BMW’s first “Neue Klasse” vehicle hasn’t even hit the roads in the US, but it seems like we’ve already gotten a good look at the third. The upcoming iX5 (an upcoming electric X5 built on the Neue Klasse platform) was spotted testing in Europe by one of AutoNotion’s photographers.
The version we spotted is rocking noticeably less camouflage than previous prototypes, which makes the “Neue Klasse” styling stand out more. Fan of variety may be a bit disappointed, as the vehicle does really resemble a larger iX3. But to be honest, most companies pick a vehicle design and scale it up or down depending on model. This isn’t new for BMW, just as with Volkswagen, Tesla, Ford, and any other major manufacturer.
The headlights are heavily masked, so there could be a surprise for us further down the line there. Maybe BMW is slapping its circular logo in the middle just as Mercedes is making every light structure star studded these days? Or maybe not.
Mechanical door handles are also missing from the vehicle, which could mean a bit of trouble down the line if legislation keeps progressing as expected. It could also be a major point of difference between the iX5 and Lucid’s upcoming midsize vehicles, which are shaping up to be the German manufacturer’s main competition in the electric SUV segment.
A lot of this isn’t particularly standout, it was either expected or something we’ve seen elsewhere. But there is one closeup detail that may confirm BMW intends to go all out when it comes to the iX5 M70’s performance.
The iX5 M70 is rumored to be all about performance, and the photos back that up
The wheels themselves are a bit newsworthy, though not really BMW news. The iX5 seems to be rocking a set of Michelin Pilot Sport 6s, which aren’t even out yet. The Pilot Sport 5 was only launched back in 2023, so there could be some big news on the horizon from Michelin.
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BMW dropping the iX5 M70 on a set of unreleased high-performance tires suggests a huge leap in performance. While Pilot Sports have cropped up on plenty of BMWs in the past, they are very high performance tires made from cutting edge compounds, which suggests the iX5 M70 will be putting out a lot of torque.
The rims themselves appear to be 23 inches in diameter, which would be big news on something non-electric, but performance EVs have the torque to handle what would historically be obscenely large rims. It is worth noting that bigger rims do hit range, so the leap in size from the iX3 (20 to 22 inches) along with the added weight may see the iX3 M70 get less distance than its little brother. Unless BMW is packing some extra batteries, or increased battery tech in there.
Rumors suggest the iX5 M70 could leave the company’s current electric performance SUV, the iX M70, in the dust. Putting out over 700 horsepower through a multi-motor setup. The large brake rotors also play into this. Oddly enough, in normal use EVs tend to give the brakes a bit of a break, slowing the car with its motors and pulling back a bit of energy while doing so. The hefty brakes on the prototype suggest a lot of speed and weight is going to have to be mitigated pretty quickly in this thing.
I’ve driven the iX M70, and it has an incredible amount of punch. You do have to wonder how much room for improvement there really is on something I’d describe as “a bit violent” when you get your foot down in sport mode. But you know what, I’m all here for it.
BMW is set to unveil the iX5 M70 in the latter half of 2026. With some suggestion it could be towards the end of the year, once the iX3 has already hit the road.
