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The new BMW iX3 is a deeply clever machine. It is so loaded with technology that it almost stops feeling like a car at all. Sixty years ago, the original Neue Klasse hauled BMW back from the brink. Now the badge returns on this second-generation iX3, the first of a fresh wave of electric models tasked with staking out ground in a crowded market.
It rides on a bespoke electric platform, and the styling marks a bold break from recent BMWs. The bloated kidney grille is finally gone, and the car looks all the better for it. It stretches longer and wider than before, with a longer wheelbase that liberates cabin space, yet it stands a touch lower. Inside, the vegan leather feels soft and rich, and textile panels borrowed from Mini glow with ambient light. Storage is thin on the ground, though, and rear passengers make do without seatback pockets.
Technology is where this iX3 truly shows off. A vast Panoramic Vision projection sweeps across the base of the windscreen, replacing the old instrument cluster and feeding the driver key information. Above it sits a 3D head-up display. The main touchscreen adopts a slanted, free-cut shape, cleverly flipped for right-hand-drive cars so the flow from the wheel is preserved. The new operating system looks flawless. It is also, frankly, overwhelming, and buyers who simply want a car to be a car may find it too much.
The numbers stack up handsomely. The flagship 50 xDrive carries the largest battery BMW has ever fitted to an EV, and claims up to 805km on the softer 20-inch wheels. Both versions run 800-volt electronics and swallow a 10 to 80 percent charge in around 21 minutes on a 400kW charger. On the road, the twin-motor 50 gathers pace smoothly and instantly. A cluster of computers BMW calls the Superbrain, led by the Heart of Joy, juggles the powertrain, chassis and braking with real precision.
Ride comfort leans heavily on wheel choice. The 22-inch rims felt firm and were easily flustered, while the 20s smoothed things out and hushed the road noise. BMW’s steering stays sharp and direct, body roll is well contained, and grip is plentiful. Not every system convinces, mind you. The adaptive braking once mistook a bystander for a hazard and grabbed the brakes. Even so, the iX3 is an impressive and capable car. It points clearly to where BMW is heading, even if the driver now shares top billing with the software.
