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The new BMW iX3 may just be the most important car the Bavarian marque has launched in two decades. It is the very first production model built on the brand’s hotly anticipated Neue Klasse platform. As a high-end family-friendly battery electric crossover, it nails the formula on every front. The technology, performance, design and build quality all sit at the top of the segment, and the hype really has been justified.
The iX3 lines up against the Audi Q6 e-tron, Tesla Model Y, Lexus RZ and Alpine A390, and it has already beaten all of them in a recent supertest. There is one powertrain at launch, the dual-motor 50 xDrive paired to a massive 112 kWh battery. It serves up 462 horsepower and clears the 0 to 62 mph dash in 4.9 seconds. Top speed has climbed to 130 mph, with a rearward-biased delivery that makes the car genuinely engaging out of bends.
Everything is tied together by a brand-new central computer system, the marque has named Heart of Joy. The biggest win is in how it handles the regenerative brakes. The iX3 can come to a complete stop using regen alone, almost never touching the friction brakes. That cleverness has also enabled a clever soft-stop function. It removes that small jerk you usually feel when pulling up at the lights.
Range is the headline act. Sport models on 19-inch aero wheels reach an extraordinary 500 miles, while M Sport variants on the bigger 21 and 22-inch wheels still manage around 460 miles. UK testing returned 391 miles at a steady 70 mph and around 300 miles in mixed urban driving. Peak DC fast-charging speeds hit 400 kW, too, the highest in the class. That adds 231 miles of range in just ten minutes when the right charger is found.
Step inside, and the cabin is a revelation. The new Panoramic iDrive replaces the traditional dial pack with a huge full-width display reflected onto the base of the windscreen. A separate 17.8-inch touchscreen leans towards the driver alongside it. Materials feel modern and robust, with M Sport models adding Alcantara-style fabrics for warmth. The boot swallows 520 litres, with a 58-litre frunk under the bonnet for charging cables. Up against the Q6 e-tron and electric GLC, the iX3 simply moves the goalposts in every measurable area, and for anyone shopping the premium electric crossover segment right now, this is the new car to beat.
