A prototype of the next-generation BMW iX1, codenamed NB5, has been spotted running hot-weather tests in Spain wearing the same swirly camouflage it’s carried since last September. The wrap is thick enough to blur body lines but too thin to hide what’s underneath: a ground-up Neue Klasse car, not a warmed-over version of the current U11.
The vertical kidney grille gives it away instantly. Even under disguise, the nose protrudes slightly and runs tall, matching the treatment BMW already uses on the iX3 and iX5. That design language is becoming the marker for BMW’s crossovers and SUVs, while sedans like the i3 get a flatter, horizontally integrated grille.
Electrically operated door handles sit proud of the bodywork on the prototype, identical to those on the iX3. But there’s a catch. BMW already had to redesign the handles on the long-wheelbase i3 and iX3 to satisfy stricter Chinese safety regulations around flush mechanisms, and the iX1 will almost certainly face the same rework before it reaches showrooms there.
Out back, the license plate has migrated lower on the tailgate, and a horizontal bulge running across the width hints at near-full-width taillights split by the roundel. It’s a family look BMW has been telegraphing for months across its entire Neue Klasse lineup.
The deeper story isn’t cosmetic. The current iX1 shares its bones with the combustion X1, which means it’s a front-wheel-drive car at its core. The Neue Klasse platform doesn’t support front-wheel drive at all, so every variant of the next iX1, including the base model, starts with rear-wheel drive.
BMW is skipping the traditional mid-cycle LCI refresh for the electric iX1 entirely. That’s not without precedent, since the F40 1 Series and F44 2 Series Gran Coupe both went without one. But the decision underscores how different the next car is from the current one, because there’s no point refreshing a car whose fundamental architecture is being replaced.
Sixth-generation cylindrical battery cells come with the platform switch. BMW claims roughly 20 percent greater energy density than the current pack, and charging speed should exceed the outgoing car’s 130 kW ceiling, though a specific number hasn’t been confirmed.
Inside, iDrive X brings the pillar-to-pillar Panoramic Vision windshield projection and fewer physical controls. Whether the compact crossover gets the 17.9-inch central touchscreen from larger Neue Klasse models remains an open question. The optional passenger display from the iX5 almost certainly won’t trickle down.
The gas-powered X1 takes a different path. It keeps its front-wheel-drive underpinnings and picks up Neue Klasse styling cues and interior tech without the platform swap. Production reportedly starts in 2027, with the electric iX1 following later that same year on the actual Neue Klasse architecture and first deliveries likely stretching into 2028.
BMW hasn’t officially confirmed any of this, which is standard practice until a car gets closer to its public debut. But the testing campaign tells its own story. From the Arctic Circle to the Nurburgring to southern Spain, the NB5 has been running hard for nearly a year.
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