A near-production-ready BMW Vision Neue Klasse concept will premiere on September 2. The date will be nearly 60 years from the day of the brand's premiere of the original Neue Klasse models with a revolutionarily different look for the German company's vehicles at that time. Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG Oliver Zipse made the announcement during the automaker's quarterly statement conference call.
"Back then, the decision to launch a ground-breaking new product range enabled BMW's success and kept it going over the following decades. Now, once again, we are turning vision into reality: I can promise you that the Vision Neue Klasse is close to standard production and will be on the roads soon," Zipse said.
Gallery: BMW Neue Klasse Motor1.com Rendering
Check out our rendering of how the Neue Klasse might look above.
To be clear, Neue Klasse is an electric vehicle platform, not a single product. The company plans to launch six models using these underpinnings within 24 months of the first one beginning production. A Mini-branded crossover might ride on the platform in the second half of this decade.
BMW previously indicated the first model using the Neue Klasse platform is an electric sedan. The second offering would be a compact SUV.
"It is about nothing less than the future of the BMW brand, the BMW Group and our portfolio. We are in intensive preparation for this and will continue to make significant investments in relevant future technologies over the next few years," Zipse said about what Neue Klasse means to the automaker.
BMW will begin building the first Neue Klasse EV in 2025 in Debrecen, Hungary. Manufacturing in Munich will start in 2026. It will also produce them in Shenyang, China, beginning in 2026. An $855-million (500-million euro) expansion to the Plant San Luis Potosí in Mexico will allow that location to manufacture Neue Klasse models and battery packs in 2027.
Gallery: BMW i Vision Dee Concept
BMW introduced the i Vision Dee concept at CES 2023 to preview what to expect from Neue Klasse models. It featured a widened version of the brand's traditional kidney grille. The Hofmeister kink on the C-pillar had a sharper angle than recent models from the brand. The cabin had a minimalist instrument cluster that condensed the display into a narrow row, but there was also a head-up display across the entire windshield width.
The Neue Klasse vehicles will use BMW's Gen 6 battery technology that will allegedly provide a 30 percent improved range, a 50 percent reduction of production cost, and a 60 percent reduction in carbon emissions compared to the current tech. The models will support battery capacities between 75 kilowatt-hours and 150 kWh. Motor outputs will range from 268 horsepower to 1,341 hp.
