It’s a truism in the automotive industry: Nobody hates BMWs more than BMW fans. Like most automakers, the German driver-focused brand adopts a new design scheme for its cars once a decade or so. It usually goes over poorly in Internet comment sections, but it always sells extremely well.
The cycle is about to begin again.
In an interview with the U.K.’s Autocar, BMW product lead Bernd Körber says the brand will launch its latest design language in September at the Munich Motor Show.
Oddly, it’s possible the move will go over well this time.
We’ve Seen It. It’s Great.
The new design language adopts a name from BMW history, Neue Klasse (you guessed it – it translates to “new class”). The automaker used that name for its simple, clean, late 1960s designs. In late 2023, it showed off a pair of design concepts resurrecting the name and, in many ways, the simplicity of those beloved designs.
The Vision Neue Klasse sedan and Vision Neue Klasse X SUV are all-electric. But Autocar reports that the company “will completely overhaul its current combustion-powered lineup, starting with a heavily updated 5 Series, to bring these models into line with a range of incoming Neue Klasse electric cars.”
The first electric car to get the new look will be the iX3 SUV, a compact SUV similar in size to the X3. “The next 3 Series will follow shortly,” the magazine reports, coming as an electric vehicle (EV) first, with combustion-powered versions coming soon after.
It will then roll through the entire lineup, even “models that are not yet due for replacement, to ensure a coherent, logical lineup.”
Körber adds, “The rollout will be within three and a half years across the entire portfolio.”
Inspired by Classics
The two concept cars seen so far use simple shapes that call back to the Bimmers of the 1960s and ‘70s. They abandon the controversial, oversized kidney grille of many current models. The SUV concept does use a taller two-kidney treatment in the center of the front fascia, but fans may be relieved to see its smaller size.
Inside, the concept cars use technologies that are not yet common, including transparent images projected onto windows and a personal assistant that gives the cars personality. Those futuristic features may not be available on the first of the new Neue Klasse cars.