BMW is no stranger to electric vehicles — the i3 has been on the market since 2013 — but it was up to new BMW iX3 to be its first SUV (or SAV, in BMW parlance) exclusively motivated by electrons. As the name suggests, it is directly related to the X3, inheriting almost everything from it, except the kinematic chain.
On the outside, there is little to distinguish the iX3 from the other X3, but those who are more attentive will certainly notice the double rim, now covered (there is no combustion engine needing air); on the rims and front and rear bumpers of exclusive design; in the blue details, typical of the BMW i models (they can be, optionally, gray); and, more subtle, in the reduced ground clearance.
Inside, it will be even more difficult to distinguish them, with only the blue color in some details giving us clues that we are in a different X3 than usual.
SUV, but only with rear wheel drive
Audi e-tron and Mercedes-Benz EQC electric SUVs have four-wheel drive, but the new BMW iX3 sticks to two-wheel drive — to better face its rivals, we'll have to wait another year for the launch of the newly unveiled and bigger BMW iX, which brings a set of specifications more in line with these proposals.
Subscribe to our newsletter
The new iX3 is the first of the brand to use fifth-generation eDrive technology (more easily scalable and flexible), bringing together the electric motor, transmission and all electronic systems in a single unit. In this specific case, the kinematic chain is located directly on the rear axle, which is also the driving axle.
The iX3's electric motor delivers 286 hp and 400 Nm, enough to push its 2260 kg up to 100 km/h in 6.8s and up to an electronically limited top speed of 180 km/h.
Powering the electric motor is an 80 kWh (71 kWh net), liquid-cooled battery, positioned on the platform floor and ensuring a lower center of gravity than in the other X3s. The announced autonomy is about 460 km.
At the wheel
In this first and brief contact in Portugal — we were able to drive the iX3 for an hour — we didn't miss the opportunity to give you your first impressions behind the wheel of BMW's new electric proposal. Accompany Guilherme Costa in this first dynamic contact on national soil of the new BMW iX3:when does it arrive and how much does it cost
The new BMW iX3 will only begin marketing in Portugal next year, in February. The price will start at 72 600 euros.