BMW LAUNCHES NEUE KLASSE WITH GLOBAL DEBUT OF ELECTRIC iX3
BMW has unveiled the Neue Klasse in Munich, marking its biggest investment to date and a new era of electrification, digitalisation and sustainable design.
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BMW has launched a new brand era with the global debut of its Neue Klasse in Munich, laying the foundation for the company’s future in electrification, digitalisation and circularity.
The Neue Klasse represents BMW’s largest-ever investment and applies not only to an all-new generation of vehicles arriving from late 2025 into 2026, but also to technologies, manufacturing processes and operations across the company’s value chain.
The name evokes the pivotal 1961 launch of the original Neue Klasse, which introduced the 1500 sedan and helped re-establish BMW as a global automotive force.
At the heart of the 2025 debut is the fully electric iX3 Sports Activity Vehicle, one of six models to be launched with Neue Klasse DNA over the next two years.
The iX3 integrates BMW’s latest electric drive system with a driving range of up to 805 kilometres (WLTP) and high-speed charging capability. Its design references BMW heritage with monolithic surfaces, precise lines and a new light signature.
Inside, the cabin is bright and expansive, showcasing innovations such as the Panoramic iDrive, which projects key information across the windscreen on a specially developed 43.3-inch surface.
Other features include a 17.9-inch Central Display in free-cut design, a floating instrument panel with backlit fabric, large window surfaces and a panoramic sunroof. Sustainability has been a core focus, with BMW citing a 42 per cent smaller carbon footprint in the supply chain compared with the previous model.
The iX3 also introduces new computing power, including the “Heart of Joy” system that manages the drive system to deliver greater efficiency and driving pleasure.
Oliver Zipse, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG, said the Neue Klasse represents a landmark transformation for the brand.
“The Neue Klasse is our biggest future-focused project and marks a huge leap forward in terms of technologies, driving experience and design,” he said.
“Practically everything about it is new, yet it is also more BMW than ever. What started as a bold vision has now become reality: the BMW iX3 is the first Neue Klasse model to go into series production.”
Production of the iX3 will begin at BMW’s new plant in Debrecen, Hungary, later this year. Vehicles for the Australian market will enter production from March 2026, with local deliveries expected by mid-2026.
The first variant for Australia will be the BMW iX3 50 xDrive.
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Rolls-Royce has partnered with contemporary artist Cyril Kongo on five hand-painted Black Badge Cullinan commissions blending street art, luxury craftsmanship and collector culture.
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Luxury carmakers have long flirted with fashion and art, but Rolls-Royce’s latest collaboration pushes further into collector territory.
The British marque has unveiled five bespoke Black Badge Cullinan commissions created in collaboration with internationally recognised contemporary artist Cyril Kongo, whose graffiti-inspired works have appeared on everything from haute horology pieces to private aircraft.
The project, curated through Rolls-Royce Private Offices in New York, Seoul and Goodwood, transforms the luxury SUV into what the company describes as a “one-of-one collector’s piece”.
A hand-painted ‘Kongoverse’
Each vehicle features individually hand-painted interiors inspired by Kongo’s self-described “Kongoverse”, a visual world shaped by imagined planets, mathematical formulas, symbols and quantum physics references.
The artworks extend across the Starlight Headliner, fascia, centre console, picnic tables and rear waterfall section, with more than 70 paint colours used throughout the process.
One of the project’s standout details is the hand-painted Starlight Headliner, where Kongo worked alongside Rolls-Royce engineers to place all 1,344 illuminated stars individually.
The vehicles also introduce several firsts for the brand, including a gradient coachline with colour transitions and different coloured brake callipers behind each wheel.
Collector culture meets contemporary art
Born in Toulouse in 1969, Kongo first emerged from the Paris graffiti scene before becoming a sought-after name among luxury collectors and global brands.
Rolls-Royce said the collaboration reflects growing interest among high-net-worth collectors in contemporary and street art-inspired commissions.
The launch also forms part of the 10-year anniversary celebrations for the Black Badge family, Rolls-Royce’s darker and more performance-focused sub-brand introduced in 2016.
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