BMW iX3 impresses journalists from around the world at PreDrive in Miramas.

Early September will see the first Neue Klasse model unveiled at the IAA Mobility 2025 – the BMW iX3. Production will start at the end of this year at the new BMW Group plant in Debrecen, Hungary. Learn more about the various new features and innovations here. The Gen6 powertrain with 800-volt technology, for example, combines with cylindrical battery cells with 20 percent greater energy density to take range up to 800km in the WLTP and offer faster charging. In addition, with charging capacity of up to 400 kW in the BMW iX3 50 xDrive, it takes just 10 minutes to add some 350 km of range (WLTP), and 21 minutes to add 560 km by increasing battery levels from 10 percent to 80 percent.* Together, the Gen6 powertrain, BMW Panoramic iDrive, Heart of Joy and ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance System) deliver the perfect BMW driving experience.

Testing of the BMW iX3 is well underway – but one thing is already for sure: the newcomer will “raise typical BMW driving pleasure to a whole new level”, as Mike Reichelt, Head of Neue Klasse BMW, puts it. Because in this model, a string of revolutionary technical innovations will enter series production for the very first time:

• The innovative BMW Panoramic iDrive display and operating concept 
• The fully electric Gen6 e-drive
• The Heart of Joy control unit with BMW Dynamic Performance Control software stack
• The new BMW design 

In this article, we take a closer look at the individual components creating new dimensions of driving pleasure in the BMW iX3.

The BMW iX3 is the first series-production model to feature the BMW Panoramic iDrive. This redefines the user experience and, with it, the focus on the driver.   

• Perfect mix of controls: BMW iX3 drivers get the information they need, where and when they need it. Continuing the concept of the perfect combination of digital and analogue controls, the BMW Panoramic iDrive includes physical switches and buttons as well as touch and voice controls. There are physical switches for the wipers, indicators, wing mirrors, volume controls, gears and de-frosting, for instance. Other features have been optimised for touch and voice control or integrated into the multifunction steering wheel.
• BMW Panoramic Vision projects information onto a dark-tinted, nano-coated strip that extends across the whole of the bottom of the windscreen. Key driving information appears straight in the driver’s line of view, on their side of the screen, just above the steering wheel. But the driver can also customise content in the middle and on the passenger’s side – via the Central Display. Owing to the specific way it has been integrated, the BMW Panoramic Vision generates images that appear in 3D to drivers and occupants.
• Straight in the driver’s field of view, just above the BMW Panoramic Vision, the optional BMW 3D Head-Up Display now features an integrated display for navigation and automated driving information for the first time. The information is projected with spatial depth, looking almost as if it is printed on the road. The BMW Panoramic Vision and BMW 3D Head-Up Display coordinate perfectly to present their respective content.
• The Central Display with matrix backlight technology is in a free-cut design and angled towards the driver by 17.5 degrees. In terms of ergonomics, it is ideally placed, on the dashboard, just beside the steering wheel. 
• The primary physical control unit is the new multifunction steering wheel. Its shy-tech-style button clusters support cooperative driver-vehicle interaction and light up only when functions are available or active. Their surface contours and active haptic feedback mean the controls can be operated intuitively, without the driver having to take their eyes off the road.
• The BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant has been significantly enhanced and now supports the driver with proactive suggestions and customisable routines. As Large Language Model (LLM) technology is gradually rolled out from 2026, interactions via natural speech will become possible. (Initially the LLM technology will be used mainly for navigation.)

The new BMW Panoramic iDrive is based on the all-new BMW Operating System X. This offers a plethora of customisable settings, intelligent driver assistance, a variety of digital features, full connectivity with the My BMW app and – thanks to BMW software updates – outstanding future capabilities. This holistic digital experience was developed with data protection and cyber security as a top priority. With its balanced combination of digital features and physical elements, the BMW iX3 takes the BMW principle of Hands on the Wheel, Eyes on the Road to an entirely new level – perfectly putting the driver centre stage.

The sixth-generation BMW eDrive technology (Gen6) offers a winning combination of faster charging and more range. After debuting in the first model of the Neue Klasse, it will be rolled out across the entire portfolio, with all segments benefitting. The starting point of this technology is the fundamentally redefined high-voltage battery concept based on BMW cylindrical battery cells. These have 20 percent higher energy density than the previous prismatic cells and are integrated straight into the high-voltage battery pack instead of being bundled into modules first. The high-voltage battery pack with its 800-volt technology is a structural load-bearing element in the body of the new BMW iX3.

The BMW iX3 50 xDrive offers impressive maximum charging of up to 400 kW, meaning range can be topped up by more than 350 kilometres* (WLTP) in just 10 minutes and to total as much as 800 km* (WLTP). An especially user-friendly feature is the My BMW app, which allows users to follow charging performance and the charging curve live.

The BMW iX3 features a whole list of other innovations too. The AI-controlled charging flap, for example, uses learned routes to anticipate when the driver intends to charge, and opens and closes automatically. Another special feature is bidirectional charging, which allows the car not just to charge but to discharge electricity as well. This means it can be used as a mobile powerbank to charge devices (vehicle-to-load), for cost-saving home energy storage (vehicle-to-home) or to feed energy into the grid (vehicle-to-grid). These features all support the energy transition and the use of regenerative electricity. The new (DC) BMW Wallbox offers high-performance charging and discharging as well as new, user-friendly charging equipment including special adapters.

One key feature benefitting BMW iX3 is the Heart of Joy,  which is the superbrain of the Neue Klasse. Designed to redefine driving dynamics, the Heart of Joy combines with the BMW Dynamic Performance Control software stack (developed in-house) to act as the central player in terms of drive, brakes, recuperation and sub-functions of the steering system. With ten-times faster information processing, it responds more directly than ever to the driver, allowing them to corner with unprecedented poise, absolute precision and maximum stability – but minimum interventions from the control system. Traction and braking functions also work in harmony during deceleration, offering recuperation across the entire speed range right down to standstill. In 98 percent of cases the vehicle stops without brake friction – and therefore smoothly and silently. 

The synergy between the Heart of Joy and BMW Dynamic Performance Control takes the driving experience to a whole new level, across the range of driving dynamics.

Meanwhile, the Superbrain of Automated Driving supports our tried and tested ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance System). With its additional new AI-based system, it is one of the best in the world and creates the perfect symbiosis between cutting-edge sensor, software, processor and wireless technologies. This means the vehicle can handle even the most challenging of traffic situations. The automatic cruise control, for example, is deactivated not just by a light tap on the brake but by more intense braking. The enhanced BMW Motorway Assistant supports drivers from slip road to exit, even allowing them to take their hands off the wheel for longer periods at speeds of up to 130 km/h.

• The Superbrain of Automated Driving offers 20-times faster processing than previous systems. 
• New, improved features based on cutting-edge sensor, software, processor and wireless technologies.
• Symbiotic driver assistance with cooperative steering and – a world first – cooperative braking.
• The BMW iX3 features automatic cruise control, traffic sign recognition, front collision and lane departure warning as standard – along with lane change and priority warnings, safe exit and assisted view.

Reporting on the pre-drive, journalists were especially captivated by the BMW iX3’s driving dynamics, handling, electric range and BMW Panoramic Vision.

The series model of the BMW iX3 will make its world debut at the IAA Mobility in Munich in September.

* All figures are provisional and refer to a prototype BMW iX3 that is still in development. WLTP-based energy consumption information is not yet available.