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The BMW iX3 is a vehicle with enormous potential on paper. The standard X3 is already such a good crossover that it seemed a great idea to make it electric. But is the iX3 really good enough to take on rivals like the Tesla Model Y or even Mercedes-Benz EQC and Audi e-Tron? Let’s out in this video from Carwow.
Watson critiques its exterior’s blue touches on the outside, claiming they seem a little shouty and unnecessary. Since the i3 and i8, blue has been the color of BMW’s I Division, so it’s no wonder that it has blue accents, but on the BMW iX3, it’s a bit excessive, admittedly. You would see the presence of that blue accent in the cabin as well.
Going on the inside, the cabin of the iX3 is basically the same with more blue touches as the standard X3. However, Watson praises BMW’s ability to hide the batteries on the floor without hindering the interior space. In fact, considering that the BMW iX3 is built on a standard car chassis and not a custom electric chassis, it is impressive.
Performance
But what is it like to drive an iX3? It’s it turns out, surprisingly sporty. The BMW iX3 is actually not bad to drive at all, thanks to its rear-wheel-drive layout, low center of gravity, and great chassis. It’s quite entertaining, in fact. It is slightly slower, however, with 0-60 mph taking approximately six seconds. At the same time, it’s not glacial, compared to its rivals, especially Tesla.
Another issue is its range of batteries. BMW reports a maximum range of 270 miles, but Watson only reported 163 miles. That’s a massive drop in the time claimed, and it’s bound to upset clients.
The WLTP cycle, which rates European electric car ranges, is very forgiving. They normally do not represent real-world driving well, as this video shows. That lack of a real-world range diminishes the attraction of the iX3 to its rivals. All of which assert to have better accurate mileage. It also lacks the all-wheel-drive that all its competitors have. So the iX3 seems good on paper, but it does not actually live up to the expectation set by the rest of the vehicles in its class.
