BMW iX3 review: Is an electric X3 worth buying?

(Pocket-lint) - While galore would see the likes of the Jaguar i-Pace to beryllium 1 of the archetypal electrical cars connected the road, it's astir excessively casual to place that BMW enactment an electrical car connected the roadworthy agelong earlier galore rivals - and the BMW i3 is inactive retired determination aplenty.

However, that i3 truly doesn't stock overmuch with this much caller iX3 - different than immoderate characters successful its name. Instead, the iX3 takes the X3 SUV arsenic its basal exemplary and gives it the electrical treatment. But arsenic it's not connected a bespoke platform, does it win successful this progressively competitory space?

Design

In galore ways, taking the X3 and converting it to tally connected batteries makes a batch of sense. It lands firmly successful compact SUV territory, a fashionable class for those looking to power to electric, portion giving BMW customers a exemplary that looks beauteous overmuch the aforesaid arsenic the existing BMW X3.

Audi took a akin attack with the Audi e-tron; we've seen akin from Mercedes with the EQA; and it means that everything is acquainted for the driver. In that sense, the quality of the BMW X3 is retained, the looks are beauteous overmuch the same, and truthful is overmuch of the experience. The flipside is that the iX3 doesn't look breathtaking oregon new.

Of course, the grille has been enclosed, determination are dashes of bluish throughout, portion a deficiency of tailpipes astatine the rear highlights there's nary combustion motor nether this car's bonnet. In a unusual twist of timing, the Premier Edition photoed present has already been updated, truthful there's a much assertive chemoreceptor to the exemplary you'd really spell retired and order.

That the iX3 launched archetypal successful China possibly reveals wherever BMW thinks this exemplary volition person astir entreaty - though it's present wide available. There aren't a immense fig of trim choices, but determination are immoderate colour selections to beryllium made - and present there's the prime of M Sport oregon M Sport Pro successful presumption of models.

Conventionality is the reward you get from the iX3, sitting alongside the somewhat much extremist BMW iX - which has been designed from the crushed up arsenic a next-gen electrical SUV and is antithetic successful galore ways (not to notation much expensive).

Familiar interior

There are immoderate sacrifices that travel with adapting a combustion-designed exemplary to electric. That sees the crushed clearance reduced, the footwear capableness reduced to 510 litres, and there's nary beforehand retention - due to the fact that this car wasn't designed with that successful mind.

Indeed, comparison the BMW iX3 to thing similar the Hyundai Ioniq 5 - the second a bespoke electrical exemplary - and you'll find the BMW's interior little spacious and much constrained by the exemplary it has evolved from.

But it's inactive a BMW and that means you get a prime interior with plentifulness of method detail. If you're already a BMW proprietor past you'll consciousness wholly astatine location successful the iX3: present it's a reflection of the X3 equivalent, nicely finished and offering plentifulness of visibility. As with different SUVs, thrust tallness is simply a definite advantage, paired with ample headroom.

There's not immense legroom for the rear seats, but you tin comfortably descent an big oregon 3 into that rear bench. As we said, the BMW iX3 drops from 550 litres of footwear abstraction to 510 litres, truthful you'll inactive beryllium capable to acceptable successful capable luggage to instrumentality the household distant for the week.

The champion portion astir the interior - if you're a BMW operator - is that everything conscionable falls to the interaction wherever you expect it. Many modern competitors person radically changed the interior to marque it much modern - the VW ID.4 being 1 specified example.

Not truthful the iX3. So if you person immoderate reservations astir switching to electric, the iX3 makes it easy. Indeed, it's virtually the aforesaid arsenic the combustion models, including the cogwheel selector which you sound sideways to prosecute B mode, successful the aforesaid mode you'd prosecute S/M mode connected combustion models.

The 10-inch cardinal show sits atop the dashboard, alternatively than embedded, truthful it's easier to glimpse astatine erstwhile driving. There are immoderate fastener controls for media - which consciousness alternatively detached, arsenic they're immoderate region from the show - but the aircon controls, however, are casual capable to manage.

Quality finishes characterise the BMW iX3, sitting alongside the Mercedes EQA oregon the Audi Q4 e-tron, and it surely is simply a precise comfy spot to be.

An iDrive tech selection

BMW's interior exertion has been dilatory evolving implicit caller years, with the iX3 offering Operating System 7. That's not arsenic precocious arsenic the incoming BMW iX - which steps up to Operating System 8 - but it does connection tons of connected advantages and creaseless interaction.

That includes not lone the carnal iDrive controller - which is fundamentally unchanged implicit the past 10 years - but besides interaction enactment connected that display, arsenic good arsenic motion controls connected immoderate models. That mightiness dependable a small odd, but it means you tin rotate your digit successful beforehand of the show to alteration the volume, for example, without having to scope for the carnal controller. There's besides the enactment for a head-up show (HUD), beaming utile accusation onto the windscreen.

There's enactment for Android Auto and Apple CarPlay (both wireless), arsenic good arsenic a wireless charging pad. If you usage smartphone-based systems, the dependable fastener volition enactment with the autochthonal strategy from your phone, meaning arsenic casual way to getting Siri successful your car. However, there's besides BMW's Hey BMW dependable assistant - which is really beauteous good, capable to prime retired commands and instrumentality sensible results.

The wide BMW strategy is casual to use, and due to the fact that this is Operating System 7 you tin customise the homepages to get the accusation you privation connected the location screen. Among the screens you tin find information connected consumption, arsenic good arsenic controls for things similar regeneration (with "adaptive" being the default).

Flip the cogwheel selector implicit to B for artillery and it'll determination you into the highest level of regen. This provides one-pedal driving, which we overmuch similar for municipality driving. You can, done the settings, specify the regen level for driving successful D to suit however you privation the car to feel.

In reality, however, it's beauteous casual to flip that cogwheel selector from 1 presumption to the other, sticking to D connected the motorway, for example, truthful you tin seashore without a regen braking effect, past flip to B successful municipality environments to get amended regen from the much predominant stop-start driving.

You tin besides hunt for charging points easy capable and we similar that you don't person to wade done a afloat enactment of irrelevant points of involvement earlier you get to these - and there's a bully woody of customisation connected connection too, truthful you tin hunt for a peculiar powerfulness of charger, alternatively than having a database afloat of dilatory chargers.

During our clip with the car we weren't capable to ascertain however up to day this charger listing was, but it's worthy knowing that you tin besides usage the BMW app for those - some to cheque the complaint of your car and find a charger and nonstop the navigation details to your car for convenience.

The integer operator show measures 12.3-inches, but is alternatively constricted erstwhile it comes to customisation. It conscionable doesn't connection the aforesaid grade of flexibility you'll get from thing similar Audi's Virtual Cockpit - and we can't assistance feeling that the minimal colours marque it a small little visually exciting.

On the road

Unlike immoderate rivals, you don't get options for artillery oregon motors here, which astatine slightest keeps things simple. There's an 80kWh battery, of which 74kWh is usable. It's susceptible of charging astatine up to 150kW, which is accelerated capable to spot you backmost to 80 per cent complaint successful astir 34 minutes. It's not the fastest charging car available, but practically speaking, it's uncommon to find nationalist chargers that volition springiness you a faster charge.

BMW cites the scope arsenic 285 miles; successful our real-world driving we were capable to propulsion retired an mean of 3.4 miles per kWh - which would travel successful astatine 251 miles (using the 74kWh usable capacity). This was connected mixed roadworthy driving, but we enactment that it lone includes 2.8kWh of regen (urban driving would propulsion this up, longer motorway driving would propulsion this down).

Of people the existent scope you'll execute depends connected galore factors, including the weather, however your drive, and however loaded the car is. BMW's show present is beauteous mean really; successful discourse you'll get amended scope for your wealth from the VW ID.4, arsenic 1 example.

That mightiness not interest BMW drivers excessively much, due to the fact that it's inactive going to beryllium ample scope to get you done astir of your regular driving and, successful reality, erstwhile it comes to driving longer ranges, you'll inactive person been successful the driving spot for respective hours earlier you'll request to find a charger.

What's absorbing astir the BMW iX3 is that it's rear-wheel drive, the motors sitting connected the rear axle, and it loses the all-wheel thrust you mightiness expect from its X Series designation.

There's a 210kW centrifugal (286hp), offering a 0-62mph clip of 6.8 seconds, truthful it's a small faster than immoderate rivals and that helps marque this BMW a blast to drive, inactive hanging onto feeling similar a BMW, alternatively than similar immoderate wafty eco warrior.

Writing by Chris Hall. Editing by Mike Lowe. Originally published connected 30 December 2021.