Photograph shows (from left) Khun Krisda Utamote, Director of Corporate Communications, Khun Chanin Thiticharupaisal, Director of Customer Support, Khun Kawee Thanawatdej, Director of Marketing, BMW Thailand, Ms. Kris Joo, President and CEO of BMW Group Thailand and Mr. Thomas Gorian, Sales and Dealer Network Development Director.
Bangkok. BMW Thailand is heralding the start of a new era with the unveiling of the new BMW iX3 50 xDrive M Sport – the first model from the Neue Klasse generation of vehicles. Engineered from the ground up with electrification, digitalisation, circularity and next-level driving pleasure in mind, the Neue Klasse iX3 brings BMW’s vision of the future to life today – with all of the latest design and technological innovations from BMW Group combining to deliver a true next-generation experience within the form of a Sports Activity Vehicle.
Ms. Kris Joo, President and CEO of BMW Group Thailand, said, “The Neue Klasse is a major milestone for BMW Group, marking the start of a new generation. Today, we’re excited to introduce the BMW iX3, the first car in this lineup. It seamlessly blends hardware and software for an improved driving experience. With advances in battery technology and digital features, the iX3 sets a new direction for BMW for years to come. This launch also marks a new era for BMW in Thailand.”
First announced in 2021, development of the Neue Klasse is BMW Group’s biggest future-oriented project – rethinking and transforming major aspects of production, vehicle development, plant operations, driving experience, design, and more. The “Neue Klasse” name is a callback to the renowned BMW Neue Klasse model series that entered production in 1962, ultimately providing a platform for BMW’s subsequent worldwide success outside Germany and becoming the predecessor of the BMW 3 Series and 5 Series. With the debut of the new BMW iX3, Neue Klasse is ready to make its mark on BMW Group’s history once more.
The new BMW iX3 50 xDrive M Sport
Price: 3,599,000 (BSI Standard and VAT incl.)
The first Neue Klasse model to enter series production, the new BMW iX3 50 xDrive M Sport is a fully electric SAV that introduces revolutionary shifts in BMW’s design and technology. More intelligent, efficient, and characterful than ever, this new iX3 offers customers a first-hand experience of transformative changes that will shape the future of BMW new models.
The new BMW iX3 50 xDrive M Sport stands out right from the first impression with its new design language – a supremely modern interpretation of BMW’s original aesthetic blueprint. The sculpted BMW kidney grille is arranged vertically in a direct reference to the original Neue Klasse models of the 1960s. BMW Iconic Glow makes a return with an all-new light signature that replaces the chrome framing of the grille to lend the car an aura of style and sophistication. Further illumination is also present at the flush door handles. Towards the back, the intelligent charging flap uses AI to detect the customer’s intention to charge the car in order to automatically open or close the flap accordingly.
From the side, the new iX3 features large surfaces broken up by precise lines to create a character-rich appearance. In keeping with the robust look of BMW SAVs, this iX3 features body-coloured wheel arches with subtly rectangular contours encircling the 22-inch BMW Individual aerodynamic wheels, while horizontal taillights that extend into the centre of the vehicle give the rear end a powerful and athletic feel. The new design language has not changed the hallmark practicality of the new iX3. This new SAV offers up to 1,750 litres of storage capacity with the rear seat backrest folded down, while an additional compartment under the bonnet can hold 58 litres of cargo.
On the inside, the new BMW iX3 50 xDrive M Sport presents the next step of BMW’s signature driver-focused design with BMW Panoramic iDrive system. Crafted with individual customer feedback, data from over 10 million connected vehicles, and usability studies with more than 3,000 customers worldwide, BMW Panoramic iDrive brings four central elements together into a unique display and control/operation system that projects information onto the full width of the windscreen to reflect BMW’s “hands on the wheel, eyes on the road” principle. Key driving information appears in the driver’s field of vision, while content in the centre and on the front passenger side can be adapted to personal tastes and requirements. BMW 3D Head-Up Display sits just above the BMW Panoramic Vision display on the driver’s side to provide integrated navigation information with spatial depth.
Underpinning BMW Panoramic iDrive is the newly developed BMW Operating System X, which offers extensive personalisation via the BMW ID, intelligent driver assistance, a wide variety of digital functions, extensive connectivity using the My BMW App, and outstanding future-proofing through BMW Software Updates.
The free-cut-design Central Display with matrix backlight technology is located in an ergonomically ideal position next to the steering wheel. On the driver’s side, vertically arranged widgets enable fast and direct access to particularly frequently used functions using QuickSelect tech. The new multifunction steering wheel serves as the primary physical control point. Its button panels help the driver and vehicle to work together symbiotically using illuminations, a relief-like surface and haptic feedback. With BMW Panoramic iDrive at the centre, the new iX3’s displays, geometry, and light & sound design are brought together as a holistic experience with customisation offered via My Modes. New driving sounds of the BMW HypersonX soundscape, created specifically for the Neue Klasse, amplify the experience and emotion of movement further on any journey.
Beyond these digital innovations, the interior of the new BMW iX3 50 xDrive M Sport provides extremely generous space across all five seats. The floating instrument panel of BMW Panoramic iDrive seamlessly flows into the large door trim panels, creating an enveloping wrap-around effect for passengers. This spacious feel is further enhanced by atmospheric backlighting, large windows, and a panoramic sunroof with climate comfort glazing, generating an ambience bathed in light. With the included M Sport package, the new iX3’s dynamic character is emphasised inside, with multifunctional seats featuring 8-way electronic adjustment and lumbar support with seven massage programmes, alongside an M steering wheel — all complemented by gleaming accents on the exterior.
The sixth-generation BMW eDrive technology, developed specifically for the Neue Klasse, comprises highly efficient electric motors, new high-voltage batteries with cylindrical cells, and 800-volt charging technology. The cylindrical cells are integrated directly into the high-voltage battery (“cell to pack”), which benefits energy density and cost efficiency. Added to which, the high-voltage battery is integrated into the vehicle architecture as a structural component to minimise weight (“pack to open body”). The new BMW iX3 50 xDrive M Sport is powered by two electric motors that produce a combined output of 345 kW / 469 hp and up to 645 Nm of torque. Power is directed to an all-wheel-drive system that propels the car from 0 to 100 km/h in just 4.9 seconds and a top speed of 210 km/h. The new drive technology developed for the Neue Klasse reduces energy losses by 40%, weight by 10%, and manufacturing costs by 20% compared to fifth-generation BMW eDrive.
The battery, meanwhile, packs 20% greater energy density per cell and 30% faster charging speed. This results in the BMW iX3 50 xDrive M Sport having a gross battery capacity of 113.4 kWh and a maximum range of 805 kilometres in the WLTP cycle. With a maximum charging rate of 400 kW, the new iX3 paired with an 800V direct current rapid charging station can add up to 372 kilometres of range in just 10 minutes of charging, while topping up the battery from 10% to 80% takes just 21 minutes.
Underneath the drivetrain and driving dynamics of the new BMW iX3 50 xDrive M Sport is the Heart of Joy – one of the four “superbrains” in the electronics architecture of the Neue Klasse. This high-performance control unit is responsible for the drivetrain, brakes, energy recuperation and steering subfunctions, and processes information up to ten times faster than conventional control units. Together with the BMW Dynamic Performance Control software stack developed fully in-house, the Heart of Joy calculates all the driving dynamics parameters with a new level of speed and precision. Every movement of the accelerator, brake pedal and steering is executed directly and with assurance and precision. Supreme traction and – thanks to the unique Soft Stop function – the smoothest stopping process ever achieved by a BMW are among its other attributes.
Another high-performance computer brings together all the automated driving and parking functions in the BMW iX3. With 20 times greater processing power than conventional control units, the “superbrain of automated driving” enables a significant technological advance with the Neue Klasse in this area as well. With BMW Symbiotic Drive technology, the new iX3 seamlessly merges driver input with AI-enabled software in an intuitive manner. For example, the automatic cruise control is not deactivated with a light press of the brake pedal but will switch off when braking harder, while lane control assistance remains active even after a small steering input.
Beyond its new definition of Sheer Driving Pleasure, the new BMW iX3 50 xDrive M Sport also brings the Neue Klasse’s focus on circularity into practice. A variety of measures ensures that the product carbon footprint of the new BMW iX3 50 xDrive over its full life cycle – based on a mileage of 200,000 kilometres – is 34% smaller than that of its predecessor. Around one third of the new BMW iX3 is made from secondary raw materials, and the overall product carbon footprint of the supply chain for the BMW iX3 50 xDrive has been reduced by 35%.
The new BMW iX3 50 xDrive M Sport and its cutting-edge Neue Klasse innovations are arriving on Thai roads in six different color finishes: Ocean Wave Blue Metallic (with Black interior), Brooklyn Grey Metallic, Polarised Grey Metallic, Black Sapphire Metallic, Alpine White Solid, and Space Silver Metallic (all with Castanea interior).
