BMW revolutionises the mid-sized EV crossover segment with this car, the second generation iX3. Jonathan Crouch drives it and tells you everything you need to know.
Ten Second Review
We're now used to car makers trying to redefine what a mid-sized electric SUV should be, but BMW second generation iX3 really does. The first of a fresh era of the Munich maker's Neue Klasse designs, it will badly frighten its premium rivals. If you're choosing at the up-market end of this segment, you simply can't ignore it.
Background
Back in 1961, BMW reinvented the way it designed and built motorcars with the original Neue Klasse models. Now, it does so again with a new electric architecture platform that will undergird its next era of development. Starting with this car, the second generation iX3.
We already had five generations of BMW EV development, but this sixth one is the first not be based on a platform originally designed for combustion drive. That was the downfall of the Chinese-made MK1 iX3 that arrived in 2020, which was heavy, unremarkable and couldn't even be had with more than one motor. But that was because BMW was throwing all its resources into developing something much better - and this is it.
Everything about this premium mid-sized electric SUV is different, not only from its predecessor but from just about everything else in its over-crowded sector. New standards seem to have been set here. Let's see how they stack up.
Driving Experience
You may be getting familiar with the way that heavy mid-sized EV crossovers drive by now. And if so, get ready for something a bit different here. The EV range figure - up to 500 miles from the 50 xDrive launch model - is obviously different. It makes this BMW the longest-ranging electric car currently on sale in the UK (offering about 90 miles more than its two closest even more recently-launched arch-rivals, the Mercedes GLC 400 EQ and the Volvo EX60 P10).
But there's more than that to this car. In its own words, the Munich maker wants this iX3 to be 'more than a computer on wheels'. So it's created an electronic drive set-up with four 'super brains', including what's rather cringily called the 'Heart of Joy' - essentially a digitised automotive nervous system. These combine to create more agile, smoother and what BMW hopes are very brand-specific handling characteristics. That's quite an ask given that this iX3 is nearly 2.3-tonnes, but early reports suggest a lot has been achieved.
You should certainly notice a difference in the way this car corners, helped by a near-optimum 49:51 front-to-rear weight distribution and (perhaps particularly) in the way it stops. Up to 98% of braking is handled by the electric motors, which have a regen system programmed to bring the car to a halt more smoothly than just about any other vehicle on the market, particularly if you choose the max-regen 'B' mode on the gear selector (unlike with many rivals, there are no regen paddles). Drive sound effects come via the brand's new Hyperson X soundscape, created specifically for the Neue Klasse.
We mentioned the 50 xDrive initial focus variant, which uses a 108kWh battery and which has twin motors developing a total of 469hp and 645Nm of torque. This translates into a 0-62mph launch time of just 4.9s en route to a very un-EV-like top speed of 130mph. A single motor rear-driven 40 model sits below it in the line-up, which uses a single 320hp motor on the rear axle with 500Nm of torque. That's energised by a smaller 82.6kWh battery offering up to 395 miles of range. And the 40 model makes 62mph in 5.9s en route to 124mph.
Whichever iX3 you decide upon, the driver set-up is straightforward; no start button - you just push the gear selector into 'B' or 'D' and ease away. Most of the time, you'll be in one of the three main drive modes - 'Sport', 'Efficient' or 'Silent', plus there's a 'Personal' mode that's configurable, offering bespoke adjustment of steering, drivetrain and regen settings. Set the regen correctly and you'll rarely ever need the brake pedal.
Quite a few cars in this segment offer air suspension, but BMW has stuck with a heavily revised version of the passive steel-sprung set-up from the X3 here. Though in this case, built in is a clever hydraulic rebound stop, which is designed to iron out harshness and make the ride feel more compliant. Another thing that will impress you behind the wheel is the way the brand has integrated its 'level 2-plus' ADAS drive assist systems. These now use AI cameras to watch your movements and predict your intentions, rather than intervening blindly when you don't need them. The result is smoother and less intrusive operation, of the kind Chinese makers in particular really need to learn from, especially with things like adaptive cruise control and automated lane changing. This is helped by the four 'super brains' mentioned earlier, which provide up to 20 times more processing power than conventional control units. And the SUV basics here have also been thoroughly covered. Add the deployable towbar and this iX3 can haul along up to 2.0-tonnes.
Design and Build
It's perhaps appropriate that a completely new kind of BMW gets a completely new kind of look. In the case of this MK2 iX3, it's based almost entirely on the Neue Klasse X SUV concept and instigates a fresh look for the Munich maker that will be carried forward to future models, but will take some getting used to. Size-wise, the car slots in just below the iX, its 4,782mm length (183mm shorter) comparable to a combustion X3 and, more significantly, to four key EV crossover segment arch-rivals, the Mercedes GLC with EQ Technology, the Volvo EX60, Porsche's Macan Electric and Audi's Q6 e-tron.
The surfacing is cleaner than anything we've previously seen from BMW, with few crease lines and super-sleek aerodynamics (0.24Cd). The first thing you'll notice will be the new nose, with its smaller re-designed kidney grille that's supposed to reference the brand's original Neue Klasse models from the '60s and '70s. That re-designed central grille (which can have a unique 'Iconic Glow' illuminating signature) flows either side ('as one graphical unit') into the LED headlights. In a manner supposed to be reminiscent of a classic BMW 2002 'Sharknose'.
In profile, you notice Range Rover-style hidden window seals, flush pop-out door handles and large 20-inch wheels (which can be swapped out for rims up to 22-inches in size). A heavily tapered shoulder section defines the rear with its horizontal tail lamps, which participate in welcome and goodbye animations. And it all sits on the BMW Group's new Gen6 platform, a completely new design of EV architecture that's supposed to represent a quantum leap forward in technology. This BMW has borrowed the 'cell-to-body' construction approach pioneered by BYD and Leapmotor in which battery packs are bolted directly to the chassis, increasing rigidity and reducing weight. Overall, the brand sees this iX3 model's design as so advanced that it's basically skipped a generation. You may well agree.
The part of this car that will really stay with you though, is what you'll find inside. Even getting in is different - you step across the noticeably wide sill necessary for the aluminium longitudinal reinforcement structures integrated beneath the doors that provide added crash protection.
And once in the cabin up-front? Well the 'Panoramic iDrive' set-up will be different to anything you'll have previously tried. The weird, next-generation steering wheel, the parallelogram-style 17.9-inch central screen and the narrow 43.3-inch display that spans the entire width of the windscreen base. It's right in your eye line, with key instrument info directly in front of you but even so, plusher variants also get a head-up display, which has more space to show things like augmented reality navigation graphics.
Physical switches remain on the centre console - and on that steering wheel, though unfortunately the wheel ones are of the fiddly haptic kind. We're also disappointed that there is no lower iDrive-style click wheel; everything has to be done by voice, screen menus (or gesture). Overall though, the whole cabin design approach works really well, with the dash-top screen a much better solution than the rather redundant separate passenger side screens that rivals offer. Rear visibility is somewhat compromised by the shallow rear window and sloping roof line. But build quality seems excellent from the new factory at Debrecen in Hungary. Materials quality is also very good and the new AI-enhanced OS X software is super-quick to respond - a big improvement on the old car.
In the back, there's a sofa-style bench offering noticeably improved leg room compared to the previous generation model - now on a par with a combustion X5 from the next class up thanks to a relatively lengthy 2,897mm wheelbase. And the flat floor means a middle-seated adult can fit fairly easily.
Boot space is 520-litres with the seats up (20-litres more than the larger iX) and 1,750-litres with them folded (the rear seat back split is 40:20:40). Plus you can keep the charging leads in the further 58-litre space provided beneath the bonnet.
Market and Model
From launch, prices for the single motor 82.6kWh iX3 40 model started from just over £53,000. If you want the twin motor 108.7kWh xDrive 50 iX3 version, you're looking at prices starting at around £59,000, which is about £7,000 cheaper than the equivalent version of the old first generation design (helped by the fact that manufacturing costs have been reduced by 20%). For reference, the larger iX costs from around £75,000. And this iX3's closest rival, the Mercedes GLC 400 4MATIC with EQ Technology, as we compiled this review cost from around £60,000.
Most iX3 customers will want to stretch to the mid-range 'M Sport' model, which has BMW's trademark body kit and cost from launch just over £61,000 in xDrive50 form. There's a top 'M Sport Pro' version which from launch in xDrive50 form cost around £63,000. To put those prices into perspective, we'll tell you that an equivalent Audi Q6 e-tron quattro 'Sport Edition' is a second slower to 62mph, 0.5 miles-per-kWh less efficient, costs £11,000 more and can only travel up to 382 miles.
If that's enough to persuade you into this BMW, you'll find that plenty of standard equipment is included. Even the base spec gives you 20-inch wheels, along with a rear view camera and all-round parking sensors, plus a powered tailgate. Inside, there's the 'Panoramic iDrive' cabin set-up and BMW's 'Driving Assistant Plus' system. Along with six-way-adjustable powered front seats clad with leather-free 'Econeer' upholstery and dual-zone climate control. The OS X-generation infotainment system is impressively powerful, benefiting from one of the car's 'super brains' to manage its infotainment features. These include streaming apps like Disney+ and YouTube and in-car gaming. As we told you in our 'Driving' section, particularly impressive are the AI-assisted ADAS features, which also benefit from 'super brain' tech.
'M Sport' trim adds bespoke 20-inch wheels, a sports steering wheel, translucent dashboard lighting and Veganza/M PerformTex upholstery. Top 'M Sport Pro' trim adds upgraded M Sport seats, an M high-gloss black rear diffuser, M Sport brakes with red calipers, Adaptive LED headlights and BMW's illuminated 'Iconic Glow' front grille with 3D Shadowline glass trim.
Cost of Ownership
As we told you in our 'Driving' section, the 108.7kWh NMC battery's 500 mile EV range is class-leading (30% better than the previous generation car), thanks to drive efficiency of up to 4.1 miles-per-kWh. For reference, the brand's larger iX model in the next class up goes 374 miles in xDrive40 94.8kWh form - or up to 426 miles in xDrive60 109.1kWh guise. Lots contributes to this iX3 model's impressive showing. Energy losses from BMW's sixth generation electric motors have been reduced by 40% and weight is down by 10%. And the battery cells charge 30% quicker and have 20% higher energy density than the brand's previous generation EV tech.
The big news with the Neue Klasse architecture is that it supersedes BMW's previous 400V EV set-up with a properly modern 800V ultra-rapid charging-compliant system.
By 'ultra-rapid', BMW really does mean that. The base 40 version's 82.6kWh battery can DC-charge at up to 300kW and can add 186 miles of range in just 10 minutes, completing a 10-80% DC charge in 21 minutes. The 108.7kWh xDrive50 does even better and can DC-charge at up to 400kW (faster than any of its rivals), so in theory, at a fast enough charger, up to 217 miles of range can be added in just 10 minutes. That rate can only be held for 2 to 3 minutes but it's a 30% increase on the brand's previous generation EV tech.
A normal 10-80% DC charge in an xDrive50 will take just 21 minutes. Unlike some premium EVs (like the Mercedes CLA), the iX3 can still use older 400-volt chargers too. At home, the iX3 xDrive50 will probably need around 15 hours for a full charge with a single phase 7.4kW wallbox, which you could probably reduce to around 11 hours with a three-phase 11kW wallbox connection.
With any iX3, an optional 22kW connection can be activated when the AC Charging Professional package is specified. This allows the 40 model's high-voltage battery to charge from 0 to 100% in 4 hours and 15 minutes. Bidirectional charging is offered with both iX3 variants, with a series of converters to replenish equipment during your journeys or discharge 11kW energy to power your house.
Because this iX3 is freshly designed from the ground up, it includes a lot more recycled content, which makes the car easier to dismantle at the end of its life. BMW claims the car's supply chain benefits from a 35% reduction in its carbon footprint. And reckons that this EV model's more energy-intense production phase (from a factory that doesn't use fossil fuels in normal operation) will be wiped out against a combustion X3 after only 12,428 miles. The production carbon footprint of this car over its life cycle has been reduced by more than 30% compared with its predecessor.
Summary
Back in 1999 at the launch of the X5, this Bavarian brand's first crossover, the world questioned whether an SUV could ever be true BMW. In 2013 at the launch of the company's first EV, the i3, people questioned again - this time whether a heavy full-electric car could ever be true BMW. Those questions were only partly answered by those two cars. But they're much more fully answered by this one.
'More BMW than ever' is the strapline for this second generation iX3. And with it, the brand has at last brought us a true BMW for this SUV-obsessed EV-orientated era. What that now means, it turns out, is more than just class-leading drive dynamics, though most will feel that this iX3 offers those.
Not everything is perfect for BMW here of course. It's hard to imagine now why you'd buy an iX for example. But, crucially for this Munich maker, it's also hard to imagine why you would choose the Audi or Mercedes alternatives in this segment unless, as is possible, you just don't get on with the way this iX3 looks.
Like the original Neue Klasse model of 1961, this car aims to be a transformational redefinition of what BMW stands for. And in the process, it sets new standards in EV drive range and charging. And provides a quite different interpretation of how a car like this can be packaged, how it can feel inside and, from a BMW perspective, how it can look. It sets the technological template for the next 40 models from the brand, which makes it the company's most significant car in the last half century. Just as importantly, it should reset your expectations for what a car like this should be.
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