SISYPHUS WAS HAPPY

The first car based on the Neue Klasse platform is here and it is headed to India early next year, before it does here's an indepth preview of what to expect

- YOGENDRA PRATAP

At some critical junctures in its history, BMW has made some crucial decisions for the way forward for the company in terms of products that have made it one of the premium automotive powerhouses of the world.

While there have been many such instances, one such was the launch of the Neue Klasse in the 1960s, that was critical to the company's survival and growth. For another crucial juncture in the company's journey, BMW once again announced the Neue Klasse back in 2021, a platform of electric vehicles that would spawn a family of six cars. Then it showcased two Neue Klasse concepts in 2023 and 2024 before the launch of the first of the new class of cars, the iX3. This will be followed by the 2nd Neue Klasse car, the i3 with the rest of the class following within the next 2 years.

The iX3 from the outside is not a radical design with a minimal, clean design and characteristics like the upright kidney grille taken from the previous Neue Klasse vehicles. The light elements Both at the front and the rear are futuristic and distinctive but apart from that it's a traditional two-box SUV silhouette that is pleasing to all and non-confrontational. While the front is upright and the side absolutely clean and smooth, the rear is more horizontal in appearance with a new interpretation of the rear BMW signature. The styling has helped the iX3 achieve class leading coefficient of drag of 0.24 that is one of the many benchmarks that the SUV creates.