BMW Unveils New Generation BMW iX3, Production Planned for 2026
Phoenixnet Technology News (Author/Li Rujin) September 5th, BMW Group held a global premiere event for the new generation BMW iX3 in Munich, while simultaneously launching a research and production base exploration live stream in Shenyang. According to sources, the new generation BMW iX3 is a milestone product for BMW's electrification and intelligentization transformation, which will officially debut by 2025 and enter mass production in 2026.
Design: Heritage and Technology
The new generation BMW iX3 adopts a " holistic" design language, retaining BMW's classic kidney grilles, angel eye headlights, and SAV vehicle typical proportions, while incorporating design elements from the 1960s BMW 1500 vehicle. Its exterior features an LED outline light integration with grille and lamp groups to form a "wing-like" front face, with hardware hidden beneath the lighting.
The cockpit design follows the concept of "less is more", prioritizing driving experience as its core. It features the first application of the "visual cone" concept, reducing driver's eye movement time and frequency. The cockpit includes 3D head-up display, panoramic horizon display, super-sensitive steering wheel, and four major interactive interfaces, aiming to achieve an operating experience of "hands always on the wheel, eyes always on the road".
The panoramic horizon display uses BMW's self-developed near-projection technology, replacing traditional instrument panels, projecting information onto a nanolayer-coated windscreen glass at the bottom black coating layer, supporting 4K-level display and unaffected by polarized sunglasses; the 3D head-up display is located above it, projecting navigation and autonomous driving information. The super-sensitive steering wheel adopts matrix backlight technology, with screens on both sides leaning 17.5° towards the driver, balancing visual experience and human factors engineering.
Technology: Focusing on Electric Drive, Intelligence, and Control
The new generation BMW iX3 features BMW's sixth-generation electric drive system, large cylindrical battery, and all-new 800V high-voltage platform. The battery pack adopts a "modular" design, with the core directly integrated into the battery pack and through "battery-body integration" technology fused into the vehicle structure. Its China-produced version can achieve 10-minute fast charging over 400km and CLTC range exceeding 900km.
The control system features BMW's self-developed "energy intelligence" system, supporting software remote upgrades; the dynamic system adopts a rear-axle electromagnetic synchronous motor upgrade combined with a new compact asynchronous motor, reducing energy losses by 40% and improving overall efficiency by 20%.
The intelligent architecture is based on a new electronic-electric framework, featuring four "super brains" running entertainment systems, driving assistance systems, driving dynamics control systems, and vehicle entry-related software platforms. The "shared service layer" handles network security protection and OTA upgrades.
The BMW iDrive X system runs on the "super brain", coordinating panoramic horizon display, 3D head-up display, and super-sensitive steering wheel content, integrating voice interaction, entertainment, and navigation functions. The BMW dynamic performance control system (Heart of Joy) achieves a response delay of less than 1 millisecond, information processing speed increased by 10 times compared to previous models, and first-time implementation in pure electric new-generation vehicles.
China Exclusive Version: Customization for Domestic Needs
The China-exclusive version of the new generation BMW iX3 is based on a new platform, with core technologies and multiple aspects customized and optimized. The operating system features a new BMW X-generation operation system fused into domestic digital ecosystems to optimize user experience for high-frequency interactions.
The driving assistance system features AI-powered smart assistant technology developed in collaboration with Ali Baba, capable of natural language communication, multi-agent coordination, and more.