Previewed by the iX3 Concept unveiled at the 2018 Beijing Motor Show, the production version of the BMW iX3 has been launched online today, and it’s BMW’s first ever electric crossover.
Unlike most versions of the ICE-powered X3, the iX3 will be exclusively available with rear-wheel-drive in the name of efficiency, no matter how oxymoronic that may sound considering that it has a crossover/SUV body.
Powered by the fifth generation of BMW’s so-called eDrive technology, the model uses a current-excited synchronous electric motor, arranged together with a single-speed transmission and the power electronics in a single housing.
Compared to the concept version, the production 2021 BMW iX3 comes with a maximum output of 210 kW/286 hp and a peak torque of 400 Nm (295 lb-ft). With an unladen EU weight of 2,260 kg (4,982 pounds), the model is no lightweight, yet the power-to-weight ratio allows it to accelerate from 0 to 100 kph (62 mph) in a decent 6.8 seconds. Its top speed is electronically limited to 180 kph (112 mph).
All that power takes its juice from a 400V battery with a gross energy content of 80 kWh (74 kWh net) that can be charged from 150KW charging facilities.
The total range of the iX3 is up to 459 kilometers (285 miles) in the WLTP test cycle and up to 520 kilometers (323 miles) in the almost useless NEDC test cycle. EPA ratings have not been released yet, obviously, but you can expect around 280 miles in the U.S. as well.
The BMW iX3 will be the carmaker’s first model to also be produced for export at the Shenyang manufacturing facility in China, with market launch to begin in the Middle Kingdom later in 2020. The U.S. should be getting it in the first half of 2021.
It’s worth mentioning that the same drivetrain will be used by the upcoming BMW i4 and the iNEXT, so no all-wheel-drive for those either.
The starting prices will be revealed soon, but you can bet it will undercut rivals like the Mercedes-Benz EQC 400 by a significant amount due to the lack of a second motor.
Powered by the fifth generation of BMW’s so-called eDrive technology, the model uses a current-excited synchronous electric motor, arranged together with a single-speed transmission and the power electronics in a single housing.
Compared to the concept version, the production 2021 BMW iX3 comes with a maximum output of 210 kW/286 hp and a peak torque of 400 Nm (295 lb-ft). With an unladen EU weight of 2,260 kg (4,982 pounds), the model is no lightweight, yet the power-to-weight ratio allows it to accelerate from 0 to 100 kph (62 mph) in a decent 6.8 seconds. Its top speed is electronically limited to 180 kph (112 mph).
All that power takes its juice from a 400V battery with a gross energy content of 80 kWh (74 kWh net) that can be charged from 150KW charging facilities.
The total range of the iX3 is up to 459 kilometers (285 miles) in the WLTP test cycle and up to 520 kilometers (323 miles) in the almost useless NEDC test cycle. EPA ratings have not been released yet, obviously, but you can expect around 280 miles in the U.S. as well.
The BMW iX3 will be the carmaker’s first model to also be produced for export at the Shenyang manufacturing facility in China, with market launch to begin in the Middle Kingdom later in 2020. The U.S. should be getting it in the first half of 2021.
It’s worth mentioning that the same drivetrain will be used by the upcoming BMW i4 and the iNEXT, so no all-wheel-drive for those either.
The starting prices will be revealed soon, but you can bet it will undercut rivals like the Mercedes-Benz EQC 400 by a significant amount due to the lack of a second motor.