BMW Confirms Next Neue Klasse EV Coming This Fall
by Adrian Padeanu · BMWBLOGArticle Summary
- BMW’s new Hungarian plant is about to add a second model, likely one closely related to the iX3.
- iX4 or not, its world premiere is just around the corner.
- Reports claim the iX4 (NA7) will hit the assembly line in November.
The world’s largest luxury automaker is about to give its new Hungarian factory another job. The Debrecen plant has just switched to around-the-clock production to keep up with demand for the iX3, but the electric SUV won’t be the only Neue Klasse model coming out of Hungary for much longer. BMW will add a second model to the assembly line this fall, and all signs point to the first-ever iX4.
The timing is interesting. BMW has confirmed that a second model will enter production at Debrecen this fall without saying what it is. However, we’ve known for a while that the iX4, codenamed NA7, is most likely earmarked for the new Hungarian plant. Earlier reports pointed to November as the start of series production, which means the world premiere should be right around the corner.
Unlike the X4 that bowed out, the iX4 won’t offer gasoline or diesel power. BMW is turning the coupe-SUV into an electric-only model as part of its Neue Klasse offensive. The defunct G02 ended production last year without a combustion-powered successor, making the iX4 an indirect replacement rather than a conventional next-generation X4.
The iX4 Is Shaping Up To Be A Looker
As our speculative rendering shows, expect plenty of commonality with the iX3 up front, but things get considerably more interesting behind the B-pillar. Spy shots have shown a dramatically sloped roofline, giving the iX4 a much more pronounced coupe profile than even the old X4. The trade-off should be less rear headroom and cargo space, but that’s hardly a surprise when style takes priority over practicality.
Under the skin, the relationship with the iX3 should be just as obvious. The iX4 is expected to borrow just about everything from its conventionally shaped sibling. Beyond the usual 40 and 50 models, there should also be a hotter M60 and even a full-blown X4 M (ZA7). The latter will be an entirely different animal by featuring a quad-motor setup lifted straight from the upcoming electric M3 (ZA0). We’re hearing it’ll have 800+ horsepower, but nothing is official until BMW says so.
Three-Shift Production Is Already Underway At Debrecen
For now, the big takeaway is that the iX4 is no longer just a wild rumor, even though BMW hasn’t officially confirmed its name. The company is preparing its Debrecen factory for a second Neue Klasse model just as the plant ramps up to three-shift, 24/7 production. With the iX3 already surpassing 50,000 units built there and 100,000 orders secured, the iX4 will join an already established star in the Neue Klasse constellation.
But before the iX4 goes official, BMW will pull the wraps off another major debut: the next-generation 3 Series. Munich will reveal the G50 at the end of September, complete with the M350 xDrive as the range-topping version.
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