A PREVIEW of BMW's future has come with the first glimpse of its Neue Klasse as an SAV.

The BMW Vision Neue Klasse X brings the aesthetics, technology, sustainability, and philosophy of the Neue Klasse to the sports activity vehicles sector and the first fully-electric derivative on the new architecture will go into series production at BMW's new Plant Debrecen in Hungary in 2025.

"Together with the BMW Vision Neue Klasse, the BMW Vision Neue Klasse X showcases the breadth of our future BMW model line-up. The Neue Klasse reflects the variety of all the models that customers want today and in the future - from sporty sedan, with all its derivatives, to modern SAV family," said Oliver Zipse, chairman of the board of management of BMW AG.

"In this way, we are underlining that the Neue Klasse is much more than just a car or a specific concept; it is redefining the BMW brand - and, at the same time, will be more BMW than ever."

BMW showed a saloon version of the Neue Klasse at the IAA in Germany last year.

The latest Vision Vehicle now illustrates how BMW sees the future of its X models.

Frank Weber, member of the board of management of BMW AG responsible for development, said: "The BMW of the future will have four totally new super-brains: high-performance computers working smartly together on what, up until now, was processed separately.

"We developed the first super-brain completely in-house. It integrates the entire powertrain and driving dynamics with up to ten times more computing power. The second super-brain will enable the next quantum leap in automated driving.

"Going forward, we will combine four key control units in a single high-performance computer. The result will be more dynamic performance, more precision, more efficiency and even more fun to drive."

The Neue Klasse X has vertically aligned LED units which are a fresh interpretation of BMW's hallmark light signature.

Front and centre is the BMW kidney grille, reimagined as a three-dimensional sculpture with vertically aligned and backlit contours. Together, the headlights and kidney grille create a lighting effect that is activated as the driver approaches the vehicle and continues in the interior.

The rear section has lights that reach far into the centre and provide a horizontal interpretation of the familiar BMW L shape. Its 3D-printed elements are individually controlled with variable light intensity to convey a particularly expressive depth effect.

Inside, there is a redesigned steering wheel with multifunction buttons, a Central Display with intuitive touch control functionality and BMW Panoramic Vision, together with advanced voice control.

BMW Panoramic Vision projects key information across the full width of the windscreen and will be complemented in production models of the Neue Klasse by the enhanced BMW 3D head-up display.

In combination with the two-box design of a BMW X model, the pared-down design language of the Neue Klasse allows an increased ground clearance and a more spacious interior.

The BMW Vision Neue Klasse X will also have an onborad elctric storage system allowing it to be capable of running equipment away from the car - or even back to a home supply.