BMW iX3 review

When BMW launched the original BMW iX3 back in 2020, it did something different by delivering something that was the same. That sounds like a deep, philosophical conundrum, but it's really rather simple. 

You see, lots of the electric vehicles (EVs) launched back then aimed to look like futuristic art pieces. The iX3, on the other hand, was as familiar as a Big Mac. Sure, it was electric, but in most other respects it was like any other BMW X3. With this new iX3, however, BMW's gone radical.

New BMW iX3 video review

For a start, there's its look. The exterior styling is completely different from every other current BMW, including the X3. It's all change inside as well, and not just the design but the technology on offer; for example, the iX3 showcases BMW's next generation of iDrive. 

On top of all of that, it sits on BMW's new ‘Neue Klasse’ underpinnings – a dedicated EV platform that will form the basis of its future electric models – incorporating the latest battery technology to enhance everyday usability.

In breaking with convention, BMW's aiming to take on, and beat, a crop of excellent premium electric alternatives, including the Audi Q6 e-tron and Tesla Model Y. The question is: has it succeeded?

What’s new?

- April 2026: We test the BMW iX3 alongside the Tesla Model Y Long-Range AWD over a 600-mile road trip in the UK

- January 2026: BMW iX3 wins What Car? car of the year award

- March 2026: First UK deliveries take place.

- September 2025: iX3 on sale in the UK in 462bhp 50 xDrive form, with 108.7kWh battery, 400kW max charging rate, claimed 500-mile range.

- August 2025: Second-generation iX3 debuts; it’s BMW’s first Neue-Klasse model.

How fast is it and which motor is best?

There are two different versions of the BMW iX3 on offer, the 40 and the 50 xDrive. We’re yet to try the 40, but with 316bhp and an official 0-62mph sprint of 5.9sec, it’s a match for the Mercedes GLC Electric 250 and we suspect it’ll be plenty quick enough for everyday driving.

Meanwhile, we’ve spent plenty of time in the 50 xDrive. xDrive means there are two motors driving all four wheels and, with a total of 463bhp, it’ll officially cover 0-62mph in 4.9sec, which is way quicker than any regular Audi Q6 e-tron, and very similar to the Tesla Model Y Long Range All-Wheel Drive.

In our tests, we clocked the iX3 going from 0-60mph in 4.6sec, which was around half a second slower than the GLC 400 4Matic that we tested on the same day. 

The point is, it's very quick. A point you won't fail to notice when you put your foot down. The 50 xDrive has loads of traction, so it fires off the line without hesitation and carries on accelerating hard thereafter. 

Other than the most potent performance cars, there are few things on the road that'll out-drag it. At motorway speeds, the front motor can be decoupled for more efficient driving but, even then, sudden bursts of power remain effortless.

Is it agile and is the ride comfortable?

The iX3 rides comfortably at both town and motorway speeds, even with the standard suspension (adaptive suspension is coming as an optional extra later in its life) and big, extra-cost 22in wheels. 

It's not simply pillowy soft, though; it's more sophisticated than that, delivering comfort with control. It's more supple over speed bumps and potholes than the Model Y, and doesn’t suffer from the slow-speed brittleness that you feel in the Q6 e-tron. Only the GLC Electric (especially with its optional adaptive air suspension added) is notably more comfortable to drive around in. 

Even so, the iX3's body movements are really well metered. So even if you find yourself driving down a particularly choppy country road, you and your passengers won't be bounced around anything like as much as they would be in, say, a Ford Mustang Mach-E.

When it comes to outright handling, the iX3 comes into its own. Now, there’s no getting away from the fact that the iX3 is a heavy thing (as are most EVs with big batteries) but it disguises its weight well. It's actually very capable dynamically. There's loads of grip, and because it is so well-tied down over dips and crests in the road, the iX3's more stable and confidence-inspiring to drive quickly than the Model Y.   

The steering is spot on, too. It's light around town, but when you pick up speed it weights up reassuringly. It's also accurate and quick, without feeling nervous like the Model Y's over-eager steering.

That said, the iX3 isn't a full-on sports SUV, such as the Alpine A390 and Porsche Macan GTS. If you're after something even sharper to drive, have a look at those two instead.

Is it quiet and how easy is it to drive smoothly?

The iX3's brake pedal feels natural and progressive, so it's an easy car to slow down smoothly. That's not always the case with EVs – the Mustang Mach-E's brakes, for example, are grabby and difficult to judge.

Why do some EVs have grabby brakes? Well, that's down to how the normal braking system works with the regenerative brakes. And the iX3 has three levels of regenerative braking that come into play when you lift off the accelerator: low, moderate and high.

There's also an adaptive option, which varies the braking effect automatically if the car in front slows down, or when you're approaching a corner or roundabout. No matter which setting you’re in, the braking effect feels predictable, gradual and smooth as you release the accelerator pedal. 

At motorway speeds, the iX3 is quieter than the Model Y, but there is more wind and road noise at 70mph than in the GLC. There's also some suspension noise on battered roads, but barely any motor whine when you put your foot down.

And you can add more noise if you want. If you activate the synthetic soundtrack – cooked up by BMW’s Sound Design Studio – it mimics engine noise as you accelerate. The idea is to stir up some added aural drama, but whether it does so is subjective.

What’s the range and efficiency like, and how quickly can it charge?

The entry-level iX3 40 comes with a 82.6kWh (usable capacity) battery, giving it an official range of up to 395 miles, providing you pay extra for the 20in aerodynamic wheels. That’s pretty much a match for the GLC 250 and the Tesla Model Y Long Range AWD. 

Of course, the headline figure here is the fact that the entry-level 50 xDrive can officially manage a whopping 500 miles on a single charge (again, you’ll need to go for those aero wheels). Go for either M Sport or M Sport Pro trim and that figure drops to around 490 miles (mainly thanks to bigger wheels), but that’s still farther than most rivals can manage. 

In fact, no version of the Audi Q6 e-tron, MG IM6, Polestar 3 or Model Y can officially travel over 400 miles, in theory giving the iX3 a 100-mile buffer. But bear in mind that the likelihood of achieving the official WLTP range in any EV, including the iX3, is slim. When we tested a 50 xDrive over a 600-mile road trip, we estimated its real-world range to be 393 miles – well under the official figure, yes, but still excellent next to its rivals. That was driving mostly on motorways in mild spring weather.   

And what about the iX3's efficiency during that test? Well, its trip computer was showing an average of 3.4mi/kWh, but from the energy it used we calculated its actual efficiency was 3.2mi/kWh. That's one area where the Model Y still has the edge; during the same test in the same conditions, a Model Y Long-Range AWD averaged a calculated 3.4mi/kWh.

The iX3 is the first electric BMW to be built on 800V architecture, meaning that it can charge really quickly on rapid chargers. Indeed, the iX3 40 can charge at a maximum rate of up to 300kW and the 50 xDrive up to 400kW. That's fast. Providing you can find an 800V charger (they’re still quite rare in the UK) a 10-80% charge can be done in around 20 minutes, regardless of version. 

As you might expect, charging a battery as large as the iX3’s at home, from a 7kW wall box, will take a lot longer. A 0-100% charge at 7kW will take over 13 hours in the iX3 40 and upwards of 17 hours if you go for the 50 xDrive. 

“The iX3 is the first BMW to get its new ‘soft stop’ feature, which uses the motors to remove that fore and aft rock you often feel as you come to a halt.” – Dan Jones, Senior reviewer

What does the interior look like and is it well made?

Like the exterior, the BMW iX3’s interior is an all-new design for BMW, and gives us the first taste of a design theme that we’ll see in future Neue Klasse-based models, such as the new BMW i3. Arguably, it's a very modern design, and completely different to the striped bare, minimalist feel of the Tesla Model Y.

It has a two-tier dashboard, separated by the full-width air vents, and a floating centre console with a large storage cubby beneath.

Perhaps the biggest change, though, is the new iDrive system. This comprises a huge, 17.9in trapezoidal touchscreen in the middle of the dashboard, plus a long, thin screen positioned between the top of the dashboard and bottom of the windscreen. It's so long that it spans the entire width of the car.

Build quality is good and, give or take, it's on par with the Model Y's. No matter which trim you go for, you’ll find plenty of soft-touch materials across the dashboard, doors and centre console. There are some hard plastics dotted around, but they’re generally hidden low down and out of sight. That is, except the buttons on either side of the steering wheel, which are covered in a clear plastic that looks and feels a bit cheap.

We’re yet to see the cloth seats that come with the entry-level iX3 trim, but the faux-leather/suede mix in mid-spec M Sport trim looks classy. Top-spec M Sport Pro gives you sportier 'bucket' seats. Natural leather is an option.

Is the driving position comfortable and is it easy to see out?

While we’re on the topic of seats, they are really comfortable in the front. They offer plenty of all-round support, and it's easy to tailor them to your liking thanks to standard electric adjustment with handy memory settings.

However, given the iX3’s price tag, it is a little stingy that you have to add lumbar support as an option on anything other than the top M Sport Pro trim. Even then, there's no physical button to adjust the lumbar; the adjustment is done through the touchscreen, which is a bit of a faff.  On the plus side, the lumbar-adjustment option includes a relaxing massaging feature as well.

The fact that you sit high up in the iX3, and the front windscreen pillars are relatively thin compared with the Model Y's, gives you good visibility at junctions. The only issue is that the super-wide panoramic display, which sits across the top of the dashboard, obscures your view out over the bonnet slightly; it's tricky to pick out the car's front corners when parking. 

Meanwhile, the view directly rearwards through the rear screen is decent, and the view over your shoulders is also good thanks to huge cut-outs in the rear pillars. To help you out in tight spots, every iX3 comes with front and rear parking sensors and a rear-view camera. 

For some extra assistance, you can also add the optional Parking Assistant Plus or Parking Assistant Professional packs; the first one adds a 360-degree camera, and the second gives the iX3 the ability to park itself. You can use the self-parking feature even if you aren’t in the car, by using a smartphone app.

Is the dashboard and infotainment system easy to use?

On first impression, the iX3 appears to have a similar number of screens to the TV aisle at Currys. But it's not as bad as it first seems; your main way of interacting with the infotainment system is still via the large, highly stylised central touchscreen. 

Naturally, it comes with the latest iDrive software, and it’s a definite step up from the system found in the previous iX3. There are still loads of options within the menus, but they’re laid out in a much friendlier manner than they were in recent versions of iDrive. Better still, the display is particularly crisp and it responds really quickly to your requests. 

It’s a shame that the physical rotary controller that helped make iDrive easier to use on the move is absent from the iX3, though. In fact, you'll find hardly any physical controls on the iX3's dashboard, meaning you have to tap icons to control pretty much everything, including the climate controls. That’s far more distracting than just having some simple, physical buttons and knobs, but it's the same scenario in many of its competitors. 

At first, the panoramic iDrive display seems like a bit of a gimmick, but it's actually a useful bit of kit. It’s made up of three sections: one is the digital instrument display directly in front of the driver; the other two (in the middle and lefthand side of the screen) can be split into smaller, customisable chunks.

It means you can see important elements, such as your speed and sat-nav instructions, high up and within your eye line. It's so good that it makes the optional head-up display feel a bit pointless in our opinion. You customise what you want shown on the rest of the panoramic display (by delving into the main touchscreen), then cycle through what's there using the buttons on the right side of the steering wheel. 

The infotainment system comes with lots of features, including wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless phone charging, and a seven-speaker stereo. An upgraded Harman Kardon system, with 13 speakers and 365-watts, is part of the optional Technology Plus Pack.

The iX3's in-built navigation system incorporates some useful features that used to be the sole preserve of Teslas. For example, when plotting a route it will plan any charging stops and (depending on the charging network) display useful information, including how fast the chargers are and whether they're busy.

“While you mainly adjust your seats using physical buttons on the door, it’s quite annoying that you have to delve into the touchscreen to adjust the lumbar support (if you have it fitted).” – Will Nightingale, Reviews editor

How much space does it have for people?

As you might have guessed, given the size of the BMW iX3, there’s loads of space in the front. Six-footers will have no issues with the generous head, leg and shoulder room on offer. 

There’s a good amount of storage in the front for all of your belongings, including door bins that’ll take a big bottle of water, a pair of cupholders, two slots for phones (one is a wireless phone charger), a cubby within the centre armrest, and that large space beneath the centre console we mentioned earlier. 

Rear space is where the iX3 really comes into its own, though. The limo-like leg room and generous head room (even with the panoramic roof fitted) mean that if you're six-feet tall or above, you'll have the space to lounge in the back. 

The Mercedes GLC Electric has ever so slightly more space, but the iX3 is roomier than the Audi Q6 e-tron and Tesla Model Y. What’s more, the shape and positioning of the outer rear seats (the seat bases are higher relative to the floor than they are in the rear of the Model Y) make them really comfortable and supportive.

The middle-rear seat is firmer and not as comfortable to sit on for a long time, but the iX3's rear bench is so wide that three adults can fit relatively easily. And, thanks to a flat floor, everyone will have plenty of foot space as well.

How much room does it have for luggage?

The iX3's rear boot is 520 litres, which is pretty much a match for the GLC and almost the same size as the Q6 e-tron's, so there should be plenty for the family's holiday luggage or a couple of buggies. Indeed, we managed to fit eight carry-on suitcases in the back of the iX3. 

In the real world, though, the GLC and Model Y’s rear boots are even bigger and both can swallow nine cases in total.

On top of that, you can fit another carry-on suitcase into the front boots of both those models, taking the total number to 10, something the iX3 can't match. Nevertheless, the iX3's 58-litre 'frunk' under the bonnet is still useful. The charging cables, for example, can be stowed there, so they're not taking up space in the main boot.

You can't get a height-adjustable boot floor for the iX3's rear luggage compartment, but there's an extra storage compartment underneath the boot floor. That's handy in itself, but you don't have to use the space as a separate compartment. The boot floor can be fixed vertically, and doing so increases the overall height of the boot to accommodate taller items, such as a pot plant. 

As is the case with the Q6 e-tron and Model Y, the iX3 comes with 40/20/40 split-folding rear seats, allowing you to load long items in the boot without having to sacrifice the outer rear seats. 

“I find it very useful that you get 40/20/40 split-folding rear seats in the iX3. Even better, they fold completely flat, making one large, smooth floor area, so it's really easy to slide longer items in.” – Dan Jones, Senior Reviewer

How much does it cost and what equipment do you get?

If you go for the entry-level BMW iX3 40 as a cash purchase, you’ll pay more than you will for any Tesla Model Y (outside of the Performance) but less than you will for the Mercedes GLC Electric 250. Upgrading to the 50 xDrive, meanwhile, is a fair step up in price, and costs slightly more than the GLC Electric 400 4Matic.

If you’re buying on PCP finance, the iX3 is more expensive than both the Model Y and, surprisingly, the GLC Electric, despite that car costing more to buy outright. However, at the time of writing, Mercedes and Tesla were both offering far more favourable APR rates, so that situation might change in the future. On the plus side, the iX3 should have a competitive resale value in a few years' time. 

Model Y drivers have access to the entire Tesla Supercharger network, which is generally one of the cheapest networks to charge up on. However, the iX3 comes with a one-year subscription that drops the price of Ionity chargers from around 80p per kWh to 45p per kWh. It also knocks 25% off the cost of a number of other charging networks. To maintain the subscription beyond the first year will cost you around £5.50 per month. 

There are three different trim levels to choose from, the iX3, the M Sport and the M Sport Pro. They all come very well equipped, but it’s disappointing that the cheaper Model Y actually comes with more equipment. 

Even so, every iX3 comes with 20in alloy wheels, a powered tailgate, two-zone climate control, keyless entry and start, heated front seats, LED headlights with automatic high beam, and the other bits that we’ve already mentioned, including the infotainment kit, electrically operated front seats and wireless phone charging. 

Opt for M Sport and you get sportier M Sport styling inside and out, with blue brake calipers, an upgraded interior, and a sports steering wheel. Then there’s the M Sport Pro, which comes with even sportier styling cues, M Sport brakes with red calipers, M Sport steering wheel, and M Sport 'bucket' seats.

Is it reliable, and how long is the warranty?

The iX3 is too new to be included in the 2025 What Car? Reliability Survey, but BMW as a brand came in 6th out of the 30 manufacturers included. That put it just above Tesla and way above Audi and Mercedes, which came joint 22nd. 

BMW’s warranty is pretty par for the course, though, offering you cover for three-years/unlimited mileage. The car's battery, meanwhile, is covered by a separate eight-year/100,000-mile warranty.

How safe is it, and is it easy to steal?

The safety experts at Euro NCAP haven't tested the iX3 yet, but you get plenty of standard safety equipment included. 

That list includes automatic emergency braking (AEB), lane change and departure warning, and steering intervention. M Sport and M Sport Pro add some extra safety technology, too, including cross traffic alert and blind spot monitoring. 

“While the iX3's standard equipment is good, there are lots of options to pick from. I’d be tempted to add the adjustable lumbar and massaging function for the front seats, and the Harman Kardon surround sound system for a great sound on longer drives.” – Claire Evans, Consumer editor

Buy it if...

- You want an electric SUV with a really long range and fast charging

- Generous interior space is important to you 

- You want one of the better-handling electric SUVs 

Don’t buy it if…

- You're after the cheapest electric SUV of this size

- You want the most standard equipment for your money

- You prefer more physical controls rather than always using the touchscreen 

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