With the iX3 and i3, BMW is moving toward a new design language that will extend to other body styles. Beyond SUVs and sedans, a new wagon in the shape of the next-generation 3 Series Touring has already been promised. Additionally, we expect the Neue Klasse aesthetic to reach hatchbacks and coupes as well. Ideally, a new convertible will follow to fill the void left by the discontinuation of the Z4 and 8 Series. Meanwhile, the 4 Series is sticking around for a while, and an i4 Coupe might indirectly replace it in the years to come.
As with the outgoing design language, BMW will do more than simply scale the format up or down. In an interview this week at the i3 sedan’s unveiling in Munich, Adrian van Hooydonk promised a certain degree of variety within the unified design language. The German luxury automaker pledges to avoid the same-sausage-different-length approach by not cloning the look of the i3 and iX3 across other models.
“This design language will encompass the entire brand, and in the not-too-distant future you will see a few more [models]. So, pretty quickly, you will see how this design language spans over the entire portfolio. But, within that, each and every one of our cars will have its own distinct character.”
There’s already an obvious differentiation between the two Neue Klasse models launched so far. Aside from their body styles, the iX3 and i3 have different grilles. BMW opted for vertical kidney grilles on the crossover, whereas the sedan has a wider grille blending into the headlights. Early in the design phase, the i3 shared the iX3’s grille, but the design team deemed it “too retro” for the sedan and ultimately opted for a horizontal grille layout. At the back, the crossover’s taillights are considerably more pronounced than the sedan’s slimmer clusters.
Adrian van Hooydonk also told us that it feels as if BMW is “almost skipping one generation” with its new styling direction. The design boss argued, “It looks that clean,” referencing the focus on smoother surfaces with fewer creases and edges. Both the iX3 and i3 look radically different from the models they replace, and that revolution continues inside.
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As with the exterior, the cabins of both models have little in common with their predecessors. There’s less conventional switchgear than ever before. Instead, the 17.9-inch touchscreen takes center stage, paired with Panoramic Vision. The latter, also offered as standard, is effectively a pillar-to-pillar projection at the base of the windshield. Elsewhere, the digital instrument cluster is gone, as is the iDrive rotary knob. The HVAC controls have all moved to the main screen, and these changes will be applied across the lineup.
BMW plans to launch around 40 new models by the end of 2027. The iX3 and i3 will be followed in April by the facelifted 7 Series and the long-wheelbase iX3. Sometime this summer, the next-gen X5 will break cover. The 3 Series Touring we mentioned earlier is expected to arrive in 2027, likely after the first-ever iX4. Next year will also bring the 5 Series LCI, second-generation X7, and possibly the Neue Klasse iX1.
There will be some commonality across these products, but Adrian van Hooydonk’s statement suggests BMW will avoid the Matryoshka doll approach adopted by some of its main rivals.
First published by https://www.bmwblog.com
Source: https://www.bmwblog.com/2026/03/22/bmw- ... every-car/