“Our promise is that the Neue Klasse will do so many things differently but some things will stay the same.”
The Vision Neue Klasse is clearly an evolution of the outlandish i Vision Dee concept that BMW showed at CES in Las Vegas earlier this year, drawing on that car’s sharp-angled silhouette (which Dukec refers to as a two-and-a-half-box shape, rather than a full three-box) but with wide-reaching refinements that paint it more obviously as a close preview of a production car.
BMW has labelled it “clear, elegant, timeless”, highlighting features that will become hallmarks of the Neue Klasse line-up, including a broader, horizontal interpretation of the firm’s kidney grilles, expansive side windows, slimline LED light designs and a “monolithic” silhouette, which is, according to Dukec, “much cleaner in its surfacing and details” than those of recent BMW cars.
Not only does this promote a fresh, futuristic treatment, it also means Neue Klasse cars can be made with simpler tooling and fewer components.
The front end is described as a “single interaction area”, with the headlights programmed to display an animation when users approach the car.
“Light has helped us strengthen our identity in recent years,” explained Dukec, adding that BMW wants “to replace chrome with light”.