Still on test, the new BMW iX3 has been spotted near the Arctic Circle

The next electric BMW iX3 will arrive between 2025 and 2026. It will have new styling and more efficient batteries. An M version is also planned.

By: Alberto Carmone

Mar 12, 2024 at 8:44am ET

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Development of the new BMW iX3 continues. This is a 100% electric SUV based on the new Neue Klasse platform, the next technical basis for many of the brand's models.

The second generation promises a radically different look from the current model and was recently spotted near the Arctic Circle, where the German manufacturer is putting the battery pack and the entire SUV configuration to the test.

A complete revolution

The SUV's front design seems reminiscent of the Vision Neue Klasse concept, with large horizontal headlights and a double kidney-shaped grille that give BMW a distinctive character. The bodywork appears more curvaceous and less boxy than that of the current iX3, with wide wheel arches housing large wheels, perhaps 20 or 21 inches.

CarSpyMedia 's spy video doesn't give us a glimpse of the interior of the new BMW iX3, but the Vision Neue Klasse prototype envisaged a minimalist design with few physical controls. It remains to be seen whether these features will also be present in the new iX3 or whether BMW will opt for more traditional solutions.

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New batteries

The first model in the Neue Klasse could adopt BMW's sixth-generation round-cell batteries, which promise a 30% increase in range and charging speed over current batteries. These cells, with a standard diameter of 46 millimetres, will offer greater energy density, avoiding the need for a battery pack that is too large and heavy.

Under the internal code name "NA5", the electric SUV will not be produced in China like the current iX3, but will be assembled in a new plant in Debrecen, Hungary. It will be available in Europe in the second half of 2025. Initially, the range should include the 40, 40 xDrive, 50 xDrive and M60 xDrive models, with an M version ("ZA5") planned for the near future.