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The new BMW iX3 has been unveiled, with a driving range of up to 500 miles and 400 kW ultra-rapid charging that can add up to 231 miles in 10 minutes.
Unlike the previous model, the new BMW iX3 has xDrive all-wheel drive, with 469 hp of power and 645 Nm of torque delivering a 0 to 62 mph time of 4.9 seconds. The first ‘Neue Klasse’ model also introduces BMW Panoramic iDrive with full-width windscreen display.
Priced from £58,755, first UK deliveries of the BMW iX3 50 xDrive Sports Activity Vehicle (SAV) will start on 7 March 2026.
BMW says that the iX3 “ushers in new innovations in design and technology which will shape the entire future BMW product portfolio. The technologies of the Neue Klasse will be incorporated into a total of 40 new models and model updates between now and 2027.”
Designed specifically for the Neue Klasse, the new BMW iX3 premieres the BMW Group’s sixth-generation eDrive technology, which comprises highly efficient electric motors, new high-voltage batteries with cylindrical cells, and 800-volt technology to set new benchmarks in efficiency and long-distance capability. The result is a single-charge range of up to 500 miles (WLTP) from the 108.7 kWh battery (usable energy content), making the new BMW iX3 50 xDrive the longest-range battery electric vehicle (BEV) on sale on the UK market today as measured under the WLTP test cycle.
A maximum charging rate of 400 kW enables drivers to add up to 231 miles of range to their BMW iX3 in just ten minutes at an 800V direct current (DC) rapid charging station, with charging from 10% to 80% taking just 21 minutes, representing a 30 per cent increase in charging speed compared with fifth-generation BMW eDrive technology.
The new BMW iX3 is also prepared for bidirectional charging, offering Vehicle-to-Home capability of up to 11 kW with a compatible wallbox and Vehicle-to-Load of up to 3.7 kW.
Overall, the drive technology developed for the Neue Klasse reduces energy losses by 40 per cent, weight by 10 per cent and manufacturing costs by 20 per cent compared to fifth-generation BMW eDrive technology.
A new ‘superbrain’, referred to by BMW as the ‘Heart of Joy’, and developed from scratch for all BMW Group drive system variants and model segments, makes its debut in the new BMW iX3. At its core are four high-performance computers, which cover driving dynamics, automated driving, infotainment, and basic comfort functions such as vehicle access, climate control and seat adjustment.
The Heart of Joy is claimed to elevate the entire driving experience, providing “unparalleled handling, dynamism and precision”. Responsible for the drive system, brakes, charging, energy recuperation and steering subfunctions, the new computer system teams up with the BMW Dynamic Performance Control software stack – developed completely in-house – to process all driving functions up to 10 times faster than conventional control units. The Heart of Joy significantly improves efficiency, enabling 98 per cent of braking manoeuvres in the BMW iX3 to be performed solely by energy recuperation. The ‘superbrain of automated driving’ brings together all automated driving and parking functions, optimises human-vehicle interaction and offers 20 times more processing power than traditional units.
Inside the cabin, the revolutionary BMW Panoramic iDrive, powered by BMW Operating System X, redefines the digital user experience and sets new standards for intuitive, driver-focussed interaction – emphasising BMW’s “hands on the wheel, eyes on the road” principle. The system consists of four key components: the BMW Panoramic Vision display, which spans the entire windscreen; the optional BMW 3D Head-Up Display, featuring integrated navigation and automated driving information with spatial depth; the driver-oriented newly designed Central Display; and the new multi-function steering wheel, which serves as the primary physical control point.
BMW says that the new Panoramic iDrive system was “born out of decades of experience and developed following a user-centric design approach, where data from over 10 million connected vehicles and usability studies from more than 3,000 customers were all incorporated into its development process.” Thankfully, and unlike some other brands, physical controls are retained for the windscreen wipers, indicators, exterior mirrors, volume control, gear selector, parking brake, hazard warning lights, and the rear window heating and defrost function.
Alongside the technological advances, the BMW iX3 introduces a completely new design language, ‘reduced to the essentials’, which will be adopted by the entire future BMW model line-up. Newly designed flush door handles extend automatically when the user approaches with their BMW Digital Key.
Designed solely around an all-electric powertrain, the new BMW iX3 offers significantly increased rear legroom compared with its predecessor. The luggage compartment can be increased from 520 litres to a maximum of 1,750 litres with the rear seats folded flat in a 40/20/40 ratio, while an additional storage compartment under the bonnet holds a further 58 litres of cargo. Customers needing extra storage capability can specify their BMW iX3 with an electrically operated tow bar, where the maximum towing capacity for the 50 xDrive model variant is 2,000 kg.
The new BMW iX3 will be available in the UK in three trim levels: iX3, iX3 M Sport and iX3 M Sport Pro. Key standard features include 20-inch alloy wheels, under-bonnet storage, an electrically operated charging flap, heated front seats with electric adjustment, Driving Assistant Plus with automatic cruise control, and charging capabilities of 400 kW DC / 11kW AC. The iX3 M Sport trim adds M exterior styling, 20-inch M Sport alloy wheels, a sports steering wheel, translucent dashboard lighting, and Veganza/M PerformTex upholstery. Customers who select the iX3 M Sport Pro trim additionally benefit from upgraded M Sport seats, an M high-gloss black rear diffuser, M Sport brakes with red-painted callipers, BMW Iconic Glow, Adaptive LED headlights, and a Shadowline glass 3D kidney grille.
With the launch of the Neue Klasse, the BMW Group has intensified its efforts to increase circularity and reduce CO2 emissions. A holistic approach to minimising the product carbon footprint (CO2e) spans the entire vehicle life cycle, from a circularity-orientated product development phase and a supply chain optimised by the systematic use of renewable energy and secondary materials, through to production, the use phase of the vehicle and its subsequent recycling. Guided by a ‘secondary first’ principle, which prioritises recycled over newly extracted raw materials where possible, around a third of the BMW iX3 is made from secondary sources, including marine plastics, secondary aluminium and PET textiles. As a result, the product carbon footprint of the new BMW iX3 50 xDrive over its life cycle is reduced by more than 30 per cent compared with its predecessor.
The first Neue Klasse model will be built at the newly constructed BMW Group Plant Debrecen in Hungary, the first BMW Group plant that doesn’t use fossil fuels in normal operation. Series production commences in autumn 2025, with the first UK customer deliveries of the BMW iX3 50 xDrive taking place on 7 March, 2026. Further variants of the BMW iX3 will follow, including a new entry-level model. The new BMW iX3 50 xDrive is priced from £58,755.
