BMW iX3 updated a year after debut: with the M Sport package in the base and the same hardware
The BMW iX3 is an electric conversion of the regular BMW X3, which received a facelift in June. Now cosmetic updates are available for iX3.
In the form of a concept, the BMW iX3 appeared in public back in April 2018, but the production version debuted only in July 2020, and the full production of the electric crossover at the BMW Brilliance joint venture in Shenyang, China began at the end of the same year. China is the main consumer of the BMW iX3, but the environmentally friendly crossover did not become a hit here: from January to June 2021, according to the CarSalesBase resource, 7881 units were sold. For comparison, let's say that Tesla Model Y during the same time sold 46,180 units in China, the Chinese premium crossover Nio ES6 – 18,023 units. The electric Mercedes-Benz EQC sells much worse – 3044 units.
Chinese-assembled BMW iX3s are delivered to Europe, but we did not find sales statistics in open sources – it is only known that in June the iX3 did not enter the top 10 best-selling electric vehicles in Europe (data from the analytical agency JATO Dynamics). In the US, the electric BMW iX3 is not officially presented – here the bet is on the technically more advanced BMW iX crossover, which was completely declassified in June.
Recall that the BMW iX3 exists exclusively in a rear-wheel drive version: a single electric motor produces a maximum of 210 kW (286 hp) and 400 Nm, acceleration to 100 km/h takes 6.8 s, top speed is electronically limited at around 180 km/h. The battery is more elegantly integrated into the floor than in the Mercedes-Benz EQC, and does not hang under the belly, eating up ground clearance: for the BMW iX3 it is 179 mm, for the Mercedes-Benz EQC it is 97 mm. At the same time, despite the absence of an electric motor in front, BMW engineers were not able to organize an additional trunk under the hood – these are the costs of the conversion platform. The volume of the main trunk due to electrical components is smaller than that of a regular BMW X3, and varies from 510 to 1560 liters.
The battery capacity is 80 kWh, of which only 74 kWh are available to the consumer, a full charge is enough for 460 km of the WLTP cycle. The maximum charging power is 150 kW, it allows you to charge the battery from 0 to 80% in 32 minutes. A full charge from an 11 kW terminal will take 7.5 hours.
The update brings the BMW iX3 larger signature nostrils, new adaptive LED headlights, new taillights and beefier bumpers from the M Sport package now standard on the iX3. In addition, there are new optional 20-inch wheels (in the base – 19-inch) with reduced aerodynamic drag.
Inside, there is a redesigned center console, a larger 12.3-inch multimedia system screen and a virtual instrument panel with the same diagonal. The power plant start button has moved from the platform to the right of the steering wheel to the central tunnel to the driving mode selector.
The updated BMW iX3 will start rolling off the assembly line of the Chinese plant in September this year. The minimum price in Germany is 67,300 euros. For comparison, let's say that Tesla Model Y costs in Germany from 57,970 euros, Mercedes-Benz EQC – from 66,069 euros. none of these models have been officially introduced recently. But BMW promised to bring the BMW iX to our country next year: it will be offered in the non-alternative xDrive50 modification with a capacity of 523 hp. at a price of 8.5 million conventional units.
