The Mysterious BMW Sedan
Is BMW preparing a completely new four-door sedan to expand the Neue Klasse family? The future fully electric i3 sedan has already been confirmed for the lineup, following the second-generation iX3, but on its own website, BMW has now presented something unexpected: a sporty model inspired by the Neue Klasse that has never been seen before.
Digital Representative
This mysterious car was added to the German page for the new iX3 and serves to demonstrate some of the driver assistance systems for the iX3. Short clips, which are fully animated, demonstrate functions such as radar cruise control, automatic sign recognition, and BMW’s new autonomous lane-changing function. The operation of the BMW Parking Assistant Professional system is also shown, allowing for entering and exiting parking spaces using the BMW app.
Differences from the i3
The car created to demonstrate these driving and parking assistance systems carries the design language of the Neue Klasse but looks noticeably different from the new i3, which has been seen both in recurring concept form and recently in camouflaged pre-production prototype guise.
At the front, it has stylized kidney grilles paired with thin LED headlights, while the smooth side surfaces are complemented by flush-mounted door handles. At the rear, narrow tail lights complete the exterior appearance, and overall the car looks wider and more substantial than the i3. Another notable detail is the use of production-style exterior mirrors, which is uncharacteristic of more futuristic concept cars.
Hidden Teaser or Digital Model?
These vehicles are usually referred to as “computer-generated concept vehicles,” although it is somewhat surprising that the company took the trouble to develop a new concept specifically for this purpose, rather than using the iX3 to demonstrate these autonomous functions.
Possible Scenarios
Could a car similar to this one enter series production? Possibly, especially if BMW is considering a successor to the i4 Gran Coupe, as the proportions and stance suggest it could serve as a sportier counterpart to the i3. On the other hand, the company may not intend to add another fully electric sedan to the Neue Klasse lineup, instead allowing this computer design to influence smaller stylistic elements of future models.
The appearance of this concept raises questions about BMW’s future strategy in the electric sedan segment. While the company has not officially commented on its intentions, the use of a realistic design with production elements may indicate that we are seeing an early stage of development for a potential new model. Technology demonstrations often serve as a testing ground for public reaction to new design solutions before final decisions about production are made.