by The Bavarians have officially confirmed the development of a new electric i3 Touring wagon. This was announced in a comment to Autocar magazine by the Head of Design of the BMW Group, Adrian van Hooydonk. According to him, the growing popularity of the M3 Touring and M5 Touring models indicates a stable demand for cars with a “wagon” body style — including among electric vehicle enthusiasts.
The i3 Touring will become the second model of the new Neue Klasse family — a line of electric vehicles built on a cutting-edge platform that combines an innovative design approach, efficient powertrains, and an increased driving range. The first production model of the Neue Klasse will be the new BMW iX3, which will debut earlier. For it, electric powertrains with a power output ranging from 300 to over 1000 hp are already being prepared, as well as batteries with a capacity that will allow for up to 800 km on a single charge.
The i3 itself in the new generation will receive two body types — sedan and wagon. The model will be positioned as a direct competitor to the Tesla Model 3, but with BMW’s traditional attention to dynamics, comfort, and build quality. According to preliminary data, the premiere of the i3 Touring wagon will take place in 2026.
Regarding design — the VDX concept recently presented at the auto show in Shanghai serves as a benchmark for the future look of the “electric wagon.” It almost copies last year’s Vision Neue Klasse show car, with its characteristic lowered window line, three-dimensional LED “kidney” grille, and an aggressive front bumper with a splitter.
All Neue Klasse models will receive the new Panoramic iDrive X multimedia system. In the show car, its central display had a 17.9-inch diagonal, and above it stretched a narrow screen from pillar to pillar. The final implementation in production versions has not yet been revealed.
