The Vision Neue Klasse X is a brand-new concept automobile from BMW that the company claims will guide the development of its upcoming electrified vehicle lineup. This crossover SUV has BMW’s iconic kidney-shaped grille (quite distinctive, but more on that in a moment) and a slew of cutting-edge features, particularly in relation to its electric and battery architecture, which bode well for the brand’s future.

The carmaker has been preparing for the next phase of its EV development for years. The Neue Klasse is the name of the third phase, the first of which should be introduced in 2025. Prior to that, the carmaker has been steadily introducing new electric vehicles, including as the iX small SUV and EV versions of the 4, 5, and 7 Series.

The company’s Vision Neue Klasse SUV was unveiled last fall and is called the Vision Neue Klasse X (what a mouthful!). However, the X is referred to as a “SAV,” or sport activity vehicle, and BMW claims that it will eventually grow into a full family of connected cars.

“We are underlining that the Neue Klasse is much more than just a car or a specific concept,” Oliver Zipse, chairman of the board of management of BMW AG, said in a statement. “It is redefining the BMW brand — and, at the same time, will be more BMW than ever.”

The car has a very BMW-like appearance. The automaker has transformed its iconic kidney grille design into a “three-dimensional sculpture with vertically aligned and backlit corridors,” making it much more conspicuous than normal. And when the driver gets closer to the car, it illuminates.

An electric car, of course, has no need for a grille because it doesn’t have an internal combustion engine that requires cooling. Seeing how BMW has changed their approach to the grille has been interesting, particularly as EV motors start to replace engines. This new version will definitely provoke a lot of interesting interpretations!

However, the grille is only the cherry on top. BMW is proposing some of its most intriguing ideas for the future of electric vehicles in relation to the powertrain, and more especially the battery. BMW claims that the spherical battery cells have 20% more energy density than the prismatic cells present in the majority of EV batteries. The battery, when paired with the 800-volt design of the car, allows for up to 30% faster than usual charging rates. According to BMW, this will enable the EV to go 300 kilometers (about 186 miles) in 10 minutes.

Since BMWs usually outperform in terms of range, this new architecture means the brand will keep up its remarkable performance in that area. While the Vision Neue Klasse X’s total range was kept a secret, BMW did say that it will provide roughly 30% more range than earlier models.

Additional range enhancements have been contemplated, such as a 20 percent decrease in drag in comparison to the existing model portfolio. The total package, according to BMW, also includes new tires and upgraded brakes to increase efficiency by 25%.

Future cars will require sophisticated computers to run their systems, and BMW is happy to report that they have four of them. The four computers, dubbed “super-brains,” are expected to “take the driving experience… to a new dimension.” Not quite, but rather the four unique “high-performance computers working smartly together on what, up until now, was processed separately,” according to a statement from BMW AG’s development board member Frank Weber.

The first super-brain, created entirely internally, combines “ten times more computing power” to integrate driving dynamics and powertrain. According to BMW, the company’s next super-brain will lead its future automated driving initiatives.

The interior is filled with eco-friendly materials, including marine plastics and repurposed fishing nets, as well as “Verdana,” a surface substance made entirely of plants, minerals, and petroleum. The car itself will also be produced later this year in a facility that, according to the company, is built to run entirely on renewable energy sources instead of fossil fuels.

A roomier cabin is made possible by a shorter overhang and longer-than-usual wheelbase, and boy, does it look good. The greenhouse is well-lit thanks to its large windows and thin pillars, which complement the gorgeous materials. The large heads-up display, which fills the entire windshield, is counterbalanced by the touchscreen positioned in the center.

According to earlier rumors, the Vision Neue Klasse X will resemble the BMW X3 in size. It may eventually take the position of the SUV as the iX3 model, which is now offered in a number of international countries.