BMW Vision Neue Klasse X vs Tesla Model Y: Will the Bestseller Flinch?

BMW Vision Neue Klasse X was unveiled during the company's yearly report on Thursday, following its sister project Vision Neue Klasse in September 2023. As you guessed, the former is the design study of a Sports Activity Vehicle (SAV), which will enter production as the successor to the BMW iX3 next year. The Vision Neue Klasse sedan, on the other hand, will likely influence the upcoming BMW i3, which this time will reincarnate as the successor to the 3 Series Sedan.

Although the Vision Neue Klasse X is merely a design study for now, it will likely start production with minor modifications. The concept is mature enough for series production, although there are details that will surely change in the next year. Among them are adopting more conventional door handles and replacing side cameras with classic mirrors. Also, we will see more cluttered bumpers in the front and rear as BMW will have to install various sensors and cameras.

While the exterior design is close enough to the production form, the cabin will necessitate more work. Sure, the dashboard and all the displays might not change much, but the steering wheel and other controls will certainly face a reality check when the engineers and accountants have their say. Other than that, what you see is mostly what you'll get next year when the series model starts production at the BMW factory in Hungary.

This, alongside the few technical details BMW offered, makes us confident that we can compare the BMW SAV with its direct opponent, the Tesla Model Y. While many dismissed it at first as a bloated Model 3, Tesla's crossover quickly became not only the best-selling electric car but also the most-sold vehicle of any type in the world. If BMW wants its Neue Klasse architecture to succeed, the upcoming iX3 must beat the Model Y as the public's favorite.

Visually, the BMW crossover is already well ahead of the Model Y, which has a rather bland design. Tesla's electric crossover might not be the most exciting automotive design, but it has its fans. Besides that, it has been thoroughly optimized for aerodynamic efficiency, and its shape is the result of this function. You can't find a more efficient electric vehicle outside Tesla's stable, so we should give credit where credit is due.

For its part, BMW is confident that the Neue Klasse X can compete with the best in the industry in terms of efficiency. Although BMW doesn't yet disclose the Neue Klasse X's drag coefficient, it claims that drag was reduced by 20 percent compared to the current iX3. BMW also announced new tire designs and a special brake system, increasing overall vehicle efficiency by up to 25 percent.

As different as the Vision Neue Klasse is from the Tesla Model Y from the outside, the cabin borrows more than a page from the Tesla's book. The touchscreen-heavy human-machine interface is what Tesla pioneered, with an uncluttered cockpit and hardly any physical button. The series production model might change a little, but the trend will remain.

What sets the Neue Klasse X apart from the Tesla Model Y is the BMW Panoramic Vision. This is an information strip stretching over the windshield's full width used to project key information related to the drive. The BMW SAV will also feature an enhanced version of the BMW 3D Head-Up Display, something Tesla has yet to offer on any of its models. This will allow drivers to choose their preferred method to interact with the car, including via the advanced voice control of the BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant.

The sixth generation of the BMW eDrive borrows another feature from Tesla: the round, bigger battery cells. Replacing the prismatic cells of the current BMW EVs is a bold move, especially as the round cells are very similar to the famous 4680 cells Tesla uses for the Cybertruck. Although Tesla also sold a Model Y with the same cells in the past, it has discontinued it to focus on the Cybertruck production. There's a small difference between Tesla's cells and the ones BMW will use. Specifically, BMW announced taller cells, at 95 mm and 120 mm, respectively, compared to Tesla's 80 mm.

It's unclear which size will go into the future iX3 model. Still, BMW is confident the new format will bring 30 percent more range, 30 percent faster charging, and 25 percent more energy density than the current cells used for the iX3. Unlike the Tesla Model Y, the Neue Klasse X will feature an 800-volt architecture, allowing it to add 300 km (186 miles) of range in 10 minutes of charging. This means BMW believes it has more advanced battery cells than Tesla, whose 4680 cells have not impressed with their charging performance.