Munich. With its latest design concept, the BMW
Vision Neue Klasse, the BMW Group is showcasing what the next
generation of vehicles from its core BMW brand will look like. “The
BMW Vision Neue Klasse combines our ability to innovate in the core
areas of electrification, digitalisation and circularity,” says Oliver
Zipse, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG. “In this way, we
are always able to stay two steps ahead of the future: The Neue Klasse
is already bringing the mobility of the next decade to the roads in
2025 – and leading BMW into a new era.”
The Vision Vehicle, which will be unveiled for the first time in
public at the IAA Mobility 2023 International Motor Show in Munich,
embodies a clear design language, with expansive surfaces and just a
few distinctive lines, that has been pared down to the essentials.
This approach accentuates signature features like the BMW kidney
grille and the Hofmeister kink of the side window graphic, giving the
design even more of a BMW feel. In the interior, the next generation
of BMW iDrive guarantees a unique digital user experience that merges
real and virtual worlds. Increased use of secondary raw materials,
resource-efficient production and a fully-electric drive train with
sixth-generation BMW eDrive technology reduces the carbon footprint of
the Neue Klasse across the vehicle lifecycle.
“30 percent more range, 30 percent faster charging, 25 percent more
efficiency – the Neue Klasse represents a major technological leap
that will take EfficientDynamics to new heights. The same applies to
its design – which could not be any more futuristic,” says Frank
Weber, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG responsible for
Development. “With the Neue Klasse, we have embarked on the biggest
investment in the company’s history. 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.”
New BMW design language: clear, elegant,
timeless.
The exterior showcases design elements that
will define the different Neue Klasse models. It is clear, elegant,
timeless. The new, fully-electric vehicle architecture also opens up
new possibilities for the interior design. “The design of the Neue
Klasse is typically BMW and so progressive it looks like we skipped a
model generation,” explains Adrian van Hooydonk, head of BMW Group Design.
Powerful wheel arches, the retracted greenhouse and steeply
forward-slanting “shark nose” front-end are all characteristic BMW
features. 21-inch aerodynamic wheels pay tribute to the classic
cross-spoke design inspired by motorsports. At the same time, the
almost monolithic vehicle body, with strong indentations at the front
and rear, as well as large window areas, create a new aesthetic.
The luminous exterior paintwork in “Joyous bright”, with its subtle
yellow hue, underscores the friendly, future-oriented personality of
the BMW Vision Neue Klasse. Contrast is provided by black side skirts
and bumpers. With a higher percentage of secondary raw materials and
significantly reduced material variety, targeted improvements have
been made to enhance circularity. An improved dismantling concept will
also help optimise recycling of the vehicles of the Neue Klasse.
A fresh interpretation of the brand’s signature design elements, like
the BMW kidney grille and double headlights, transform the vehicle’s
front-end into a single interaction area. A lighting effect with
precise three-dimensional animation initiates intuitive interaction
between the human and their vehicle as soon as they approach the car.
E Ink elements in the lower portion of the side windows also feature
in the exterior welcome scenario, directing attention to the sensor
area that activates automatic door opening. Innovative technology
similarly defines the design of the rear lights, with 3D-printed light
elements that extend over several levels and are controlled in a
targeted manner to create a unique impression of depth.
Providing vision: Next generation of BMW
iDrive.
Analogue operating controls have been reduced to
a minimum in the BMW Vision Neue Klasse. Human-car interaction takes
place through the BMW Panoramic Vision, the Central Display and
multifunction buttons on the steering wheel. The user experience is
rounded out by the tried-and-tested voice control of the BMW
Intelligent Personal Assistant. In this way, the next generation of
BMW iDrive offers a modern interpretation of the driver orientation
typical of the brand.
As it did with the introduction of the BMW iDrive controller in the
centre console and the BMW Head-Up Display, the brand is once again
leading the world with BMW Panoramic Vision, which will be available
for the first time in the Neue Klasse. Information is projected at the
ideal height into the driver’s line of sight and, for the first time,
across the entire width of the windscreen. This innovation will
complement the enhanced BMW Head-Up Display in the production models
of the Neue Klasse.
In the next generation of BMW iDrive, both the driver and front
passenger are able to interact with information displayed on BMW
Panoramic Vision, creating a shared user experience. Drivers can move
content shown on the Central Display to the BMW Panoramic Vision with
a simple gesture.
A coordinated choreography between the ambient lighting and graphic
elements of the Central Display and BMW Panoramic Vision enriches the
user experience – which can also be customised using My Modes. In My
Mode ‘Sport’, specific displays are set against a yellow background to
support dynamic driving. The new BMW iDrive is based on a highly
integrated software architecture that consolidates data related to the
driving experience and infotainment with data from the vehicle’s
electronics and electrical system and the BMW cloud. Interaction
between human and vehicle can thus be tailored even more closely to
the driving situation and individual needs, enabling a totally new
perception of mobility.
Bright cord fabrics create a comfortable atmosphere inside the BMW
Vision Neue Klasse. The light-coloured instrument panel supports the
steering wheel, which is flattened at the top and bottom, as well as
the Central Display with Matrix-Backlight in the outline of a
parallelogram. A smartphone charging cradle and the glassy selector
lever space on the centre console. The front seats are attached to the
floor by a single bracket, freeing up additional legroom in the rear
compartment, where passengers can enjoy the spaciousness created by
having two individual seats. The design of the interior, which is
completely free of decorative chrome or leather, helps optimise the
carbon footprint of the production process.
CO2-reduced production, sixth-generation BMW eDrive
technology.
Manufactured at the new plant in Debrecen
entirely without fossil fuels and with much wider use of raw and
secondary materials produced with reduced CO2, the Neue
Klasse will also provide significant impetus for resource-efficient
individual mobility. High energy efficiency during the vehicle use
phase will be ensured by optimising weight, air and rolling
resistance, as well as through intelligent heat management, especially
for the electric drive train, using sixth-generation BMW eDrive technology.
In addition to highly efficient electric motors, major advances in
the new BMW eDrive technology include newly-developed round battery
cells, with more than 20 percent higher energy density than that of
the prismatic cells previously used. The sixth generation of BMW
eDrive technology will improve the charging speed for Neue Klasse
models by up to 30 percent, in addition to boosting their range by up
to 30 percent. As a result of all these measures, overall vehicle
efficiency will increase by up to 25 percent.
Innovations guarantee signature BMW driving pleasure for
future generations.
Electrification, digitalisation
and circularity are the core elements of the transformation that is
being actively shaped by the BMW Group and began with the electrified
models of the BMW i brand. The BMW i Vision Circular highlights the
tremendous potential that can be leveraged by systematic implementing
a circular economy that reduces consumption of raw materials and
lowers CO2 emissions. BMW i Vision Dee, on the other hand,
shows how digital, human-centric technology can enrich the user experience.
All these topics are now coming together in the BMW Vision Neue
Klasse, a vehicle that represents the whole range of technological
innovations through which the BMW Group is demonstrating its future
sustainability. The BMW Vision Neue Klasse signals the start of a new
era of individual mobility that is rich in digital experiences,
locally emission-free and circular in the long term – guaranteeing
typical BMW driving pleasure for generations to come.
