Photo: CarPix
It's been 146 days (thanks, Google) since BMW introduced the iX3, the brand's first-ever all-electric SUV and its first battery-powered vehicle since the now-aging i3.
In car production time, 146 days is almost nothing as developing a new model takes years. From the first ideas and sketches to building a prototype and then making the first delivery, you have enough time to make a baby and probably send them to school as well. It's a slow-moving industry, and that's because there are a lot of risks involved.
That makes the latest find of our spy photographers all the more intriguing. With such a short time gone since the model's market launch, it's weird to see the Bavarians have a facelift already in place. Well, it would be weird if we were talking about a true 2020 model, but the iX3 is actually a 2017 one. Allow us to explain.
Unlike other manufacturers who decided to develop their EVs from the ground up (and rightly so, a lot of people would say), BMW opted for a different approach. Instead of splitting costs by developing two separate platforms, the Bavarians thought they could come up with one suitable for any type of propulsion, from diesel and gas to electric and everything in between.
That's why the iX3 is actually an electric version of the X3 SUV, and why the seemingly hurried facelift isn't really all that rushed.
Since this is the first time the updated EV has been spotted, you can imagine the information on the new model is virtually non-existent. The main disappointment with the iX3 launched earlier this year was the lack of an all-wheel-drive version, so one can only hope BMW will take advantage of this moment to remedy that. After all, they only have to add one electric motor to the front axle - how hard can it be?
The reason it didn't do it in the first place was to increase the model's range. With 285 miles (459 km), the iX3 is hardly ground-breaking, but the figure was enough to put other European rivals such as the Mercedes-Benz EQC and Audi e-tron to shame. However, clients will be expecting AWD from an SUV, particularly since both other models we've mentioned offer it.
Despite being caught stationary in broad daylight, the well-placed camouflage manages to hide all the important bits. Even so, we do get to see a few interesting things. First of all, there will be no huge grille for the updated iX3. That was to be expected given the sightings of the facelift for the regular X3, but it's always nice to get a confirmation.
Second, it looks like the electric SUV will get an M-Sport package, which should help boost its visual presence significantly. Sadly, the camouflage makes it impossible to spot any details other than those vents behind the front wheels and the taped M logo just above them.
Expect the front and the rear to suffer pretty minor changes, with the most impactful being the narrowing of both the headlights and taillights. Nothing dramatic, though, and more importantly, nothing in the vein of the recently introduced iX model.
The updated iX3 should break cover shortly after the same thing happens to the conventionally powered model, which should be either late 2021 or early 2022, at the latest. That is, of course, if 2021 doesn't prove to be even more unpredictable than 2020 was.
That makes the latest find of our spy photographers all the more intriguing. With such a short time gone since the model's market launch, it's weird to see the Bavarians have a facelift already in place. Well, it would be weird if we were talking about a true 2020 model, but the iX3 is actually a 2017 one. Allow us to explain.
Unlike other manufacturers who decided to develop their EVs from the ground up (and rightly so, a lot of people would say), BMW opted for a different approach. Instead of splitting costs by developing two separate platforms, the Bavarians thought they could come up with one suitable for any type of propulsion, from diesel and gas to electric and everything in between.
That's why the iX3 is actually an electric version of the X3 SUV, and why the seemingly hurried facelift isn't really all that rushed.
Since this is the first time the updated EV has been spotted, you can imagine the information on the new model is virtually non-existent. The main disappointment with the iX3 launched earlier this year was the lack of an all-wheel-drive version, so one can only hope BMW will take advantage of this moment to remedy that. After all, they only have to add one electric motor to the front axle - how hard can it be?
The reason it didn't do it in the first place was to increase the model's range. With 285 miles (459 km), the iX3 is hardly ground-breaking, but the figure was enough to put other European rivals such as the Mercedes-Benz EQC and Audi e-tron to shame. However, clients will be expecting AWD from an SUV, particularly since both other models we've mentioned offer it.
Despite being caught stationary in broad daylight, the well-placed camouflage manages to hide all the important bits. Even so, we do get to see a few interesting things. First of all, there will be no huge grille for the updated iX3. That was to be expected given the sightings of the facelift for the regular X3, but it's always nice to get a confirmation.
Second, it looks like the electric SUV will get an M-Sport package, which should help boost its visual presence significantly. Sadly, the camouflage makes it impossible to spot any details other than those vents behind the front wheels and the taped M logo just above them.
Expect the front and the rear to suffer pretty minor changes, with the most impactful being the narrowing of both the headlights and taillights. Nothing dramatic, though, and more importantly, nothing in the vein of the recently introduced iX model.
The updated iX3 should break cover shortly after the same thing happens to the conventionally powered model, which should be either late 2021 or early 2022, at the latest. That is, of course, if 2021 doesn't prove to be even more unpredictable than 2020 was.
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