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BMW has decided that its new generation of electric vehicles should not simply be an evolution of what we already know. The new BMW iX3 50 xDrive is the first production model of the so-called Neue Klasse, a new architecture that affects propulsion, the battery, electronics, software, and also the way of interacting with the vehicle.
And you can feel this from the very first moment. The new iX3 retains the proportions of an SUV but features a much cleaner and more minimalist design language, with smoother surfaces, a well-crafted aerodynamic body, and an image that, while still being BMW, clearly marks a new phase for the brand.
The 50 xDrive version, which currently leads the range, combines two electric motors—one on each axle—with intelligent all-wheel drive. The system develops 469 hp and 645 Nm, allowing it to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in just 4.9 seconds and reach a top speed of 210 km/h. However, the power figures are by no means the most interesting aspect of this car.
800 volts and up to 805 kilometers
One of the significant innovations of the Neue Klasse is the new electrical architecture of 800 volts, paired with a 108.7 kWh lithium-ion battery.
BMW announces a maximum range of up to 805 kilometers according to the WLTP cycle, with a certified consumption of between 15.1 and 17.9 kWh/100 km. As always, these figures depend on factors such as temperature, load, tires, driving style, or climate control use, so they should not be interpreted as a guaranteed real-world range. In any case, exceeding the certified 800 kilometers places the iX3 in a particularly interesting category for those drivers who still view range as one of the main barriers to electric vehicles. But if range is important, the ability to recover it quickly is even more critical.
400 kW: charge while you have a coffee
The new iX3 can handle up to 400 kW of power in direct current, a figure far superior to what we still find in most electric vehicles.
BMW announces a charge from 10% to 80% in approximately 21 minutes and the ability to recover between 309 and 372 kilometers of range in just ten minutes, provided the infrastructure allows for this power and the battery conditions are adequate.
At home, the charger can operate up to 11 kW as standard or 22 kW with the appropriate equipment. The vehicle also incorporates bidirectional charging, with features that allow the battery to be used as an external power source. The V2L function offers up to 3.7 kW.
Beyond the numbers, BMW has worked to ensure that recharging is part of trip planning. The system can calculate necessary stops, consider different route variables, and pre-condition the battery before arriving at a charging station.
BMW Panoramic iDrive
If there is one element that likely defines this new generation best, it is the BMW Panoramic iDrive.
The traditional idea of an independent central display gives way to a much more integrated system within the driver’s field of vision. The new BMW Panoramic Vision projects customizable information across the lower area of the windshield, while the 17.9-inch central screen complements the package. A new 3D Head-Up Display can also be added.
The idea is that the driver does not have to divert their gaze from the road as much to check information or modify certain functions. All of this is part of a new electronic and software architecture that BMW has developed for the Neue Klasse.
“Heart of Joy”
Here appears another of the significant innovations.
BMW has grouped the control of propulsion and driving dynamics into a single central unit called the Heart of Joy. This central unit works in conjunction with the BMW Dynamic Performance Control software to manage various driving-related parameters in real-time.
In the case of the iX3 50 xDrive, the two electric motors operate on both axles and distribute power based on the demands of each moment. The desired result for BMW is to combine traction, precision, efficiency, and dynamism. Also new is the Soft Stop function, developed to achieve a more progressive and natural braking experience. And here is a point that particularly interests us at Motoraldia: the iX3 weighs 2,360 kg. This is a considerable figure, but BMW has worked extensively on electronic management, weight distribution, and the chassis to ensure that this weight does not excessively impact the vehicle's response. This is precisely one of the things we are most eager to verify when we have the opportunity to test it on the roads of Andorra.
A large SUV, but well utilized
The new iX3 measures 4.782 meters in length, 1.895 meters in width, and 1.635 meters in height, with a wheelbase of 2.897 meters. The trunk offers 520 liters, which can expand to 1,750 liters with the rear seats folded down, while there is an additional space of 58 liters under the front hood. This allows it to maintain one of the traditional virtues of family SUVs: space and versatility. It can also tow up to 2,000 kg, a particularly interesting figure for an electric vehicle of this size.
BMW has also worked on the sustainability of materials. According to the brand, approximately one third of the materials used in the vehicle come from secondary sources, while the carbon footprint associated with the vehicle up to the moment of delivery is 34% lower than that of its predecessor.
Much more than a new iX3
The BMW iX3 50 xDrive is, in fact, much more significant for BMW than its name might suggest.
We are not simply looking at a new generation of the brand's electric SUV. It is the first production BMW of the Neue Klasse and, therefore, the starting point for a new family of vehicles that will gradually introduce this technological architecture.
This explains why BMW has concentrated so many innovations in this model: a new 800-volt electric platform, more efficient batteries, charging of up to 400 kW, a new electronic architecture, the Panoramic iDrive, and the Heart of Joy.
Ultimately, all of these technologies must serve a much simpler purpose: to ensure that driving a BMW continues to make sense in the electric era.
The new iX3 50 xDrive presents some difficult figures to ignore: 469 hp, 645 Nm, 805 kilometers of certified range, 4.9 seconds from 0 to 100 km/h, and up to 400 kW of charging power.
But its true importance is none of these figures on their own. It is the whole. BMW is changing many of the rules of its electric vehicle, and the iX3 is the first to show us how far the brand intends to go.
Although I have already highlighted many aspects throughout the explanation you just read, I will now comment on the outcome of the test I was able to conduct over several days.
As I mentioned, BMW insists that the iX3 inaugurates the Neue Klasse. Indeed, they have complete confidence in the possibilities offered by this new generation of the X3. After testing it, I can assure you they are not mistaken. This impressive electric SUV demonstrates with absolute confidence just how far the brand's expertise and technology can reach. With the BMW iX3, I assure you that today you will enter a new world compared to what is often associated with electric cars.
Beyond the spectacularity of its exterior aesthetics, whether viewed from the front, rear, or side, I will focus on how it functions and how it ultimately makes you feel, which is the most important aspect when forming an opinion. So, let’s take a seat behind the wheel and start.
The first thing that stands out once you are at the controls is the shape of the steering wheel. But when you slightly lift your gaze, you are surprised by everything in front of you, meaning the BMW Panoramic Driveband that spans from one side of the windshield to the other, the 17.9-inch display, and the large 3D Head-Up Display.
Let's go. The sensations hit immediately. We started the test merging onto the national road that goes down to Sant Julià de Lòria—let's remember that we left from Pyrénées Motors—and as soon as I accelerated, the car made it clear to us that we would thoroughly enjoy the test!
This is not simply an electric car that, like so many others, takes off when it injects all the power from the very first moment. Of course, it does that, but the iX3 goes much further, making it clear that it has more than enough arguments concerning the chassis, steering, suspension, and everything else.
As soon as we began to ascend toward Rabassa, the precision with which the car managed the curves, how it controlled the body movements, and how it shot off made me realize that the surprises—and, along with them, the pleasure of driving so characteristic of BMW—would be superlative in what I had initially thought was just an electric X3.
Remember that BMW talks about the concept of Heart of Joy as the heart of the car. It surely must be! This superprocessor coordinates absolutely everything: propulsion, brakes, steering, energy recovery… everything, and you can really feel it!
Smooth and sporty: the ideal cocktail
One of the most surprising sensations, and I was driving at a very good pace the whole time, was the smoothness of the ride. Whether traversing Sant Julià de Lòria or climbing steadily, the car transmits extraordinary smoothness regardless of the pace.
The iX3 accelerates and brakes with a progression that surprises. In fact, I do not remember having experienced the same feeling in any other electric vehicle, nor in cars with internal combustion engines. This is why the iX3 50 xDrive is not just an ideal SUV for enjoying winding roads like those of Rabassa; I suspect it will also excel in long journeys on open roads and of course, in daily city driving.
Another aspect that seemed spectacular to me—and I recognize that these days safety systems are crucial—was the way in which all the ADAS systems operate.
In many modern cars, they can be overly intrusive: correcting too much, even when not needed, leading to potential dizziness, not to mention the shocks caused by some unjustified interventions. Well, in the iX3, the relationship between the driver and the ADAS systems is excellent. The automatic lane changes are very smooth and precise, as are the overtaking maneuvers, where it is sufficient to activate the turn signal for the car to anticipate and execute the maneuver with impeccable precision.
The truth is that instead of overwhelming you with corrections, lights, and constant acoustic warnings, here everything fulfills its function with both smoothness and effectiveness.
Efficient? No, the next level!
During the test, I drove assertively on equally demanding roads, such as those of Rabassa, the Coll d'Ordino, or the roads in the northern valleys of the country. Although I found it impossible to refrain from driving joyfully, as it is effortless and natural, the average consumption settled around 17 kWh/100 km.
Seventeen is a very reasonable figure for an SUV of this size, weight, and power, especially considering the pace of driving. Furthermore, the energy recovery system also works very efficiently, meaning the battery constantly receives energy contributions. And this is not my merit as a driver, but that of the Heart of Joy, the supercomputer managing absolutely everything.
To come full circle—I'm talking about two days after having been up and down around Andorra and the Alt Urgell—it was time to think about recharging the battery. I wasn't at the limit yet, but we wanted to conduct the test.
We had expected it, but even knowing it, the surprise was still there! I'm referring to the actual charging speed!
We stopped at the 300 kW chargers on Av. Tarragona, where we left the car plugged in and went for a coffee at the Terrassa del Diplomàtic. While we were watching videos and pictures taken, the car went to work, charging from 28% to 87% battery in just 12 minutes. In the end, it reached 96% in just over 16 minutes, and this was on a Monday afternoon.
I have done several charges here and there with other cars, but this is the first time I have encountered such rapid charging speed.
Pending a test of the electric Porsche Macan (which could be a good rival for comparison), for the face-to-face comparison, I will place a Tesla Model Y on the other side of the ring. Without a doubt, I must say that the BMW is far more solid, robust, attractive, modern, complete, and efficient, in addition to transmitting a sense of much higher quality in the broadest sense.
Conclusion
Based on everything I have presented, I can say that if you are looking for an electric SUV with a clearly sporty DNA, but with all, absolutely all the attributes that define a premium electric vehicle, the iX3 range in general and the iX3 50 xDrive in particular are extraordinarily complete and technologically advanced cars!
Moreover, setting aside Chinese models, the range starts at a price of 56,475 euros for the iX3 40 and 71,000 for the 50 xDrive.
Considering the cars they are and everything they offer, I believe these are reasonable prices because if you are a BMW enthusiast and you love driving, now you will enjoy making the shift to electric mobility with a smile from ear to ear every time you get behind the wheel.
Learn all about it and request a test drive at Pyrénées Motors. Prat de la Tresa s/n. Tel. +376 880700
