BMW iX3 2026 review | Cutting-edge electric SUV is a class-leader

What is the BMW iX3?

The BMW iX3 is the first ‘Neue Klasse’ BMW to go on sale. This is the German premium brand’s next-generation electric model line, optimised for electrification with the aim of serving up its most advanced, compromise-free modern car range yet. There will be an entire series of Neue Klasse models; the BMW iX3 is the first – and has started off with a bang by scooping the 2026 World Car of the Year award.

A compact luxury SUV, the BMW iX3 competes with models such as the Audi Q6 e-tron and Volvo EX60. This is a growing area of the electric car market, and BMW will be hoping the new iX3 can build on the momentum of the first-generation model, first launched in 2020 and available as a used buy on CarGurus.

BMW launched the iX3 in powerful, long range 50 xDrive guise. With a giant 108.7kWh battery, this has a range of up to 500 miles. Grippy all-wheel drive and 462bhp gives punchy 0-62mph acceleration in 4.9 seconds. There’s since been a cheaper rear-wheel drive 40 model launched, with a smaller 82.6kWh battery and 315bhp motor. This has a range of 395 miles and 0-62mph performance in 5.9 seconds.

The BMW iX3 boasts the firm’s Neue Klasse design, with simple, elegant lines that make it look much more modern than its predecessor. Highlights include the large front kidney grilles – which are illuminated by LEDs instead of using the traditional chrome finish. There’s an array of colours too, from ‘free’ white, to regular metallics from £875, to extra-special BMW Individual paintwork at £4,385.

How practical is it?

Unlike its predecessor, the new BMW iX3 has been optimised around its electric drivetrain. This has allowed the firm to maximise practicality around the more space-efficient EV hardware, creating a roomier, more flexible interior. There’s no rear transmission tunnel, for example, so passengers have more space, and it feels airier in the front, too.

In keeping with its advanced engineering, the BMW iX3 has a suitably forward-looking interior design. The central infotainment screen is distinctively-shaped – BMW says it’s easier for the driver to reach – and when you turn the car on, a full-width display appears in the far edge of the dashboard, below the windscreen. It’s unique, and does take some getting used to – as does the unusually-shaped steering wheel (two designs are available; they’re both odd).

The rest of the interior is a little more familiar, with – praise be – conventional electric window and door mirror controls. As is often the way with modern cars, the gearlever is over-styled, but it’s at least located on the centre console rather than on a column stalk or, as with the Tesla Model Y, relegated to the touchscreen. The electric seat adjusters are on the door, and there are physical buttons for heating and cooling too; sadly, there are no physical climate controls, which are instead buried in the base of the touchscreen.

The seating position is fairly lofty which, combined with deep side windows, gives excellent visibility. The seats are firm and supportive, with ample sporty bolstering. A beautiful textile upholstery is standard, with sustainable leather-effect alternatives starting from £975; the white option is particularly striking. Interior quality is generally excellent, with plenty of soft-touch, low-sheen materials, although there are a few harder, grittier plastics lower down.

Rear passenger space is generous, with ample headroom foot room and knee room. The outer seat cushions are nice and supportive as well, although it’s odd that there are no overhead grab handles. It does have four microphones built into the roof though, which BMW says can be toggled so those in the front can more easily hear those in the rear.

The BMW iX3 has a large 520-litre boot, which extends to 1750 litres with the rear seats folded. The space is broad and long, with a fully-flat floor. The seatback is split 40/20/40, and the backrest can be tilted if passengers fancy a more reclined seat position. There’s also a 58-litre front boot, or ‘frunk’.

Practicality extends to charging the BMW iX3 – because it has the potential to charge extremely quickly. The 50 xDrive can use high-power DC chargers at a rate of up to 400kW, which is enough to take it from 10-80% in 21 minutes. What does it mean in English? The potential to take on 231 miles’ of charge in a mere 10 minutes.

The 40 has a slower 300kW DC rapid charge rate, but as the battery’s smaller, it can still go from 10-80% in 21 minutes. It can take on up to 186 miles’ worth of charge in just 10 minutes of peak DC charging

Unlike its rival, the Audi Q6 e-tron, the BMW iX3 only has a single exterior charge part, on the right-hand side rear flank. It’s an ‘intelligent’ charge flap, opening and closing automatically.

What’s it like to drive?

The BMW iX3 is a class act to drive. It has that trademark BMW precision, with direct, precise and well-weighted steering and a responsive, immediate chassis that still manages not to feel nervous or edgy. It handles beautifully and is a pleasure to drive on twisting roads.

It does have a sporting firmness to the ride, particularly on larger wheel options. At times, it can feel a bit stiff over expansion joints and potholes at lower speeds. However, get it above 40mph and it settles into a supple, controlled and measured flow. BMW doesn’t yet offer adaptive suspension on the iX3, but if and when it does, this should help improve the lower-speed ride quality.

We’ve only driven the 50 xDrive version which, with 462bhp and all-wheel drive, is amply fast enough. Power delivery is smooth and measured, and it’s augmented by BMW’s unique synthetic ‘engine’ noise. Refinement is pretty impressive, with wind noise particularly notable for its absence.

The BMW iX3 even has a clever ‘soft stop’ feature. This can bring it to a halt extra-smoothly, using the electric motors to smooth out any jerkiness. It’s almost uncanny, how well it works – definitely something to try out doing a test drive. In everyday driving, adds BMW, 98% of the braking will actually be done by recuperation rather than using the physical brakes.

The BMW iX3 is a fairly large car, measuring nearly 4.8 metres long and almost 1.9 metres wide. You’ll feel this on the road at first, particularly its width, but it does quickly start to feel more manoeuvrable. Good visibility helps here – the windscreen and side windows are deep – but so too does the BMW iX3’s crisp response to the steering. There’s no guesswork involved, so placing it on the road is straightforward. There’s an array of standard parking cameras too – and an ‘auto park’ function that remembers the route you drove into a space and will self-drive itself out of it, following exactly the same path.

As with all new cars, the BMW iX3 has a comprehensive array of ADAS tech. The speed limit warnings and lane-keep assist are less intrusive than many, though – dare we say you could even leave them turned on without

Technology, equipment & infotainment

Advanced technology is core to the BMW iX3, and it doesn’t disappoint when you first jump inside. It’s suitably different enough to what’s gone before to cause you to pause – the parallelogram central infotainment screen, the multi-function display running the full width of the dash below the windscreen, even the touch-sensitive buttons on that unusually-shaped steering wheel – all will help the dealer earn their keep in explaining it before your test drive.

But it’s not just being different for different’s sake – BMW’s done all this because it works, and is more future-proofed for the modern digital world than existing infotainment tech. The full-width display – called BMW Panoramic iDrive – is fully customisable, for example, and is cleverly projected to appear as if it’s coming from deep under the bonnet, reducing the need to refocus your eyes. Once set up, it’s surprisingly useful.

There’s a voice-activated BMW ‘intelligent personal assistant’ that also has Alexa built in – and BMW’s also set to launch an even smarter Amazon Alexa AI+ assistant. It has built-in Spotify, AirConsole in-car gaming, video streaming via Disney+ or YouTube, and the BMW ConnectedDrive Store with over 60 more apps. Business users, you can even access work meetings via integrated Zoom.

While both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are offered as standard, the native setup and app integration work so well, we didn’t feel the need to use either during testing. Oh, and while the BMW iX3 does have touch-sensitive steering wheel buttons, rather than physical buttons, it is still shaped so you can feel individual controls without having to look down. The swipeable thumb controls work quite well once you get used to them. BMW’s slimline column stalks retain physical clicks, too.

A worthwhile option is BMW’s Tech Pack Plus. For £1700, this adds a 3D head-up display, 13-speaker Harman Kardon stereo and three-zone climate control (basically, it extends climate air con to the rear seat passengers). The 3D head-up display is particularly worthwhile as it complements the Panoramic iDrive setup beautifully.

Even the entry-level BMW iX3 is well-equipped. Along with sparking 20-inch alloy wheels, it gets six-way electrically-adjustable heated front seats, wireless charging tray (big enough for two devices), dual-zone climate control, electric folding door mirrors and BMW’s leather-free Econeer upholstery.

The BMW iX3 M Sport adds M-design 20-inch alloys, M Sport brakes with blue calipers, and an exterior M styling pack including front and rear bumpers, side skirts and an M rear diffuser. Inside, there’s a sports steering wheel, Veganza and M Perform Tex upholstery and ambient lighting that includes translucent dash lighting.

The BMW iX3 M Sport Pro adds a Shadowline Glass 3D kidney grille, Adaptive LED headlights, black exterior door mirror caps, M high-gloss black rear diffuser and M Sport brakes with red calipers. Inside, the M Sport seats have 10-way electric adjustment and there’s an M-specific steering wheel. Note, however, that no BMW iX3 has a heated steering wheel as standard – it’s optional on all.

Do note that if you choose larger alloy wheels, the range will drop. On 21-inch wheels, the 50 xDrive’s 500-mile potential on 20-inch aero wheels goes down to 483 miles, and falls even further, to 467 miles on 22-inch wheels.

BMW iX3 running costs

As with all electric cars, the BMW iX3 has the potential for low running costs when it comes to powering it. The big batteries mean you can benefit from plenty of low-rate electricity if you have a driveway – and the car’s software helps you schedule charges to benefit from the very cheapest rates. And a range of up to 500 miles should help you avoid expensive public EV chargers as much as possible.

Being a large, relatively heavy EV means it won’t be as efficient as a smaller car, which will offset some of these savings. And remember, if you pick big wheels, you’ll both get less range and more expensive tyre replacements when your rubber runs low.

The BMW iX3 has a heat pump as standard. This will help improve its efficiency in the winter, ensuring the drop in range when the weather gets cold won't be as large as it otherwise could be.

Insurance groups are pretty reasonable considering the BMW iX3’s premium status and punchy performance. They start from group 37, which is far lower than first-generation electric SUVs (and insurance groups undercut its predecessor, too). Just not that, thanks to its increased performance, the 50 xDrive has insurance ratings around five groups higher than the comparable 40.

BMW iX3 reliability

It’s too soon to say how BMW iX3 reliability will fare, but BMW is hardly new to the electric car game, so has plenty of experience to build on. It was already selling the BMW i3 in decent volumes back in the mid-2010s, and all that experience will have taught it a thing or two about designing and building EVs with reliability and long life in mind.

BMW is also the highest-rated premium brand for reliability, according to the latest What Car? Reliability Survey 2025. It placed sixth, compared to rivals Audi and Mercedes-Benz, which were both down in joint 22nd.

The used BMW i3 and i4 were particularly highly-rated, which bodes well for the BMW iX3. Saying that, the car that let the side down was the electric BMW iX, which was the lone BMW with a below-par reliability rating. Hopefully the iX3 doesn’t follow in its footsteps…

BMW offers a three-year new car warranty – not the best in terms of length, although it doesn’t have a mileage cap, so high-mileage drivers can motor along for three years without worry.