BMW unveiled its latest design concept, the Vision Neue Klasse concept car Saturday before its debut at the IAA Mobility auto show in Munich.
“With the Neue Klasse, we have embarked on the biggest investment in the company’s history,” said Frank Weber, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG responsible for its development, without revealing the program’s cost.
But this is far from an exercise in wishful thinking. It’s actually “close to standard production” of what the next 3 Series sedan will look like when it hits showrooms in 2025, according to BMW CEO Oliver Zipse in a conversation with analysts in July in a report by Automotive News.
The new concept takes its name from 1962-70 BMW 1500 Neue Klasse, a game-changing model that reversed BMW’s flagging fortunes and led to the creation of such iconic models as the first BMW 5 Series and 2002. Clearly, the automaker is hoping for similar results with the Vision Neue Klasse concept.
Like the original Neue Klasse, the new concept is pared down to the essentials, but retails classic BMW design cues, including a reverse slanted grille and Hofmeister kinks. The concept’s front end’s split design, with twin power dome hood bulges, is mirrored in the back by its split taillamps.
The body’s overall shape looks back to the original Neue Klasse, reinterpreting it for a new age and lending the brand a fresh look. Certainly, recent BMW electric vehicle (EV) efforts have proven polarizing as the German automaker has struggled to lend its current designs a distinctive look for the evolving EV age. Clearly, the Vision Neue Klasse is a new beginning, creating a new aesthetic by filtering its modern priorities through BMW’s prior new beginning in 1962. This explains its clean, blocky shape, one that’s free of gewgaws and frippery that have marred recent BMW EV designs.
Inside, the aesthetic is positively barren, with merely a steering wheel and large, center-mounted touchscreen. The roof is mostly glass – typical for a concept car. But the interior is noticeable for its lack of chrome and leather, as BMW looks to boost its environmental cred.
The Neue Klasse will yield a midsize sedan and crossover using BMW’s sixth-generation electric technology, which uses new cylindrical batteries that the company claims increases driving range by 30%.
“We are not just writing the next chapter of BMW; we’re writing a whole new book. That’s why the Neue Klasse will certainly impact all model generations,” Weber said.
