Sorry, 2025’s Most Interesting Car Isn’t Chinese Or American

I have always had a soft spot for BMW.

Of the six cars I have owned, four wore a BMW badge. A 318i E30. Two X5s. A 335 wagon. They were balanced, confident, and built by people who understood how a car should feel.

But somewhere along the way, I needed a change.

The design became louder. The grilles became larger. The quiet confidence that once defined the brand was replaced by something that felt like it was trying too hard to be noticed. Call it design schizophrenia.

However, the new iX3 Neue Klasse feels like the moment they may have found their vibe again.

Call it a step back to BMW’s roots.

This Is The Face That Will ‘Fix’ BMW

Like it or not, everything starts with the front end.

Those new vertical illuminated kidney grilles are slim and deliberate. They give the car presence without arrogance. The vertical light signatures that frame them feel modern but still recognisably BMW.

It is the first BMW face in years that feels comfortable in its own skin.

The rest of the body follows the same logic. Clean surfaces. Sharp shoulders. Smooth proportions. Door handles that sit flush until you need them. Every detail feels intentional.

Toight, like a tiger.

There is restraint here. A calmness in the form that reminds you what BMW used to do so well. Design maturity. It is clarity after a decade of loud noises.

The iX3 is also the first model to use BMW’s Neue Klasse platform. It is a pure electric foundation designed from day one to be efficient and dynamic.

The dual-motor 50 xDrive version produces around 345 kilowatts and 645 newton metres of torque. It reaches 100 kilometres an hour in just under five seconds. Which is respectable. The power delivery is said to be smooth and progressive, without the harsh immediacy that makes some EVs feel clinical. A drivers EV? Time will tell.

It runs an 800 volt electrical system capable of charging at up to 400 kilowatts. A quick ten minute stop adds more than 300 kilometres of range. BMW claims up to 805 kilometres in total. Even if it achieves less in real world driving, it is still impressive.

Beneath it sits the Heart of Joy, a central computing system that manages torque, braking, and balance in real time.

Inside, the new Panoramic iDrive display stretches under the windscreen, blending driving data with entertainment into one continuous band. The main screen sits clean and uncluttered in the centre of the dash. It feels like BMW finally remembered who the driver is supposed to be.

Plenty of bells and whistles to keep the tech nerds happy, but also it appears to be intuative and useful.

Why This All Matters Right Now

When the iX3 arrives in Australia, expect it to start around $100,000. That positions it close to the Tesla Model Y Performance, but this feels far more premium. It is a BMW, after all.

This is the car for people who want the benefits of an EV without feeling like they are driving a ride on Lithium battery. It will appeal to luxury car buyers who want refinement and range but are not ready to join the Tesla or Chinese EV ecosystem.

If BMW can bring it in under the ATO’s luxury car threshold for fuel efficient vehicles, which currently sits just under ninety thousand dollars before on roads, this could become a very attractive option for company car buyers and executives who want something practical, stylish, and tax smart.

It is impossible to ignore the M3 when talking about BMW design. The front end of that car was one of the most divisive designs in modern automotive history. The so called beaver tooth grille became a talking point for all the wrong reasons.

I accepted it, but I never loved it. I know people who would not buy the car because of that face.

The Neue Klasse front end feels like a correction. It is assertive but not aggressive. Modern but not desperate for attention. It brings BMW back to a place of control.

Design chief Adrian van Hooydonk has already confirmed that this new look will extend across the entire lineup. SUVs like the iX3 will wear the upright version, while sedans and coupes like the next M3 and 3 Series will take a wider, flatter form.

There is a good chance the illuminated grille treatment will remain exclusive to the electric range, giving BMW a clear visual split between the combustion and electric worlds. That makes sense. Two design directions, one identity.

The best part is that BMW models are starting to look related again. For years, it felt like every department was designing its own version of the brand. Now there is a shared visual DNA.

It brings back proportion, precision, and personality. It looks forward without forgetting where it came from.

For years, I have looked at BMW’s electric cars and thought they were interesting, but not for me.

This one feels different. And that is coming from someone who is a wagon guy through and through.

I live for long roofs, practicality, and the sound of something with cylinders. I drive an RS4 because it fits that philosophy perfectly.

But this iX3 has me thinking.

What would it take to get me out of the RS4 and into something electric?

This could be the one.