BMW just lifted the curtain on its latest design concept – the BMW Vision Neue Klasse.
Apparently, this is what the next generation of BMW vehicles will look like and it says a lot about the direction the German automaker’s heading.
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The BMW Vision Neue Klasse was just unveiled at the Munich motor show.
It might be completely new, but it’s still covered in signature BMW design features.
For starters, it’s got that familiar kidney grille and double headlights.
Then there’s the powerful wheel arches, retractable greenhouse and steeply forward-slanting “shark nose”.
A nice little throwback are the 21-inch aerodynamic wheels, which pay tribute to the classic cross-spoke design inspired by motorsports.
But, at the same time, the BMW Vision Neue Klasse has an almost monolithic body unlike anything we’ve seen from the brand before.
Not only that, but strong indentations at the front and rear, as well as large windows, create a totally new look.
Inside the BMW Vision Neue Klasse there’s plenty of new tech to get excited about.
For starters, it features the next generation of BMW iDrive, which comes with Panoramic Vision.
This projects information at the ideal height into the driver’s line of sight and, for the first time, across the entire width of the windshield.
The next generation of iDrive allows both the driver and front passenger to interact with the information, too.
What’s really noticeable are the number of analogue operating controls, which BMW says have been reduced to a minimum.
Instead, interaction takes place through the BMW Panoramic Vision, the central display, and multifunction buttons on the steering wheel.
Of course, the system comes with the tried-and-tested voice control of the BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant.
Another noticeable omission from the interior design is decorative chrome and leather, which BMW says helps optimize the carbon footprint of the production process.
Speaking of CO2 reduction, the Neue Klasse comes with a fully-electric drive train with sixth-generation BMW eDrive technology.
It’s got two electric motors with 20 percent more juice than before.
Charging speeds and range have both been upped by up to 30 percent, and efficiency has increased by 25 percent.
The BMW Vision Neue Klasse is supposed to be the biggest investment in the company’s history.
No word on when we’ll see its design come to fruition in future model generations, but it certainly signals an exciting new era for BMW.
