Whenever the world premiere of a new BMW approaches, there’s always someone who refuses to play by the rules and decides to ignore the embargo. The situation is no different with the Vision Neue Klasse X. Although the concept isn’t set to premiere until next week, a revealing image of the electric showcar is already making the rounds on social media. Attached below, the blurry photo appears to be a screenshot from a video shot presumably by a magazine.
Surprisingly, the front fascia hasn’t been carried over from last year’s Vision Neue Klasse sedan. The SUV has an upright grille reminiscent of models from before and after World War II. We prefer the styling of the saloon but we appreciate BMW for making the extra effort to design two separate front ends instead of applying the copy/paste formula and calling it a day.
As one would expect from an SUV, it has a chunky front bumper with rugged traits as opposed to the more streamlined bumper of the sedan. You can tell it’s a concept by the side mirror caps whereas the actual next-generation iX3 will have traditional mirrors. The production model’s design is surely finalized by now since the electric SUV is expected to hit the assembly line at the Debrecen plant in Hungary in July 2025. Typically, a future model’s design is frozen two years (or even more) before production starts.
Although the Vision Neue Klasse X precedes the road-going model, BMW has deliberately made it look concept-y. That said, the actual iX3 is unlikely to be all that different since it wouldn’t make sense to show the concept and then come out with a radically restyled production model. The new concept is sure to raise more than a few eyebrows, much like the sedan we saw at the 2023 IAA Mobility show in Munich diverged opinions.
Full Unveil March 21 at 4:15 AM ET
The German luxury marque will unveil the conceptual iX3 next Thursday, March 21, during the BMW Group Annual Press Conference. Provided series production does start 07/25, it means the world premiere of the electric SUV people will be able to buy could take place early next year.
Source: wilcoblok / Instagram
