The next era of BMW is edging closer as the firm enters late-stage testing of its first Neue Klasse electric car: the 2026 iX3 SUV.

Previewed last year by the bold Neue Klasse Vision X concept (below), the second-generation iX3 will be the first of BMW's new family of EVs, riding on the Gen6 platform, which promises significant improvements in range, functionality and cost.

The iX3 will be revealed later this year and launched in 2026 as a rival to the Audi Q6 E-tron, Polestar 3 and forthcoming electric Mercedes-Benz GLC.

It will be followed soon after by an electric BMW 3 Series saloon, itself modelled on the striking Neue Klasse concept.

The iX3 is now coming towards the end of its development cycle with a hot weather testing programme in South Africa, suggesting its unveiling is on the horizon. BMW has yet to give a date, but the firm has hosted a number of important reveals at its home motor show in Munich in recent years, so the September event seems a likely venue.

Specific details on the Gen6 platform remain under wraps, but BMW has confirmed it will be equipped with 800V electrical hardware for rapid charging and accommodate batteries that are 20% more energy-dense than today's packs - boosting range by as much as 30% and efficiency by 20%. 

The platform also houses a new generation of lighter and more efficient electric motors, accommodating up to four in the most potent of BMW's new EVs, although the iX3 is likely to offer just the choice of single- or dual-motor powertrains, initially at least.

The combustion-engined BMW X3, the firm’s current best seller, will continue to be sold alongside the new iX3. The fourth generation of the SUV was launched in June last year with petrol, diesel and plug-in hybrid powertrains.