Now with a more visually striking appearance, the new BMW iX3 has undergone an exterior design refresh and introduced the M Sport Package as standard in the UK, further enhancing the already high specification. The headlight contours are now ten millimetres slimmer, helping to give the new BMW iX3 a sharper look and lending the front end a distinct similarity to that of the BMW iX and BMW i4. The BMW kidney grille is now larger than before and has a single-piece frame which comes in Pearl-effect Chrome with a blue accent – in familiar BMW i style – along the inner edges, whilst the inner surfaces of the kidney grille elements have a mesh-like structure and feature a BMW i badge.
The lower air intake, which comes with ten-stage active air flap control to cool the drive system components and brakes, has gained in size. The air curtains positioned at the outer edges of the front end are now L-shaped and have blue accents. Air breathers in the front side panels also have a new M-specific design, while the blue accent in the side skirts is omitted. Muscular and aerodynamically optimised surfacing marks out the rear apron of the new BMW iX3. The outer elements of the rear diffuser are in BMW i Blue and the contours of the fully LED rear lights are marked out even more precisely by a black surround. The striking design at night is defined by the slim light graphic and new three-dimensional pincer-shaped contouring with delicately integrated, horizontal turn signal indicators.
BMW iX3 deploys BMW Group’s fifth-generation eDrive technology including an innovative charging unit, which sends power to both the 400V battery and the 12V on-board power supply. When charging using alternating current, it enables both single-phase and three-phase charging at up to 11 kW. Plugging the vehicle into a direct current rapid-charging station opens the door to charging outputs of up to 150 kW, meaning the high-voltage battery can be charged from 0 to 80 per cent of its full capacity in 34 minutes. Drivers can inject the power required to add 62 miles to the car’s driving range (in the WLTP cycle) in just 10 minutes. BMW iX3 M Sport or BMW iX3 M Sport Pro customers will have the choice of four exterior metallic body paint colours including Carbon Black, Mineral White, Phytonic Blue and Sophisto Grey.
For customers choosing the BMW iX3 M Sport Pro, additional standard features include BMW Head-up Display, Harman Kardon surround sound, Gesture Control, Parking Assistant Plus, darkened headlights, Automatic high beam assistant, Comfort access and Lumbar support. BMW IconicSounds Electric, developed in collaboration with Hans Zimmer, completes the extensive offering. The gravimetric energy density of the 188 prismatic cells in the new BMW iX3 is around 20 per cent higher than that of the battery cells used in previous fully-electric BMW Group vehicles. A gross energy content of 80 kWh – of which 74 kWh is utilised – and the high efficiency of the drive systems allow the BMW iX3 to offer a range of up to 286 miles (WLTP test cycle). Vernasca leather in a choice of four colours, Sensatec dashboard, sun protection glazing, ambient lighting and electric seats are offered as standard within the vehicle interior, enhancing comfort and style.
With the launch of BMW Charging in the UK, BMW iX3 customers have access to one of the world’s largest public charging networks using just one RFID card or App. Using a single BMW Charging card or BMW Charging App, customers can charge at more than 11,000 charging points from different operators across the UK, as well as 173,000 charge points across Europe. BMW iX3 drivers benefit from access to charge points from a range of operators, with the current network including bp pulse (including ChargeYourCar), ESB, Osprey, Source London and Chargepoint Network UK (including INSTAVOLT) and others. High-power charging stations via IONITY are also part of the BMW Charging network. Combined, this gives drivers access to over 8,500 AC and 1,500 DC charging points across the UK, plus a further 162,000 AC and 11,000 DC charging points across Europe. The ‘bp pulse’ package offers customers preferential pricing per/kWh when charging at over 5,500 bp pulse charging points.
