The Neue Klasse EV platform may live up to the promise, according to a test of a prototype BMW iX3, and it is unquestionably a BMW.
Before they are even ready to be seen in final production form, I get to test a lot of new electric vehicles. With each boasting a greater range and faster charging than the last, these are chances to get behind the wheel of this prototype or that pre-production machine. The majority of these tests concentrate on power output, driving dynamics, and any other unused next-generation equipment that may be strewn all over the cabin.
However, we rarely get to test those promises of quick charging. However, the engineers at the business chose to put their money where their lips are—or, perhaps more accurately, their kilowatts where their capacity is—during the first drive of the future BMW iX3, the first vehicle to be constructed on its Neue Klasse platform.
It’s amazing how well it charges. However, that’s just one aspect of this place’s advantages.
What Is the BMW iX3 of 2026?
Neue Klasse, or “New Class” in German, is a whole new EV platform that draws on the lessons learnt from previous EVs like the iX and the i3. This is in case you haven’t been following the never-ending hype cycle that has built up to this point. Even if products like the i4 and i5 have proven excellent, they started out as gas-car platforms.
The iX3 changes that. The iX3 and subsequent EVs are very different from any BMW EV we have ever seen thanks to new motors, batteries, and a host of innovative software-defined systems.
BMW’s new Gen6 batteries are the first step. Although the iX3’s capacity has not been disclosed by the company’s engineers, it is expected to be approximately 100 kWh, which would provide about 400 miles of range on the EPA cycle. If you do the arithmetic, this little SUV can get a healthy 4 miles per kWh, which means it can go farther on a smaller battery than BMW’s current range meister, the 2026 iX.
The actual magic is the mechanism that controls the two motors that are powered by that pack, which is supposed to produce 400 horsepower total. BMW aspirationally refers to this software-defined, fully integrated platform as Heart of Joy. In essence, it’s the trend of eliminating separate controllers for various in-car systems—the same kind of reduction that removed 1.6 miles of cabling from the most recent Rivians—but it’s been taken to a whole new level here.
The ability for everything to communicate with everything else is the main advantage of this unity. For instance, the same system manages ABS in the conventional brakes and regenerative braking in the electric motors, enabling a much smoother transition when reducing speed. Similarly, there is no latency or lag when one system demands anything from another because traction control, stability control, and direct motor controls are all operating in the same location.
As a result, the EV feels especially fluid, which is noteworthy given how smooth the typical EV is. The iX3 prototype provided clear and reliable feedback, especially through the steering, which is uncommon in your typical battery-powered SUV, whether I was swerving laterally through a bend on a wet test track or stealthily slipping away from a stop sign.
BMW claims that the iX3’s 400 kW maximum charging rate is sufficient to charge it for more than 200 miles in ten minutes. I saw a pre-production iX3 perform even better on a 400 kW test charger at the company’s Miramas factory in southern France, reaching a maximum charging rate of 403 kW while consuming more than 350 km (217 miles) of indicated range in 10 minutes.
Although it only maintained the 400 kW rate for a short while, it averaged 318 kW for the 10-minute charging period, which is still higher than the maximum rate of many new EVs available today. I was blown away by the possibilities of the iX3 and its new platform after watching a number of stunning displays that BMW had planned for me while I was in France.
Calm Decrease
Strangely enough, the iX3’s ability to slow down may be its most impressive feature. The SUV can now be brought to a complete stop in a novel and exquisite fashion by using just regenerative braking, thanks to the more precise control made possible by its updated technologies. If you close your eyes, you won’t be able to tell when it has finished rolling because it stops so cleanly and effortlessly.
Anyone who has had stomach distress due to excessive one-pedal driving will be happy to hear this, as the iX3 does offer several levels of regen to accommodate your preferences—and your passengers’ worries.
Together, the large range, quick charging, fidelity of this control, and the ostentatious new interior with its rhomboid touchscreen and peripheral-spanning display create a truly amazing device.
What Will Happen With The BMW iX3 Next?
Therefore, while the prototype is good, certain important problems remain unanswered. The first is simply how it will seem. I could see enough to realise that the Vision Neue Klasse X idea is remarkably similar to the real thing, even though it’s usually a little difficult to guess at details underneath that eye-warping vinyl disguise. (BMW concept cars often resemble the real thing quite a bit.) It’s up to you to determine if that’s a good or bad thing.
How much this will cost is the second major question. In one sense, it is a more compact vehicle than the company’s current $75,000 and up iX, which is designed to serve as a battery-powered alternative to the current X3 SUV, which has a starting price of roughly $50,000. Given that the iX3 offers longer range, more technology, and comparable performance to the iX, it’s difficult to predict exactly where that sticker will sit within that fairly broad price range.
Since this EV has the potential to influence many people’s opinions regarding EVs, it goes without saying that I’m hoping for an MSRP closer to the lower end. But only if they have the money.