BMW Confirms Entry-Level Electric Model for 2028, Teases iX4 Debut

BMW used its Capital Market Day 2026 to sketch out the next phase of its electric strategy, confirming that a compact, entry-level EV will join the Neue Klasse family in 2028. The company says the new model is meant to open up the high-volume entry segment, with Europe as its primary hunting ground. Internally, the car is rumoured to carry the i1 badge, though BMW has stopped short of naming it publicly.

The brand’s electric rollout is already gathering momentum. After the iX3 SUV and the i3 saloon introduced the Neue Klasse toolkit, a third model — the iX4 — is set to break cover before the end of this year. Described as an SUV coupé in the mould of its iX3 sibling, it is expected to roll off the line in Debrecen, Hungary.

BMW also stressed that Neue Klasse engineering will not stay confined to battery-electric cars. Selected components are destined for hybrid and combustion models too, while a new zonal electrical architecture is set to spread across every vehicle segment to cut complexity and speed up the arrival of new features. The company frames this as the runway toward what it calls the “AI-Defined Vehicle”.

The early returns appear to support the approach. BMW says the iX3 has drawn more than 100,000 orders, with over 30,000 already handed to customers and the order book stretching into the second quarter of 2027. In several key markets, the electric SUV has even reached margin parity with its combustion-powered equivalents.