Still on the fence about getting premium electrified mobility? Then this outstanding new BMW iX3 M Sport should be the most convincing argument for it yet. Get in and drive it, and within seconds you will certainly be blown away with the effortless and relentless power from naught. Especially for those who have not fully experienced high-performance vehicles before, they may even get intimidated by the silent and eager briskness that the fully-electrified X3 deploys. The silence masks the incredible sensation of acceleration that equals a BMW X3 sDrive30i from rest to 100 km/h but betters it where it counts most in the mid-range all the way to its electronically governed 180 km/h top speed.
The BMW iX3 is certainly no slouch and you can use its deep entertaining abilities more often stealthily without being obnoxious and with the additional bonus of being able to use it even on “coding” days. Powered by the 5th-generation BMW eDrive tech optimized in the current Cluster Architecture (modular CLAR that incorporates steel, aluminum, and carbon fiber) platform used in the X3 G01 model family, the unique iX3 is made even more special with the M Sport packaging. The style 842 Bicolor 19-inch alloys are wrapped with 245/50R19 105W XL Yokohama Advan Sport V107 BluEarth tires, which provide very balanced comfort and traction.
The exciting new test unit seen here in Mineral White Metallic with distinctive “Blue i” accents may very much look like your standard BMW X3 but all dolled up (other colors available are Sophisto Grey Brilliant Effect, Cashmere Silver, and Carbon Black Metallic) even when you see the interior and get behind the steering wheel. Everything looks and feels familiar but somehow different. It is precisely these distinctive nuances and more generous standard equipment that distances itself from the current X3 xDrive20d Professional variant that sells for P700,000.00 less.
The BMW iX3 actually drives more like a traditional lifted 3-series because of its purely rear-wheel drive combined with trick adaptive suspension on all corners and the massive 295 lb-ft of torque accessed from rest. It may weigh over 300 kg. more than the xDrive20d but it feels more athletic and is genuinely nimbler while soaking up road imperfections like a champ. It still has a 500 mm wading depth with its 179 mm ground clearance, and the regenerative brakes are very powerful without being wooden. The rear trunk capacity is 40-liters less than the standard X3 to make room for the rear electric motor however you wouldn’t notice it as storage is still 510-liters with the seats up and 1560-liters with the rear seats folded. Rear passengers can recline the backrests that have 40:20:40 split-folding seats, with additional rear USB-C ports and digital temperature controls, and there is a cavity under the trunk floor to store the charging cables.
The iX3 is BMW’s first model produced for export at the Shenyang manufacturing facility in China. The US market is supposedly the only major market that will not enjoy this outstanding electrified crossover, mostly due to its range which is actually very good with an authentic rating of 460-kilometers than can be stretched to as much as 520-kilometers if you are very keen to do so methodically but at the sacrifice to user comforts and pace.
The iX3 has the Hans Zimmer collaborated BMW Iconic Soundscape package which is very cool. It uses a 4-kW internal charger/transformer that supports up to 150 kW DC fast charging, that can charge from 0 to 80 % in 34 minutes and 100 kilometers (62 miles) in 10 minutes. At a home with the free BMW installed iwallbox it should take 7.5 hours for a full charge from a completely depleted battery.
Notable standard equipment on the BMW iX3 include Adaptive LED headlights, full-LED lighting all around, M Aerodynamics package, M high-gloss Shadowline trim, iDrive operating system 7.0, Harman Kardon HiFi audio, Fine-wood trim-ash trunkwood open-pored with highlight trim finisher in Pearl Chrome, panoramic moonroof, M leather steering wheel, ambient lighting, aluminum sport pedals, crisp 10.25-inch widescreen touch display paired with a 12.3-inch instrument cluster, smartphone wireless charger, powered rear trunk, wireless Apple CarPlay connectivity, and acoustic protection for pedestrians.
The BMW iX3 may be completely electrified with a liquid-cooled 80-kWh lithium-ion battery (282 hp / 295 lb-ft of torque) but it performs with the authentic dynamics that make BMW’s so desired and so enjoyable to drive. 0-100 km/h acceleration is accomplished in 6.7 seconds. Even at low speed, the throttle response is very well modulated with feel, it does not react too synthetically like in most EV’s. On Sport mode, the iX3 is a rewarding and precise driving machine. You can have more interaction and adjust brake regeneration methods to suite your needs but leaving it to the intelligent adaptive mode effectively handles this optimally anyhow.
Though you may think that the BMW iX3 is a stop gap before the full transition to a fully built-up EV version in the future, it performs today with truly accomplished form and function. It is a brilliant full-featured BMW X3 that so happens to be also environmentally conscious. The BMW iX3 M Sport retails for P4,990,000.00 and comes with a BMW iWallbox that will be installed by BMW i partners in the customer’s home, 5-year BMW factory warranty, 8-year high-voltage battery warranty, and 6-year BMW Service Inclusive warranty.
