BMW was one of the first manufacturers to launch a mass-market EV with its i3 back in , and as well as its extensive experience of plug-in hybrids, this firm now produces some of the best electric cars on the market.
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While newer, bespoke electric BMWs &#; such as the iX and i7 &#; might grab the limelight, it&#;s worth taking a look at the firm&#;s iX3. Based on the popular X3, which is sold with petrol, diesel and hybrid powertrains, the iX3 opens the model up to a new audience.
Introduced in , only a year later BMW tweaked the model &#; enhancing the level of equipment and technology. Here are five reasons to consider it&#;
On paper, the BMW iX3&#;s range might not be the longest. Its 74kWh usable battery is relatively small compared to the Q8 e-tron 50&#;s 89kWh unit, yet thanks to its impressive efficiency, it performs well, with BMW claiming up to 285 miles to a charge. That&#;s more than the 281 miles you get from the Audi, despite its noticeably larger battery.
BMW&#;s electric ranges are also notoriously reliable, and though you might not achieve that quoted figure unless you drive like a saint, you&#;re likely to get far closer to it than you would in rival electric SUVs.
The X3 has always been a model that&#;s gone down well with families wanting a right-sized SUV &#; meaning nothing too big, but that still has a great deal of space inside. The iX3 is no different, either.
It offers virtually the same levels of practicality as petrol and diesel X3s, and actually more space than the plug-in hybrid. The boot measures a useful 510 litres, while there&#;s loads of space in the rear seats for adults or taller teenagers.
Though the iX3 might not utilise BMW&#;s latest Curved Display infotainment system, this SUV is still packed full of technology. Using a large 12.3-inch touchscreen and digital instrument cluster of the same size, it offers a particularly high-tech feel.
BMW&#;s advanced &#;Intelligent Personal Assistant&#; is also present and correct, and remains one of the best voice control systems around. High-spec models also benefit from a head-up display, infotainment that can be controlled with gestures (like swiping motions to change songs) and a Harman Kardon sound system.
In the electric SUV segment, bold styling seems to dominate. You&#;ve got Mercedes&#; EQC that features a light-up grille, while even BMW&#;s own iX offers a particularly imposing design with its huge kidney grille.
But if you want something a bit more subtle, the iX3 is a really appealing choice. It&#;s by no means bland, but doesn&#;t offer the same &#;look at me&#; styling. It remains smart, however, and this is no doubt helped by the standard M Sport specification that gives this SUV a sportier look.
Though the iX3 is more expensive than regular X3 models, its £62,685 starting price is still noticeably lower than rival manufacturers.
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These include the Audi Q8 e-tron, which comes in at £68,595, while the Mercedes EQC is even pricier at £72,335.
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Drives: iX3 M Sport Pro
I was looking for an EV (possibly a PHEV) to replace an ageing Jaguar XF Sportbrake.
The Tesla Model 3/Y(not available when I was looking) were considerations but having sat in a Model 3 I just couldn't see myself living with one but if range was an issue and I needed to drive on a daily basis then the Tesla's and the Super Charger network make a compelling case for themselves.
Sat in a Kia EV6 at a dealer presentation and the vehicle was a mix of the top 2 trim levels but like the Tesla, it just seemed and felt cheap.
I considered and test drove:
Polestar 2 - With Performance Pack and without on a second test drive
Fast car, Android Automotive is extremely interesting but not there yet in my opinion and having looked at the Polestar Forum at length, there are some new car/model issues that need to get ironed out. Polestar will certainly be worth another look for me when the 4 arrives as I think it will address a lot of the issues I have with the 2.
Range Rover Evoque
It's a nice vehicle but I really couldn't live with charging it pretty much every time I used it and to get all the bits I had on my Jaguar it was not far off the price of the iX3.
Audi Q4 E-Tron
The lunch snacks at the launch event were excellent but it couldn't hide the fact that this really is a VW with some expensive (mainly cosmetic) bits added to it. I had another test drive at my local dealer to try some things out but the infotainment and where Audi were going with it gave me cause for concern. I was also not happy about the security of the Keyless entry.
Jaguar i-Pace
Having been very happy with my XF and the service department I couldn't really place an order for the iX3 without taking a look at the i-Pace. Sales experience was less than satisfactory and to be honest I was pretty underwhelmed by the i-Pace and having had some limited and concerning experience of both the Incontrol Touch Pro and Pivi Pro infotainment systems from courtesy cars/test drives I felt I would pass on the I-Pace and the cost with the same equipment (although it is faster/AWD etc) as the M Sport Pro was getting close to £80K!
BMW iX3 Premier Pro (Pre LCI)
This was for me a very good overall package apart from a lack of bass with the Harman Kardon System (sorted out after purchase) but as it stood it wasn't quite right for me to place an order. As soon as the M Sport Pro was announced I had another test drive in the Premier Pro to check a few things out and ordered on the basis of knowing what the changes were.
For me the iX3 was not perfect but it was the best of what I considered and the only one I was happy to get rid of the XF for. As it is basically an EV version of the X3, a lot of bits on it are from a standard and proven parts bin and I like the ergonomics/driving position and whilst the dash mounted infotainment is not for everyone I find the position of it much less distracting than lower down and the HUD is for me well worth having. I am also now a fan of the BMW i-Drive controller as I am one of those that finds poking at a screen a PITA when driving.
Good luck with whichever vehicle you pick and if you pick the iX3 then hopefully you will be as happy as the majority of owners on this forum are with theirs.
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