The BMW X3 Thread

BMW expands the iX3 series with new iX3 40 entry-level configuration

BMW announced the iX3 back in September last year, but only the pricier iX3 50 xDrive configuration was made available, with all-wheel drive, a large 108.7 kWh battery and 469 hp maximum output. Nonetheless, customers are apparently loving it because BMW is struggling to keep up with demand. No wonder - our real life range test of the BMW iX3 50 proved to be a chart-topper.

After announcing the longer Chinese iX3 yesterday, BMW is expanding the global iX3 lineup and introducing the entry-level iX3 40 with a rear-wheel drive, a smaller battery and a less powerful motor. The motor is capable of 320 hp (235 kW) maximum output and is paired with an 82.6 kWh battery. According to the WLTP data, the vehicle can drive for 635 km before needing a recharge.

For context, the iX3 50 xDrive has a 469 hp dual-motor setup, a 108.7 kWh battery, all-wheel drive and up to 805 km range.

The iX3 40 offers more than decent fast charging capabilities. BMW says the vehicle can recharge from 10% to 80% in just 21 minutes using a 300 kW fast DC charging station. A 10-minute charge will give you about 300 km.


 
BMW iX3 is the World Car of the Year 2026

BMW’s critical first Neue Klasse release doesn’t only boast a full order book prior to release, but has now also scooped two awards in the World Car Awards programme.

The annual World Car Awards winners were announced at the New York Auto Show on 1 April. This followed voting by a jury of 98 international automotive journalists, including Cars.co.za’s own Hannes Oosthuizen. And BMW won big with its groundbreaking new iX3.

Oosthuizen predicted the BMW iX3’s victory following its inclusion in the Top 3 earlier this year. “BMW has used the clean-sheet opportunity that the Neue Klasse demanded. It has brought to market a car that is ahead of anything else in its segment,” Oosthuizen said.

“The iX3 is wonderful to drive, with a staggering combination of performance and efficiency. I’d also argue that if BMW South Africa can indeed reach price parity with the equivalent X3 ICE offering, then this EV offers exceptional value for money,” he added.

The BMW iX3 will reach South Africa during the 3rd quarter of this year.


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The BMW iX3 is the 2026 World Car of the Year

The first modern Neue Klasse model in BMW’s portfolio, the iX3 has claimed top honours at the 2026 World Car of the Year awards…

The BMW iX3, which we sampled for a first drive at its international launch event in Spain in 2025, has claimed top honours at the 2026 World Car of the Year awards. Indeed, among 58 competitors and a shortlist comprising the Hyundai Palisade and Nissan Leaf, the first modern Neue Klasse model in BMW’s portfolio was chosen, by a jury comprising 98 motoring journalists from 33 countries, as the Car of the Year.

Said Mike Reichelt, Head of Neue Klasse at BMW, “We are happy with this fantastic accolade for the BMW iX3, the first representative of our Neue Klasse. The BMW iX3 marks the beginning of a new era at BMW – in terms of design language, range, charging capacity as well as driver assistance – and BMW Panoramic iDrive. Above all, the BMW iX3 represents the next generation of Sheer Driving Pleasure powered by the Heart of Joy. The innovations from the Neue Klasse will benefit our entire product portfolio.”

 
Finished the long weekend, around 980Km of driving, JHB->berg->claren->more berg, ->jhb , and a sum total of R690 in electricity on the ix3 :D
 
More details of the Chinese BMW iX3 revealed

BMW wants to sell more electric cars in China, and it believes the secret is a longer body. The German carmaker got the official go-ahead to build and sell its new iX3 in the Chinese market. This version of the SUV is different - it is much longer than the one sold in the rest of the world. Chinese drivers love big cars with plenty of space in the back, and BMW is happy to give them exactly what they want.

The new BMW iX3 50L is a joint project between the German brand and its Chinese partner, Brilliance. They build these EVs in Northern China using many parts from local companies. We first saw this car testing on the road as far back as August 2025. After the company revealed the new iX3 only a short while ago, the Chinese government has now given the car a sales license. This means it is ready for mass production and will show up at the Beijing Auto Show for its public debut.

The most obvious change to this iX3 is its size. BMW stretched the body of the car by 103 mm compared to the global version. This brings the total length to 4,885 mm. The wheelbase grew even more. It is now 3,005 mm, which is 108 mm longer than the standard model. Most of this extra space goes to the people sitting in the back seats, giving them more room to stretch their legs.

Even though the car is longer, it did not gain a lot of weight. It weighs 2,371 kg, which is only 11 kg more than the shorter version. The car stands 1,635 mm tall and 1,895 mm wide. It looks like a proper SUV, but it sits on very large 22-inch wheels. These wheels use different tire sizes for the front and back to help with grip. The front tires are 255/35, and the rear tires are wider at 275/35.

The Chinese iX3 is not just bigger; it is also a bit more powerful. It uses two electric motors to drive all four wheels. The motor in the front produces 116 kW, which is about 156 hp. The motor in the back is much stronger, providing 235 kW or 315 hp. When both motors work together, the car reaches a total of 351 kW. That is equal to 471 hp. This makes it slightly more powerful than the global model, which has 345 kW.

With all that power, this SUV can reach a top speed of 210 km/h. To keep the motors running, BMW uses a battery made by Eve Energy, the same company that makes batteries for Tesla. We do not know exactly how far the car can travel on a full charge yet, but we know that BMW assembles the entire battery pack itself at its factory in China.


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BMW gets over 50,000 orders for the iX3, announces first quarter results

Today BMW has announced its results for the first quarter of this year (January to March). It also revealed that it got more than 50,000 orders for the iX3 in Europe during this quarter, with over half of the new X3s ordered being electric.

BEV orders in Europe were up by "around 40%" compared to the year-ago quarter. BMW also saw increased orders for all drivetrain technologies in the region in Q1.

The overall global sales numbers are mostly bleak, however. The entire BMW Group sold 565,748 vehicles in Q1, down 3.5% versus Q1 of 2025. Sales for the BMW brand were 496,050, down 4.6%. BMW M sales at 47,544 were down 5.9%. Mini sales were the only ones up - by 5.9%, up to 68,427 vehicles.

 
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