle coming to fruition – the BMW iX3 – followed a year later by the BMW i3 sedan. The latter is the one model based solely on the Vision Neue Klasse Concept. On the heels of the Tokyo Motor Show, BMW Head of Design Adrian Van Hooydonk spoke to Car Dealer Magazine about the new design language.
New Design Language
Van Hooydonk, who has previously experienced mixed reactions to BMW designs during his tenure under the company’s once-controversial designer, Chris Bangle, expressed his surprise at the positive reaction to Neue Klasse. “If it hadn’t been like that, it would have been an unpleasant surprise,” van Hooydonk told Car Dealer at the Tokyo motor show. He further added that “the world around us is now changing so rapidly, that we felt that it’s better and it is safer now to change a lot, rather than to not change enough.”
Furthermore, van Hooydonk emphasized the cautious approach taken when fundamentally altering the core of the BMW brand. He stressed the need for a conscientious and deliberate strategy when ushering in such transformative changes. He explained, “When you change the core of your brand, you want to be very careful. You want to be very conscious of what you do. But again, if you don’t push it, then in five years’ time, you might regret it. So that’s how we came up with [Neue Klasse].”
A Major Transformation For The Brand
Neue Klasse, he noted, effectively leaps ahead a generation while subtly evoking BMW’s iconic designs from the 1970s, blending a modern aesthetic with nostalgic elements. Van Hooydonk’s vision for this shift in BMW’s core promises a swift and meaningful transformation throughout the brand. Van Hooydonk also acknowledged the increasingly competitive landscape and BMW’s need to design cars for the worldwide markets. The global reach of the brand necessitates adapting to the varying paces of change and competition in different regions.
Even though we won’t see the production series Neue Klasse sedan until 2026, according to sources, we will see at least one more design iteration before its market launch, possibly as early as 2024. Of course, the iX3 and i3 are just the leading Neue Klasse products, no more than six products will launch before 2028.
[Source: Car Dealer]
