2026 BMW iX3 Zaps Into The Neue Klasse Era With Extremely Cool Styling, 400 Miles Of Range And The Wildest iDrive Yet

I’m sure that most of your favorite BMWs are things like the E30 and E46 3 Series, the E39 5 Series or the first-gen M roadster. You probably love classics like the 2002 and E9. Maybe you like some of Bangle’s more subtle designs, like the E92 M3, and you might even enjoy a newer X5 or 2 Series. Many fans prefer BMW’s more restrained periods like the 1980s and ’90s when the company took fewer risks in terms of design, powertrains and adoption of new technology.

That’s not the BMW I’m into. Don’t get me wrong, I love a lot of the classics, just always the most avantgarde ones. I’m an avid Bangle-era fan, especially the weirdest stuff (I will always ride for the E65), and the only new BMWs from the past decade and a half that I’ve really loved have been the groundbreaking i3 and i8  — at least, not until the iX and current 7 Series came out. Their controversial exterior and undeniably excellent interior designs were a breath of fresh air to me, and they drive incredibly well, too. BMW has finally been leaning back into the futuristic and strange, and now it’s zapping further ahead with the 2026 iX3, the first model on the long-awaited Neue Klasse platform that will underpin (or at the very least influence) every future BMW. 

“Neue Klasse is our biggest future-focused project and marks a huge leap forward in terms of technologies, driving experience, and design,” Chairman of the board Oliver Zipse said in a statement, “Practically everything about it is new, yet it is also more BMW than ever.” Zipse added that the entire BMW range will benefit from the Neue Klasse’s development, regardless of powertrain — the company just confirmed the Neue Klasse–based next-gen X5 will have an optional hydrogen powertrain, in addition to EV and ICE.

By 2027, almost 40 new models or facelifts will incorporate design elements and technology from the Neue Klasse development. We’ve already seen camouflaged spy shots and teasers of the next-generation 3 Series and M3, which were previewed by the Vision Neue Klasse and Vision Driving Experience concepts, and the fact that the production iX3 looks extraordinarily close to last year’s Vision Neue Klasse X concept is a good sign. Basically every aspect of the Neue Klasse platform is a new in-house development by BMW, from the batteries and motors to the software of the four “superbrains” that control the powertrain, dynamics, infotainment and driver-assist systems. The iX3 will also have a 30% smaller carbon footprint over its lifecycle compared to past BMW EVs. That’s really just the start of it.

In the U.S. BMW will first be releasing the iX3 in 50 xDrive guise, with the first deliveries to commence in mid-2026. The iX3 50 xDrive will have a pair of electric motors for all-wheel drive, but more variants will follow, including a single-motor rear-wheel-drive model and other AWD ones. The front motor puts out 165 horsepower and 188 pound-feet of torque while the rear axle gets 322 hp and 321 lb-ft, for a total combined output of 463 hp and 476 lb-ft. That’s 70 hp and 48 lb-ft up from the gas-powered X3 M50, and the iX3 is right in-between the dual-motor iX 45 and 60 models. BMW says the iX3 50 will reach 60 mph in a pretty brisk 4.7 seconds and go on to a respectable top speed of 130 mph. The two motors are a mix of different types, as BMW explains:

[There is] an extensively upgraded and highly efficient Electrically Excited Synchronous Motor (EESM) at the rear axle and a new Asynchronous Motor (ASM) at the front. The drive technology developed for the Neue Klasse reduces energy losses by 40% compared to fifth-generation BMW eDrive technology, weight by 10%, and manufacturing costs by 20%. In the Electrically Excited Synchronous Motor (EESM) at the rear axle, the rotor’s magnetic field is generated by an excitation current from an external source rather than permanent magnets. As with the Gen5 version, this synchronous motor features a compact housing incorporating the electric drive unit, power electronics and transmission. Unlike the Gen5 drivetrain, Gen6 employs a second electric motor technology in the form of an Asynchronous Motor (ASM). The ASM at the front axle works on the principle of induction, so neither permanent magnets nor an external excitation current are required.

BMW isn’t saying how big the iX3’s battery pack is, but it uses an 800-volt architecture with cells that are 20% more dense and integrated directly into the pack, which itself is integrated into the body structure. BMW is estimate a range of up to 400 miles on the EPA cycle, besting the iX by 60 miles and comfortably making the iX3 one of the longest-range EVs on sale. It’ll be able to charge at up to 400 kW on an 800-volt station, adding around 230 miles of range back in just 10 minutes, and BMW says it’ll charge from 10% to 80% in only 21 minutes. (It can also be DC fast charged at 400-volt stations.) At home it can be charged at up to 19.2 kW, and it has extensive vehicle-to-load capabilities, including the ability to function as a storage unit for at-home solar energy systems.

In the U.S. the iX3 will have the Tesla-style NACS port, and customers will also get a CCS adapter. German automakers love to make simple things complicated, and that’s especially apparent with the iX3’s charging flap that uses AI “to detect the customer’s intention to connect to a charger,” automatically opening and closing.

To fans of BMW regardless of the era, one of the most defining aspects of the brand is the driving experience, and that’s where the iX3’s “Heart of Joy” comes in. One of the four superbrains in the car, it controls the brakes, drivetrain, energy recuperation and steering, and it processes information ten times faster than traditional control units. As BMW describes it,

Together with the BMW Dynamic Performance Control software stack developed fully in-house, the Heart of Joy calculates all the driving dynamics parameters with a new level of speed and precision. The driver and passengers in the new BMW iX3 experience a uniquely harmonious and BMW-typical driving sensation whatever the situation. Every movement of the accelerator, brake pedal, and steering is executed directly and with assurance and precision. Supreme traction and – thanks to the unique Soft Stop function – the smoothest stopping process ever achieved by a BMW are among its other attributes. In addition, the efficiency of the new BMW iX3 is optimized by the integrated management of drivetrain, braking system, and energy recuperation. In everyday driving, 98% of braking maneuvers are carried out using recuperation only, without application of the friction brakes. The only occasions these are called upon are under emergency braking and during extremely sporty driving. The BMW iX3 can be guided through corners with exceptional accuracy. The Heart of Joy ensures fewer control inputs are required, and the iX3 holds a more precise and stable line. In this way, the BMW iX3 develops consistent, repeatable cornering behavior and can be steered more smoothly and intuitively.

BMW says the Neue Klasse’s slim battery construction gives it an even lower center of gravity than typical EVs, and it has a 48.6% front/51.4% rear weight distribution. The steering gear is located ahead of the double-joint sprint strut front axle with increased caster offset and firmer rubber mounts for better feel and precision, while the back has a five-link axle and separate springs and dampers for a bigger luggage compartment. The iX3’s track is wider than an X3, it has 1.4 inches less ground clearance, and its turning circle is a bit tighter. BMW boasts that the iX3 has “a striking degree of lightness” to its handling, and that it “balances dynamic flair and comfort with a mastery never before experienced in this class.”

OK, the design. We’re a lot of words and six photos in now, so you’ve had time to digest, and I’m sure you have thoughts. Me? I’m obsessed. BMW has been teasing us with more retro-styled kidney grilles and front ends for years now, and it’s finally leaning in on series production cars with the iX3. The small vertical kidneys set into the bumper aren’t actual grilles, but panels with a three-dimensional design with an optional illuminated border and integrated sensors. Like your favorite old BMWs with full-face grilles there are horizontal wing-like elements flanking the kidneys, also with illuminated edges. At the wing tips there’s an angled take on the brand’s four-eye headlights. The bumper is simpler than other new BMWs, and the hood is extremely well sculpted, calling back to classic sharknose models. As we saw on the concepts, it seems like the kidneys might be just a Neue Klasse SUV thing, with sedans and other models only having the wing shapes. To me it looks instantly recognizable as a BMW, yet totally fresh.  

It’s better proportioned than the X3 and iX, and the pronounced wheel arch design works well here. BMW has pared back the complex surfacing and character lines as well as toned down the black accents, and the iX3 is better for it. The greenhouse looks pretty airy, with especially thin A-pillars and a lower beltline, and there’s still a recognizable Hofmeister kink. The split taillights echo the shape of the nose and have a modernized L shape, with the tailgate and badge placement matching the hood. At 188.3 inches long, 74.6 inches wide and 64.4 inches tall, the iX3 is 1.1 inches longer, an inch narrower and an inch lower than the current X3. The iX3’s wheelbase is 1.3 inches longer, too. BMW says the iX3 has a drag coefficient of just 0.24, which is quite low for an SUV.

It’s the interior where things get truly awesome. We’ve been teased by BMW’s new Panoramic iDrive system for a while now, but seeing it in context of a fully designed interior makes an even better impression. The low dashboard, strangely shaped steering wheel, angular door panels and simplified center console are evolutions of the iX’s theme, and it all looks properly modern. Like on new Minis the textile instrument panel has “atmospheric” animated backlighting, and the upper section wraps around to create the door panels. The center console has a handful of hard buttons, a volume knob and a tab-style gear selector, along with two cupholders and a pair of wireless chargers.

The seats are a new design that have almost no plastic trim, and you can go for Veganza or Merino leather upholstery. With the rear seats up the iX3 has 30.4 cubic feet of cargo space, just one cube off the X3, and fold those seats down to expand it to 65 cubic feet, two fewer than the X3. The iX3 has a frunk with 2 cubic feet of space, though.

But like I said, the Panoramic iDrive is the star of the show here. In developing the system BMW says it looked at customer studies from more than 3,000 people and data from over than 10 million connected vehicles. Instead of a gauge cluster screen in front of the driver, the iX3 has BMW’s Panoramic Vision, a display that spans the entire width of the windshield from A-pillar to A-pillar, placed directly in the front occupants’ line of sight. In front of the driver the display always shows important info like speed and range, but the center and right-hand sections are totally customizable with all sorts of different information and app widgets. Optional will be a 3D head-up display that now shows navigation and driver-assist graphics.

Not content with normal rectangular screens, BMW developed a rhombus-shaped 17.9-inch touchscreen with chamfered edges, and the screen actually follows the contours of the shape. It’s easily the most interesting screen we’ve yet seen from a production car, and it uses BMW’s new Operating System X. The redesigned home screen always shows the map view or other configurable info, and climate controls and other shortcuts and controls are always available at the bottom and left side of the screen, even with Apple CarPlay running. A new QuickSelect feature makes commonly used functions more accessible without entering submenus, and it’s easier to get back to the home screen from all menus. 

Then there’s the wacky steering wheel, which only really has spokes at 12 and 6 — the shapely grips at 9 and 3 don’t actually connect to the hub. But right where your thumbs fall are two see-through control pods that illuminate different haptic buttons depending on the situation. BMW says “the buttons’ finely designed, relief-like surfaces provide optimum orientation and enable the driver to control functions manually without needing to take their eyes off the road.”

The iX3’s voice assistant is vastly smarter and more capable now, able to control way more functions, and it will give suggestions like offering to put the car in Sport mode if it detects you driving sportily, or tell you about a seldom used driver-assistance feature you could try out on the highway. But don’t worry, if it realizes you don’t respond to such prompts, it’ll stop giving them. Drivers can set routines for functions to be automatically activated. Also expanded in scope are the iX3’s smartphone app and digital key, the amount of features and components that will be benefit from over-the-air updates, the digital personalization options, and available media and convenience features.

In addition to the Heart of Joy superbrain, the other three control driver-assist systems, the infotainment, and comfort and convenience features, all pooling their processing power together. The wiring harness is divided into four zones, and it uses 2,000 feet less wiring than current BMW EVs and weighs 30% less. Smart eFuses replace conventional ones, with “intelligent power modes for different vehicle states that help to improve the iX3’s overall efficiency.” BMW also says the iX3 has “state-of-the-art cyber security,” which is a genuine concern — it’s the reason why the gas-powered Porsche Macan has to die.

Coming as standard on the iX3 50 xDrive will be dual-zone automatic climate control, keyless entry with the digital key, an automatic tailgate, and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and there are options a 13-speaker Harman Kardon HiFi system, a panoramic sunroof with climate comfort glazing and solar energy filtering, and two different M Sport appearance packages. The central water-cooled superbrain controlling the automated driving and parking systems has 20 times more processing power, and every iX3 will have the Active Driving Assistant Plus that includes all sorts of features like adaptive cruise control with stop and go, active blind spot monitoring and lane-keeping assist. BMW’s Highway Assistant is available, offering Level 2 hands-free driving with automatic lane changes at up to 85 mph on approved highways. Also optional is an advanced parking assistant that can hunt for spots at up to 22 mph and park itself parallel or perpendicular.

U.S.-spec iX3s will begin production at BMW’s plant in Debrecen, Hungary, in the first quarter of 2026, with deliveries to start in the summer. While exact pricing has yet to be announced, BMW says the iX3 50 xDrive will start at around $60,000, about fifteen grand less than the cheapest iX and right in between the two current gas-powered X3 models. The iX3 will make its public debut at the IAA Munich auto show next week, which your two favorite(?) Jalopnik writers (me and Andy) will be at, so if you’ve got anything you want to know about or are curious for real-life impressions of, fire away in the comments below.

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