BMW has chosen Chinese tech company Momenta as its partner for advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) in its upcoming Neue Klasse electric vehicles, marking a strategic push into the competitive Chinese EV market. This mirrors Mercedes-Benz’s earlier partnership with Momenta.

The first Neue Klasse model, the next-gen iX3 (NA6), will begin mass production in Hungary in late 2025, with a European launch expected by year-end. China will see the release of the new i3 (NA0), iX3 (NA6), and long-wheelbase iX3 (NA8) in 2026.

Momenta will provide an end-to-end intelligent driving solution with point-to-point navigation across urban and highway scenarios.

Priced from 250,000 yuan ($35,000 USD), these models will compete with leading Chinese EV brands like Li Auto, Aito, Xiaomi, and Nio. BMW plans to expand beyond pure EVs to include hybrid Neue Klasse SUVs, aiming to reclaim ground in a market once led by the BMW X5.

While BMW was an early EV entrant in China with the i3 and i8 in 2014, its progress in new energy vehicles had stagnated until this renewed effort.