DIFFERENT KLASSE

After years of aggressive and arguably overwrought designs, BMW made a sudden about-turn with its Neue Klasse concept. James Attwood finds out why

- James Attwood

It would be easy to look at the new BMW Vision Neue Klasse concept car, which previews the design and technology of the company's next generation of electric vehicles, as a repudiation of its recent efforts. The evocative name, retro look, stripped-back lines and nods to classic BMW saloons all feels like a dramatic course correction away from its recent history all confrontational, controversial, aggressive and edgy styling and advertising. Except - if you believe BMW bosses, at least - it's not.

"This is a statement of confidence, showing what we can do and what we feel capable of - and we do it from a position of strength," says Pieter Nota, BMW's customer, brand and sales boss.

"Our current portfolio is highly successful. We are by far the number-one brand in the premium segment globally and we're ahead of mass-market brands in some markets. We're doing this out of a position of strength. It's not that we suddenly feel the need to completely throw away everything we have. But we see the markets moving fast, and we need to stay ahead of the game."

The Vision Neue Klasse takes its name from the pivotal family of early-1960s cars that redefined BMW for a new era, giving us some indication of the German firm's intent with its forthcoming line-up of EVs. But while the goal may be similar, there's a crucial difference in the underlying reasons for the pivot.

In the '60s, BMW's mix of small motorcycle-engined budget cars and ageing luxury cars was falling out of favour with market trends. Buyers of the era were looking for modern, efficient machinery, yet BMW had nothing to offer in the burgeoning category for 1.5-litre to 2.0-litre family cars. The Neue Klasse project was initiated to fix that.