2026 BMW iX3 review: International first drive

This may be the most important new BMW in 60 years – or, perhaps, the brand’s entire history.

The iX3 is the first in a new generation of BMWs, designed to set the company up with a range of technologies that will be expanded over the next decade or more.

It is known as the Neue Klasse, named after a series of sedans and coupes that saved BMW from bankruptcy in the early 1960s.

The German giant is in a far stronger financial position today than in 1962, but the threat is no weaker, with traditional rivals Mercedes-Benz and Audi on one side, and the rise of Tesla and Chinese brands on the other.

The iX3 offers 805km of claimed driving range, and sits on a new electric-only platform set to be shared with a forthcoming i3 sedan and wagon.

Technology from this car – including a new design language, futuristic cabin layout, and in electric cars, new ‘superbrain’ computer systems – will spread across the BMW range. But it is this new SUV’s platform that makes it the best display of the Neue Klasse DNA.

What that all means is BMW can finally field a convincing, dual-motor rival to the Audi Q6 and other new luxury electric SUVs from Europe, Japan, South Korea, and soon China.

Is it any good, and will it be worth the predicted $15,000 to $30,000 price rise? Drive was invited to Spain – as a guest of the manufacturer – to test the iX3 on public roads to find out.

The iX3 is due in Australian showrooms in mid-2026 in a single model grade – the dual-motor, all-wheel-drive 50 xDrive.

Prices are yet to be confirmed, but it’s highly likely to start dearer than the $91,000 to $104,900 plus on-road costs of the outgoing, rear-wheel-drive iX3.

Given the smaller iX1 tops out at $86,800 plus on-roads, the larger iX opens at $142,900 plus on-roads, and a more affordable iX3 40 rear-wheel drive is due in 2027, expect the iX3 50 xDrive to start from about $120,000 plus on-roads.

The chances of a stripped-out special to slide in below the luxury car tax threshold of $91,387 – and therefore unlock fringe benefits tax exemptions on novated leases – are slim, given the level of technology in the vehicle.

However, BMW dealers may be able to offer a hefty discount on the upcoming base 40 grade.

It lines up neatly with the Audi Q6 e-tron quattro ($122,500) and Genesis Electrified GV70 ($132,800), while RRPs for the upcoming Mercedes-Benz GLC Electric are yet to be announced.

We’ll detail standard features as we go in this review.

If the new exterior design and platform don’t represent enough of a change, the iX3 debuts a new cabin design for the BMW brand.

Known as Panoramic iDrive, twin displays close to the driver are replaced by a 17.9-inch infotainment screen controlled through touch only – without the iDrive rotary selector – ahead of a broad 43.3-inch projection running along the width of the cabin.

The steering wheel has been downsized – drivers looking over the wheel, rather than through it – yet, unlike similar concepts from rival brands, it works well, with no visibility issues for my 186cm (6ft 1in) tall frame, not something that can be said for Peugeot’s clunky i-Cockpit cabin.

Until BMW clarified it was a projection, I thought the full-width visual was a screen, such is its colour and clarity. The driver’s side of the view shows key data such as speed and battery percentage, while the rest is customisable, with data from energy consumption and navigation directions to power gauges and the air quality outside.

A traditional head-up display is projected onto the windscreen ahead of the driver – and above the panoramic view – something rival ‘high-instruments-small-wheel’ cabin designs often skip.

The 17.9-inch touchscreen closer to the driver has an unusual parallelogram shape, but it is positioned such that, from behind the wheel, it appears to extend from the edge of the steering wheel, and suits the cabin nicely.

It runs new Operating System X software, and serves up quick responses and clear graphics, but it is little less confounding to navigate than earlier BMW software, with what feels like multiple home screens, and a confusing mix of menus that don’t make the best use of the size of the display.

My motoring journalist passenger and I each drive hundreds of cars each year, but it still took us far too long to find the right menu icon to put the car in Sport mode.

The gear selector and a volume roller are among the only physical switchgear in the vehicle, with the climate controls, even the adjustment of the air vents, buried in the screen. There are temperature and seat heating shortcuts on the home screen, but other functions are a tap away.

It’s much like Tesla, only harder to navigate and use while driving – and an unnecessary backward step from current BMW models.

BMW has hit the spot as far as driving ergonomics are concerned. The power-adjustable heated front seats are firmly bolstered but generally comfortable and supportive, and can be adjusted low, via Mercedes-like (though quite vague) switches on the doors.

The downsized steering wheel doesn’t feel like it’s sitting in your lap, and it offers a broad range of tilt-and-reach adjustment.

However, I'm not a fan of the glass-look steering wheel controls – awkwardly named Shitech, as they only illuminate the functions that are currently available to use – which feel a little cheap compared to high-quality metal switchgear.

If you’ve seen a four-spoke steering wheel in photos of the iX3, and aren’t a fan, don’t worry – a more conventional two-spoke option is available.

There are more soft-touch materials than in a petrol X3 – a leather-like surface on the door tops, suede highlights in M Sport cars, and a funky fabric on the dashboard that allows ambient lighting to shine through – and perceived build quality is good.

Amenities include two USB-C ports, a single wireless phone charger, heated front seats, a fixed-glass roof, tri-zone climate control, keyless entry and start with a phone key function, and electronic door releases, which are a little fiddly to use.

Storage is not as impressive, however, with space under the centre console for a purse or small handbag, but limited room under the front-centre armrest, an acceptably sized glovebox, and tight door pockets.

There’s a better story to tell in the rear seats, where there’s plenty of knee room and head room behind my driving position, plus loads of foot room, a flat floor, a reclining seatback, and a seat base that is somewhat flat but provides acceptable under-thigh support.

The rear door pockets are much more generous than those up front, plus a fold-down armrest with cupholders, rear climate controls, and two USB-C ports. There is no sign of heated rear seats, nor do models with M sports seats have map pockets.

Boot space is on par with class rivals, offering a deep load area big enough for airport runs or day-to-day family duties, aided by a 40:20:40 split rear seatback that includes a lowerable middle section for trips to the snow.

There’s some underfloor storage available, plus a light and pockets on the side of the cargo area, but no spare wheel – something that would’ve come in handy when we picked up a puncture on the drive route well beyond the capabilities of the included tyre repair kit.

A 58-litre front storage area is also on offer – new for a BMW EV – ideal for storing the charging cables.

The BMW iX3 is yet to be crash-tested by ANCAP or its European counterpart Euro NCAP, but there’s a broad suite of safety features on offer.

It includes adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking, lane-keep and lane-centring assists, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, a driver attention monitor, and speed sign recognition.

The adaptive cruise-control system now allows drivers to tap the brakes to trim the car’s speed – and apply steering input – without turning the function, or lane-centring, off.

The driver attention monitor – which we found to be well calibrated – also works with the lane-keep assist, such that if it detects the driver is looking at an adjacent lane, it won’t tug on the steering wheel if the driver tries to change lanes without flashing the indicators.

Automatic parking technology allows the iX3 to enter and exit parallel and perpendicular spaces on its own – even when the owner is standing beside the vehicle, and using the BMW App.

The German car giant says it has worked to make its automatic parking features operate faster and more seamlessly – while adding tricks to increase their appeal to tech-savvy customers – as it knows few buyers actually use them.

The iX3’s party piece, however, is its new semi-autonomous driving functions.

Motorway Assistant allows for hands-free, but eyes-on-the-road, driving on certain European motorways at speeds up to 130km/h, including automatic lane changes confirmed by the driver turning their gaze at either side mirror.

In urban areas, it can brake for red traffic lights and accelerate for green ones, as part of the City Assistant feature.

They are on the path to the capabilities offered by Tesla’s Full Self-Driving Supervised, but the US giant’s technology can do much more, taking corners around town, and operating with no human input – but their constant supervision – in all driving environments.

Either way, there is no word on when Motorway and City Assistant will come to Australia.

The iX3’s headline act is its claimed driving range: 805km in European WLTP lab testing, which, at the time of publishing, would make it the longest-range electric car confirmed for sale in Australia.

The current champion is the Tesla Model 3 Long Range RWD on a claimed 750km, ahead of the Polestar 3 Long Range Single Motor with 706km.

That 805km figure – from a 108.7kWh nickel-manganese-cobalt battery – is only for the most efficient base model on aero-focused 20-inch wheels, however.

Option the M Sport package and the 10-spoke, 21-inch alloy wheel design fitted to one of the test vehicles we drove, and the rated range drops to a ‘mere’ 759km.

Still, it didn’t stop us seeing ‘distance to empty’ read-outs of fully charged cars on the media launch of more than 900km; an exceptional figure that would theoretically allow the iX3 to drive from Sydney to Melbourne on a single charge.

BMW claims energy efficiency of 15.1kWh per 100 kilometres for the most frugal iX3, or 16.1kWh/100km for the aforementioned optioned-up model, likely to be selected by most buyers in Australia.

We saw consumption in the region of 17 to 18kWh/100km in 60km/h to 100km/h driving on flat ground, rising above 19kWh/100km once the launch drive route turned onto mountain roads. Those figures make the iX3 a fair bit more frugal than its rivals.

DC fast charging at up to a whopping 400kW is claimed, for a 21-minute 10 to 80 per cent recharge on a plug that can deliver that amount of power, while there’s a choice of 11kW and 22kW AC charging power limits depending on the option boxes ticked.

Vehicle-to-load technology allows up to 3.7kW to be supplied to external electrical devices, while vehicle-to-grid and vehicle-to-home – enabling the car to send energy back to the grid, or power your house in a blackout – will be available in certain markets, at up to 11kW.

Clever software will allow the navigation system inside the car to inform drivers of the real charging power they can expect from a potentially broken fast charger – based on other BMW owners’ experiences at the same location – rather than the claimed figure.

The new iX3 will make its Australian debut in 50 xDrive specification, with dual electric motors, a big battery pack, and all-wheel drive.

That means combined outputs of 345kW and 645Nm, good for a claimed zero to 100km/h acceleration time of 4.9 seconds.

Push the right pedal to the floor and you’re naturally slammed into the back of the seat, with no shortage of performance, even at highway overtaking speeds. Well-thought-out accelerator-pedal calibration means you can be smooth with the power, too, and it won’t overwhelm newer drivers around town.

Lift off the accelerator, and the electric motors’ regenerative braking rolls in smoothly, and it’s easy to blend power and regen – akin to the best EVs in the business – without a jerky feel.

There is a choice of regen braking modes, including a one-pedal setting – via B mode on the gear selector – that brings the car to a full stop without touching the brake pedal, plus an ‘Adaptive’ mode that varies the amount of regen based on the distance to the car ahead, which we found to be unpredictable and best avoided.

There is a firm edge to the suspension, as is to be expected of a BMW.

It is not overly stiff or brittle, but on Spanish roads – which are not quite as bumpy as those in Australia, but still have changing surfaces and imperfections to traverse – the car can skip and react sharply to rough road surfaces.

At higher speeds, the body remains settled and ‘tied down’ over crests and dips, but the suspension’s composure means it can follow the road surface a little too well, rather than cushioning occupants over undulations.

On a winding road, the firmer ride pays off. The steering is direct, quick, and relatively natural in its weighting and response as you turn the wheel, and there’s not much body roll to speak of.

The brake pedal is firm, but it offers a reasonable level of confidence, while tyre and wind noise are well isolated, allowing the Hans Zimmer-designed driving sounds played under acceleration to take centre stage, in place of regular EV silence.

Most of the power is sent to the rear wheels, so the iX3’s natural preference out of corners is to break its tail loose – something traditional BMW drivers may appreciate – but it never gets out of hand.

The wide Goodyear Eagle F1 tyres on the cars we tested serve up plenty of grip, but it is worth noting we suffered an unexplained puncture in one of them, the inside sidewall of the left-rear tyre bursting on what appeared to be a smooth road, free of potholes or, as far as we could see, any sharp objects capable of such a puncture.

BMW set journalists loose on a racetrack to test the iX3’s new ‘Heart of Joy’ driving computer system, which is claimed to process information from the electric motors, brakes, energy recuperation and steering systems 10 times faster than conventional alternatives.

While a closed circuit isn’t something iX3 drivers are likely to frequent, a few swerve-and-avoid manoeuvres set up by BMW show its new EV’s systems are very quick to respond to wheel slip, and do a great job of ensuring power is sent to the wheel where it’s best used.

If you’re shopping for a mid-size luxury electric SUV, the new BMW iX3 is worth waiting for.

Whereas its rivals have Achilles heels – the Audi Q6 glitchy technology, the Porsche Macan a tricky value proposition, and the Genesis Electrified GV70 a modest driving range – the iX3 appears to be the complete package.

It has a market-leading driving range, class-leading efficiency, ultra-fast charging, plenty of performance, and keen handling, mixed with a spacious and well-packaged cabin, lots of technology, and new driver-assistance features that take another step towards autonomy.

The biggest question will be the price.

It won’t slot in below the LCT threshold for FBT exemptions, where the vast majority of EV sales have taken place, but how far above that marker the iX3 will sit remains to be seen – and how much margin will be left for BMW dealers to hack off the price.

The technology inside the vehicle also requires a learning curve, and it’s not as intuitive as it ought to be, not helped by air vent controls that, despite BMW’s driver-focused image, have moved into the touchscreen.

However, if our first drive is any guide, the new iX3 may be the prestige EV to beat.

Alex Misoyannis has been writing about cars since 2017, when he started his own website, Redline. He contributed for Drive in 2018, before joining CarAdvice in 2019, becoming a regular contributing journalist within the news team in 2020. Cars have played a central role throughout Alex’s life, from flicking through car magazines at a young age, to growing up around performance vehicles in a car-loving family. Highly Commended - Young Writer of the Year 2024 (Under 30) Rising Star Journalist, 2024 Winner Scoop of The Year - 2024 Winner

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