BMW iX3 review

Driving position

Many drivers aspire to own a BMW because they anticipate a sporty driving position. And despite its Neue Klasse looks, the second-generation and totally redesigned BMW iX3 seriously delivers.

Admittedly, we had the top-spec M Sport Pro model on test with its higher-end M Sport front seats, but sitting inside is a real treat.

The seats are supportive in the base, but suitably firm in the side bolstering, so it feels just as supportive as you’d expect a premium car to be.

Standard models get electrically adjustable seats, but higher trim levels let you change even more settings. Some of the vital adjustments are made on the door panel switches, but you can fine-tune the seating position even more on the screen (and have it saved to your user profile).

Front and side visibility is pretty good, but the Panoramic Vision display does take some getting used to. It’s a full-width projection display at the bottom of the windscreen for your speed and a whole selection of customisable widgets.

It slightly impacts visibility over the bonnet and can make judging the front corners a little tricker than usual, but it only takes a little getting used to before it melts into the whole experience.

Rear visibility is excellent, with a sensibly shaped window that makes it easy to judge distances behind. It’s far more appropriate than the letterbox-shaped window in the back of a Tesla Model Y, for example.

Tech and features

BMW iX3 trims

– iX3

– iX3 M Sport

– iX3 M Sport Pro

The headline feature is that Panoramic Vision display – we've seen some similar displays before, but nothing quite as big, bold and advanced as this projection display.

It’s endlessly configurable depending on drive mode and customisation – some widgets include G-force, power and torque figures, the outside temperature and even the weather forecast.

It’s also where the vehicle speed and other important driving information is displayed.

Higher trim levels add a 3D-style head-up display (HUD) onto the windscreen too, but because of the Panoramic Vision’s proximity to the windscreen, we actually found ourselves turning it off.

The dash is mostly dominated by a huge, hexagonal 17.9-inch touchscreen, which is very clearly high-def and super-responsive. It certainly gives Tesla a run for its money, and might even be better.

A few physical buttons for gear selection and hazards still exist on the lower section of the centre console, too.

As for day-to-day use of the tech, it’s easy, and the voice commands work well, but it’s also predictive. Relevant shortcuts can appear for frequently accessed features and AI-powered tech lets the car do the thinking for you, based on your driver profile.

At the moment there are around 60 third-party apps, like Spotify, but wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto covers the bases for most drivers anyway.

Without access to an admin account in our test car, we couldn’t try the phone key, but having tried it on other models, we know just how convenient it is not to have to carry a physical car key anymore.

The app is also excellent for controlling most of the car’s functionalities remotely. It’s not as slick and clean as Tesla’s, but it’s far better than most of its competition.

Electric motors and power

BMW iX3 performance stats

– Power: 320 to 469hp

– 0-62mph: 4.9 to 5.9 seconds

– Top speed: Up to 130mph

– Driven wheels: Rear-wheel drive (RWD) or four-wheel drive (xDrive)

The iX3 launched with what’s possible – the ‘50 xDrive’. It’s a twin-motor model with 469hp, and performance feels suitably brisk.

Its drive modes make a huge difference to power delivery, and with the help of its sportiest mode, it gives you a good punch in the back.

The slower, rear-wheel-drive ‘40’ model has a more modest 320hp, but it’s still plenty quick enough compared with your average SUV. Put it this way, your kids will still think you’re cool.

Volvo gives you a third choice in the EX60 that’s even quicker, but BMW may add a hotter M variant at a later date. The Audi Q6 e-tron also comes in a faster S flavour, if you like your performance.

Conversely, the electric Mercedes GLC has similar offerings to the BMW.

Handling and ride comfort

While you may choose one of its rivals on the basis of luxury, tech or outright power (though the iX3 comes close in more than one category), the iX3 easily wins for handling.

Its dedicated internal computer manages things like motors, braking, regenerative braking and steering up to 10x faster than previous models, and it feels very predictable in quick corners despite its heft (and height).

Our test model had a particular £3,300 option... 22-inch alloy wheels. They’re certainly striking, but we’d avoid them for two reasons. Firstly, the price, but secondly, smaller wheels are more comfortable. Especially on Britain’s rubbish roads.

Still, those 22s never caused the ride to be jarring, so if you’ve got your heart set on big wheels, go for it.

Sporty handling aside, one of the iX3’s best characteristics is its regenerative braking. It’s truly exceptional.

Its strongest mode brings the car to a complete standstill nearly as quickly as using the conventional brakes. BMW says you can do about 98% of your braking with this system, which is both intuitive to use and good for efficiency.

Remember that dedicated internal computer? It also controls something called Soft Stop, which prevents that awkward jerk when you come to a complete stop too harshly. Tesla also has a similar Comfort Braking feature in the Model Y, but it’s still a pretty new feature to family cars.

Boot space

BMW iX3 boot space:

– Boot space: 520 litres

– Incl. rear seats folded: 1,750 litres

The iX3’s boot is pretty average for this class of car, but you don’t really need much more in a family SUV.

At 520 litres, it’s on par with the Mercedes GLC (520 litres), Volvo EX60 (523 litres) and Audi Q6 e-tron (526 litres).

40:20:40 split-folding rear seats is a welcome inclusion, because it means you can fold any of the three rear seats independently to balance passenger and boot space per your needs.

It’s worth mentioning the iX3 also has a very usable 58-litre cubby under the bonnet (known as a front boot or ‘froot’), which is good for keeping your charging cables separate.

The Volvo EX60 has a bigger 85-litre storage area (or 58 litres if you disregard the space taken up by some removeable safety kit), and the electric GLC has a mighty 100-litre space. Strangely, the Audi Q6 e-tron's 64-litre froot is a £500 option.

Rear seats

The first-generation iX3 wasn’t just one of BMW’s earlier mainstream electric cars (albeit years after the quirky i3 was introduced) – it was also based on the petrol/diesel X3.

This Neue Klasse-design iX3 is built from the ground up to accommodate the large electric battery, so it’s packaged much better and, as a result, feels far more spacious inside.

Rear legroom is excellent, and headroom is strong too because of the long and high roofline. It’s roomier than a Model Y or Q6 e-tron, but the electric GLC might just have a bit more space.

Better still, unlike BMWs of old, the rear footwell is entirely flat, so rear-seat passengers won’t be fighting over space.

Storage solutions

Inside, you’ve got large door bins capable of holding bottles, additional cupholders and a floating centre console with hidden storage beneath it.

BMW iX3 dimensions

– Height: 1,635mm

– Width: 1,573mm

– Length: 4,782mm

• Kerb weight: 2,160kg to 2,360kg

Towing

Both configurations are good for up to 2,000kg, which should do you for most towing needs. The electrically deployable tow bar makes things far easier and cleaner – plus, it can be hidden away when you want a cleaner-looking car.

The GLC (2,200 to 2,400kg), EX60 (2,000 to 2,400kg) and Q6 e-tron (2,000 to 2,400kg) are all similar or slightly better, so if you need some extra buffer, you’ll likely want to consider one of those.

Safety

The iX3’s five-star rating is excellent news, not least because Euro NCAP’s tests keep getting stricter and stricter, so five stars today are worth far more than they were even just a few years ago.

More importantly, the driver monitoring and collision prevention systems feel very unintrusive, and that’s probably because the computer has around 20x the processing power of older systems, so it knows what’s risky and what’s just a false positive.

Range and charging

BMW iX3: electric range, battery and charging

– Range: Up to 500 miles

– Battery size: 82.6 to 108.7kWh

– Max charging speed: 300kW to 400kW

– Charge port location: Back right

– Charge time (AC): 12 hours (82.6kWh) or 15.5 hours (108.7kWh) with a 7kW charger

– Charge time (DC): 10-80% in 21 minutes

– Efficiency: 3.6 to 4.3 mi/kWh (claimed)

The iX3’s range figures are higher than EV sceptics might ever have imagined just a few years ago, but at up to 500 miles, it’s an SUV that can go the distance.

That’s if you get the big battery, because the smaller one claims 392 miles (which is still a huge amount compared with most smaller hatchbacks).

The EX60 offers similar range (385 to 503 miles), but the GLC (370 to 405 miles) and Q6 e-tron (291 to 396 miles) fall about 100 miles short.

Of course, being so big and heavy, it needs a big battery to cover those distances, but with a cheap off-peak rate of 7p/kWh, for example, a full charge could cost £5.78 or £7.61 for the two battery sizes.

Home charging is generally limited to 7kW, but the iX3 will take 11kW or 22kW depending on model, so you’ll be able to top up more quickly out and about.

Rapid charging is also a highlight, with a 10-80% charge taking just 21 minutes from a 300kW connection for the smaller battery and 400kW for the bigger one.

It’s the equivalent of 231 miles in 10 minutes – for reference, the Model Y will do 166 miles in 15 minutes, and that used to be considered quick enough.

As for efficiency, both motor/battery configurations claim around 4mi/kWh, plus or minus. We were getting closer to 3mi/kWh over the long term, which is still good for this size car, but a Tesla Model Y would be more efficient.

Reliability

This might be the hardest to judge, because the Neue Klasse is a whole new architecture of car and the iX3 is the first of its kind ahead of the new i3 and others.

Still, BMW has a long history of building long-lasting electric cars and sells them in their thousands.

Plus, its operating system is one of the best in the game and is generally very reliable. Over-the-air (OTA) updates keep it fresh and iron out any glitches, too.

The three-year/60,000-mile vehicle warranty is merely average, but it's no different from other premium electric SUVs.