BMW is already almost fully prepared for the start of series production of the Neue Klasse

The Bavarian brand has just taken an important step forward, bringing it a little closer to the start of series production of the first units of the Neue Klasse at the Hungarian plant in Debrecen. According to BMW, the assembly line has already been started up, placing the company in the final stretch of the plant’s adaptation work.

Since last November, BMW has been manufacturing some prototype units of what will be the first model of the Neue Klasse, the iX3. However, none of these units has yet come off the final assembly line. Over the next six months, the engineers of the Bavarian brand will focus on optimising the production process, so that they can move from the pre-production phase to series production.

In Debrecen, the assembly process consists of integrating components and systems into the already painted body. The company also highlights other achievements, such as improved efficiency thanks to modularisation, a reduction in connecting elements and a simplified installation of the wiring harness.

In this regard, the traditional wiring harness has been divided into several parts that can be installed separately, which BMW calls “zonal wiring harness architecture”. In this way, in addition to making the employees’ work easier, the amount of cabling required is reduced by 600 metres and its weight by 30 per cent compared with previous generations.

Fine-tuning the last details in Debrecen

On the other hand, modularisation has also been refined. By pre-assembling parts, fewer connectors are needed, such as plugs, screws or clips, significantly simplifying the process, according to BMW. Likewise, the pre-assembly of the cockpit takes place on the main line,

being installed in the vehicle shortly afterwards. All these innovations in the production process do not, moreover, put flexibility at risk, since customers will continue to have a wide range of equipment and materials to choose from.

Finally, it should be noted that this same production model will be applied to other plants of the Bavarian brand, as is the case in Munich, where the company plans to produce its second model of the Neue Klasse, the new i3 electric saloon, from 2026.