Pros: Fantastic range, sharp handling, cool cabin, decent value
Cons: Firm ride, hard seats in M Sport Pro
BMW iX3 Design
This BMW iX3 might have the same badge as its predecessor, but it really is an all-new car from the ground upwards, and that shows in the styling. Thankfully, BMW has moved away from the massive, upright grilles which have plagued the likes of the 7 Series and the iX, and returned to something far more subtle. Now, there are two wide, shallow ‘grilles’ which form the nose of the iX3, with inset LED headlights that have a taste of the classic four-light shape. In the centre are two small, upright ‘kidney’ grilles, very much in the style of BMW’s 1980s models and everything is highlighted by LED light, instead of (eco-unfriendly) chrome. Down the sides, you can see some of the wheelarch shapes and surfacing from the bigger electric iX SUV, but the iX3’s styling is much cleaner and more subtle. At the rear, the taillights are in one large block on each side, in which BMW has used the shape of the LEDs to try to mimic its classic ‘L-shaped’ light design, but this is only partially successful.
BMW iX3 Interior
Just as the iX3’s exterior design marks a distinct break with what BMW has been doing lately, so too does the interior and the effect is, if anything, even more impressive than that of the exterior styling. The biggest and most obvious change is that BMW has done away with the conjoined twin curved digital displays of its current models, and instead now has a single large 17.9-inch touchscreen in the centre of the dash, while all of the instruments move to a shallow, sweeping display which runs across the full width of the base of the windscreen, and which BMW calls the Panoramic View display.
This puts all of the critical performance, range and navigation views up where you can see them easily, and although it can sometimes feel as if you’re looking under the edge of the bonnet, the layout means that you only have to flick your eyes a degree or two away from the road to see what you need to know. It’s a setup that totally removes the need for a head-up display projected onto the windscreen (even though one of those is optionally available). The touchscreen, whose offset shape is meant to mimic the look of BMW’s 1980s and 1990s angled centre consoles, is slick and easy to use, and is much closer to your hand than the old, curved display was. It could nonetheless still do with some more physical controls, as is almost always the case with big screens.
Space is good in the iX3, with plenty of legroom and headroom both front and rear, and the driving position is comfortable, with the lack of instrument panel behind the steering wheel making it easier to find a comfortable driving position. The front seats on the M Sport Pro model are quite firm, though, with slightly narrow supporting bolsters, and could do with a bit more cushioning. Overall quality is excellent, although the knitted recycled fabric on the dashboard perhaps works a bit better in a more affordable MINI than it does in this pricier iX3. The boot is fine — 520 litres nails the class average — and there’s a handy 58-litre ‘frunk’ in the nose for cable storage.
BMW iX3 Performance & Drive
The headline figure here is the iX3 xDrive50’s range, which hits a massive 805km on the WLTP official test cycle. And in real-world conditions? It would be safer to bet on about 650-700km in daily driving, especially if you’re racking up motorway miles, but on a long day’s driving, up and down twisty mountain roads, and spending a good bit of time on three-lane motorways, our iX3 test car still delivered us back to base with more than 400km indicated range remaining. If you drive carefully, that 805km is within reach. It’s fast to charge too, with the new-generation battery — 108kWh of useable energy in this version — able to handle a 400kW DC fast charge, which potentially allows you to add as much as 370km of extra range in just ten minutes of charging.
None of which would matter much if the iX3 didn’t feel like a proper BMW to drive, but thankfully it does. The steering feels meaty and connected to the road below you, and in spite of a chunky 2.3-tonne kerb weight, the iX3 feels agile and biddable through corners. The four-wheel drive means that there’s plenty of traction even on rain-slicked surfaces, but performance feels only about adequate, and certainly not as strong as the 469hp power figure might have you believe. Like its cousin, the combustion-powered X3, the iX3 is firmly sprung, so you feel all the lumps and bumps, but the excellent suspension damping means that each movement is carefully controlled, so it never becomes too uncomfortable.
BMW iX3 Pricing
The iX3 is certainly not what you’d call cheap, but a base price of €73,925 is really very good — considering the range and power on offer in this initial xDrive50 model. Certainly, it’s well priced compared to the likes of the Mercedes EQE SUV and the Audi Q6 e-tron, and it’s even competitive with the likes of the Hyundai Ioniq 9 and Kia EV9 (albeit both of those come with seven seats, and the Beemer is a strict five-seater). Better still, there seems to be space in the range for more affordable models, with rear-wheel drive and smaller batteries still to come.
Carzone Verdict
BMW is laying down a considerable gauntlet with this iX3. It’s the first ‘Neue Klasse’ model, with its new generation of batteries, motors and electronics so it had to be right, first time. Thankfully for BMW it is — the iX3’s range is brilliant, its handling feels like that of a true-blue BMW, and it’s the best-looking BMW SUV for a generation. Combine that with the excellent interior and you’ve got a truly compelling premium electric 4x4.