BMW iX3 – Cutting-edge electric SUV with 800km range | First Look | Autocar India
We’re here in Munich at the world premiere of the BMW iX3. Now, more than this being an EX-3, this is the first product of the Neyer class platform, the new Neera class platform because this is a completely new electrical architecture. It represents the future of BMW. It’s an 800 volt system. They’ve gone from 400 to 800 volt. This one has 800 km of range. The latest in battery tech cylinder NMC cells. But there’s a lot more to this car. So let’s have a quick look at what there is under the skin. The Neerlass is a pure electric architecture and on this six models are planned. The first is the EX-3 followed by the i3 coming next year as well. What’s special for India is that after the success of long wheelbased versions like the EX-1 and 5 series, India 2 is likely to get a long wheelbased EX-3. The battery pack is 107.8 kW hours. They’re all cylindrical cells and BMW says this is the most efficient electric car they’ve made to date. It’s a four-wheel drive with rear wheel drive bias and the overall power is 469 horsepower. What’s interesting is that though the EX-3 comes with cuttingedge tech, the design, well, it’s not as radical as previous BMWs. Take a look at the grill. No longer do they have that massive grill. They have a grill that is much more proportionate. It’s like BMW’s coming back a full circle. Even the overall design of the car, the look of the car, very proportional, not as radical. BMW doesn’t want to make the same mistake Mercedes did, which was going too radical with their EVs. And they wanted to give it the look of an ICE car. And BMW have said that even the ICE versions will look similar. They might have completely different architectures. The space under the long bonnet hasn’t been wasted and you get a small trunk, but it can only take loads up to 10 kilos. I think what’s special about NoiClass is going to spawn a range of new all electric products based off this platform. We even got a teaser of the i3 which is the electric version of the 3 series. So as I said the design exterior not as radical as a tech behind it. But let’s quickly have a look at the rear. Again very much a BMW. We’ve got this new light treatment with these strips over here. These kind of dagger-like light elements. Again, a very clean design, not cluttered. And I think BMW have said they just want don’t want to do design for design’s sake and be all over the place. So really, I think what’s setting this car apart, which is a car for the future, is a certain solidity and simplicity of design. Now, the interiors, they definitely are revolutionary. And one thing that stands out, and that’s going to be the talking point, is this panoramic vision display. And really this is quite unique because it’s not so much a heads up display but what looks like a whole screen is actually projected onto the windscreen. It sits at the base of the windscreen and when you’re driving it falls superbly to your eye level. So really you get all the information you need and in terms of driver distraction very very little. Now that has meant that BMW has managed with just one screen. So really going the opposite direction when three screens are the rage. BMW has gone back to just one central screen because all the other stuff, all the other information is on that panoramic display. Of course, uh BMW has removed a lot of buttons, but uh the certain hard buttons or let’s say fixed buttons are still there on the screen. You’ve got the air con, you’ve got uh the home button here, and this doesn’t change. So, in that sense, uh it is quite convenient. And of course you have got some hard buttons here as well including for the volume. The steering wheel again very different. Now this one has uh a two spokes horizontally but to make the point that there is no front instrument cluster. BMW also have a steering design where you have the spoke right in the center which would typically otherwise block the instrument panel but since there is no instrument panel they are using that design to that effect. And the good news is that the panoramic vision display isn’t just limited to all the future electric BMWs. It’s going to be rolled out across the range, including facelifts. In fact, BMW has confirmed that 40 new BMWs, including facelifts, will get this fantastic looking display. Of course, uh the displays are all customizable. You can have lots and lots of option. And there are some other real cool touches over here. you’ve got this very unique kind of fabric which uh looks of a certain texture and of course recyclability is a big thing with BMW and all the new models. So it’s all about having materials that are sustainable as well. Now let’s quickly jump into the back seat because that’s an important area for a lot of Indian customers. Now, the typical thing in any EV is the floor comes up, but honestly, the knees up position isn’t that bad over here. It is quite comfortable. The floor is not too high, so that’s great. Uh, lots of leg room even in the standard wheelbase version. We have been told that, as I said, we might get a long wheelbase version. We don’t know for sure. This car is coming only in 2027, so still a long way off, but really uh I must say quite an airy cabin. You’ve got this fixed uh glass roof over here and a pretty low window line. So overall, I have to say this is quite comfortable. At the back, the rear air con vents are manually adjustable. I’m saying this because up front, the vents can only be adjusted via the touchscreen. And it’s coming to India but only in early 2027.
BMW has just revealed the iX3, the first of its Neue Klasse EVs. Hormazd Sorabjee tells you more straight from the show floor at IAA, Munich.
Editor: Mohit Sharma
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