BMW Vision X: THIS will be the new class!

Finally, the kidney can shrink again! Over the past few years, a veritable "kidney damage" has been observed in the grilles of the brand with the propeller emblem and models like the XM or the 7 Series, but also the iX, with their aggressive look practically sucking in their surroundings. The Neue Klasse Vision X, on the other hand, comes across almost discreetly. But this does not make it any less sophisticated. Unlike the "Neue Klasse" sedan, which stretches flat and wide, emphasized by the horizontally elongated kidney, the iconic brand signature in the NK Vision X grille is tall and slim.

Light is the new chrome

In return, it boasts a crystalline and distinctly three-dimensional look, naturally backlit: Light is the new chrome, say the designers, who have also elegantly integrated the numerous sensors into the front. Also striking: With the so-called "two-box" design of an elongated hood and main body, the NK Vision X is immediately recognizable as a BMW, but somehow new and different. As concentrated as the BMW icon appears, so too is the entire vehicle supposed to be, according to Head of Development Frank Weber: The essence of BMW, transferred into the new era. This is more than symbolism and bling: After all, an electric car no longer needs air intake like a hefty inline-six engine.

cW value like a sedan

On the contrary: The front should be as closed as possible so that the precious energy from the flat underfloor batteries, which are supposed to offer 20 percent more energy density and 30 percent more range than the storage units in the iX3, can be utilized as efficiently as possible. The stately vehicle—about 4.70 meters long, two meters wide, and 1.65 meters high—does not show that the cW value is supposed to be only 0.225, thus matching the level of flat sedans. "Efficiency is everything in an electric car. Otherwise, nothing matters," explains BMW's Head of Development Frank Weber in a conversation with VM.

In other words: With the same battery size, the better cW value brings 500 instead of 400 kilometers of range. Incidentally, the chic camera mirrors contribute less to this than expected, so they, along with the delicate door handles, are likely one of the few details that "won't make it to series production," Weber hints. An analog mirror is still unbeaten in terms of optics, which also applies to the interior mirror.

Better More Charging Power than a Bigger Battery

Weber becomes fundamental when it comes to range: “Premium also means being able to drive past a charging station,” says Weber. Indeed, anyone can install bigger batteries, but it's about the "right measure," which balances resource conservation, additional weight, and range. The new use of lithium-ion cylindrical cells instead of prismatic cells is expected to significantly enhance battery performance. “An individual battery weighs 450 to 550 kilos, and all of this must be taken into consideration,” emphasizes Weber. The "sweet spot," as it is now often called in marketing jargon, lies between a range of 400 to 500 kilometers, even under winter conditions. According to Weber, a trip from Munich to Frankfurt must always be feasible.

That was the guiding principle for him and his team – and if the vehicle achieves 600 kilometers under good conditions, as suggested by the value on the innovative "Panoramic Display" strip below the windshield, that's also acceptable. However, they don't want to participate in the range arms race – a decision reminiscent of the brand's visionary early electric vehicle: The i3 also focused on the "right measure" for the battery instead of monstrous storage capacities. Even more important than a bigger battery is a faster charger – and the New Class is expected to make a significant leap forward in this area compared to the multi-drive platform of the iX3, whose silhouette, layout, and format the NK Vision X roughly adopts.

Finally, an 800-Volt Platform

Over 200 kW (or 30 percent faster) can be expected, as the sixth generation of the in-house eDrive finally transitions to an 800-volt platform, long after Hyundai & Co. In other words, up to 300 kilometers of range should be achievable in ten minutes. Although this is a pure EV platform, like the iX, the charging port is still positioned on the passenger side at the rear.

More Space on the Same Area

The advantages of switching to an EV platform are evident, thanks to a longer wheelbase and shorter overhangs, particularly in the interior: Especially for a BMW, the space feels very airy, with plenty of room above the head, at the legs, and shoulders. The obligatory panoramic glass roof underscores this airy feel. The trunk is also decently sized, with a capacity likely over 500 liters. According to head designer Adrian von Hooydonk, the space offered by e-mobility will set new standards (“quantum leaps”), so that an NKX on the same footprint as an iX3 provides at least as much room as an X5.

Moreover, the advantage of the EV platform means there's a frunk (front trunk) under the hood for the first time, which, while still prominent to avoid alienating traditional BMW customers with overly futuristic design, is significantly shorter in length compared to the Flex platform of the iX3. The NKX is set to gradually replace this from 2025, aiming for a seamless transition.

The operation should be seamless

Speaking of which: The experience in the interior, designed with a high proportion of sustainable materials, should also flow – or "seamless," as Denglish calls it. Based on the Android Auto-derived OS9 operating system, BMW completely breaks away from the traditional instrument cluster cockpit, radically reduces, but not as impractically as Tesla. Instead of focusing everything on one screen, a display strip called "Panoramic Vision" under the windshield is supposed to take over most of the functions. Between it and the infotainment screen in diamond design, there's truly a seamless connection; you can swipe symbols back and forth between the screen and strip as it suits your positioning.

Whether you need an (improved) head-up display is another matter. What is certain is that the information is much better within the field of view than in Tesla. Additionally, an "off-screen voice," the expanded voice control as "BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant," is supposed to support interaction between human and machine, as the officials advertise. Gimmicks like creating your own "Hans Zimmer" sound via the "HypersonX Wheel" or using the infotainment system as a game console are part of the now highly software-savvy Munich-based company, but ultimately, they add nothing to the driving experience.

Four masterminds: Radical bundling of electronics

More important is that the electronics have also been radically reduced: a single one of a total of four ECUs (Weber: "four masterminds") assumes the control of the drive and dynamics unit ("software stack"), which has been developed entirely in-house as a core brand value, and also of automated driving with driver assistance functions. This is supposed to provide ten times faster responsiveness, especially essential for assistance. Here, they are moving a bit further into the future at Level 2 and optionally even Level 3 – and aim to set the standard with functions that genuinely work and are not just a promise, unlike the Californian competitor whose name is noticeably often mentioned on this Neue Klasse preview afternoon.

Faster response to road conditions

Additionally, the hardware of the sensors, combined with the self-developed software, should react so quickly that the development manager simply promises the "ultimate electric driving machine," which they want to realize along with partners Valeo and Qualcomm. With practical advantages even beyond the race track: For example, with split-braking, which should be safer, or hill starts, which should be much smoother, or a highly sensitive all-wheel drive operation. "Trust your car" would then be the suitable slogan from the BMW marketing team. Additionally, the car is intended to improve continuously over its lifecycle through deep software integration via over-the-air updates, with the computing power dimensioned to be future-proof.