BMW’s critical first Neue Klasse release doesn’t only boast a full order book prior to release, but has now also scooped two awards in the World Car Awards programme.
The annual World Car Awards winners were announced at the New York Auto Show on 1 April. This followed voting by a jury of 98 international automotive journalists, including Cars.co.za’s own Hannes Oosthuizen. And BMW won big with its groundbreaking new iX3.
Oosthuizen predicted the BMW iX3’s victory following its inclusion in the Top 3 earlier this year. “BMW has used the clean-sheet opportunity that the Neue Klasse demanded. It has brought to market a car that is ahead of anything else in its segment,” Oosthuizen said.
“The iX3 is wonderful to drive, with a staggering combination of performance and efficiency. I’d also argue that if BMW South Africa can indeed reach price parity with the equivalent X3 ICE offering, then this EV offers exceptional value for money,” he added.
The BMW iX3 will reach South Africa during the 3rd quarter of this year.
Read more: BMW iX3 (2025) International Launch Review
Raking in the awards
This is the 2nd consecutive World Car of the Year nomination for BMW and 2nd World Car of the Year win overall. The BMW 3 Series previously won the 2006 World Car of the Year title. With the BMW iX3 also being named the 2026 World Electric Vehicle, the total number of awards won by BMW is 11 in World Car’s 22-year history.
“We are delighted by this outstanding result for the BMW iX3, the first production model of the Neue Klasse. The iX3 marks the beginning of a new era for BMW in terms of design language, range and charging performance, driver assistance systems, and the user experience with the first-ever BMW Panoramic iDrive.
The iX3 is just the start
“Above all, the iX3 stands for the next generation of sheer driving pleasure, powered by the Heart of Joy. With 40 new or updated models coming in the next year, the innovations of the Neue Klasse will benefit our entire product portfolio,” said Mike Reichelt, Head of Neue Klasse.
Other winners announced were:
