First Drive: BMW iX3 has plenty of electric confidence
German automaker BMW is once again leaping ahead in the local EV game by launching two all-electric vehicles simultaneously on local soil: the long-awaited 2022 iX3 electric SUV and the i4 M50 Gran Coupe. Let's focus on the iX3, though.
The electric motor, power electronics, and transmission are arranged in a central housing to live up to the thoroughly-modern EV drivetrain. The result, BMW insists, is a seamless blend of the unparalleled comfort and sportiness that's expected from vehicles proudly sporting the Bavarian propeller badge, now with the bonus of zero emissions.
Family resemblance
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BMW effectively gave the iX3 the same family look as the standard X3. The electric crossover wears the M-Sport package as standard, which gifts it a more angular and chiselled front and rear that's well-accented in BMW i Blue. The kidney grille has been slightly enlarged and now sits between headlight fixtures that are 10 mm narrower than the standard X3.
The lights at the front are adaptive LEDs as standard, with the attention-grabbing elements continuing at the rear with three-dimensional, LED tail lights. Furthermore, the sporty compact SUV comes standard with a brand new design of 20" aerodynamic M-Sport wheels.
Updates
Other features include BMW's Live Cockpit Professional with a 12.3" digital instrument cluster and a 12.3" infotainment touchscreen. The digital instrument cluster gives you all the information you need, while the infotainment touchscreen allows you to control all your infotainment and navigation needs. BMW i Blue accents coordinate with the exterior, here placed on the gear lever, start button, and steering wheel.
Being just two years old, there are no changes to the powertrain. Yet. The 80-kWh battery powers a single motor on the rear axle that produces 210 kW of power and a torque peak of 400 Nm. This is enough power to accelerate from a standstill to 100 km/h in 6.8 seconds with a claimed range of up to 460 km.
Driving command
I've driven the X3 many times, and yet the iX3 feels sportier and slightly more eager to follow my commands. The X3 remains the pinnacle of sporty compact SUVs on the handling and driving dynamic fronts, but the iX3 feels like a literal jolt of energy on the road. It's also pretty comfortable, despite having standard 20" light-alloy wheels. However, the steering isn't quite as immediate and precise as I expected it to be. The X3M Competition trumps the iX3 in this department, obviously.
For charging on the move, BMW has partnered with GridCars. The SUV accepts up to 150 kW of DC fast charging to replenish the batteries from 10 to 80% in under 40 minutes, or add 100 km of range in 10 minutes. At home, an 11 kW Level 2 onboard charger takes the batteries from 0 to 100% in around 11 hours. The driver can manually select high, medium, or low regeneration for when they lift off the accelerator, while a coasting function allows the crossover to "freewheel" on the highway without consuming any electricity at all.
Next-gen tech?
Unsurprisingly, the 2022 BMW iX3 is loaded with advanced safety features and driving aids, too. The car is equipped with an array of features to help avoid accidents, including a front collision warning, cross-traffic alert, Evasion Assistant, speed limit info, and standard lane departure warning. It also gets BMW's Driving Assistant, which adds blind-spot detection and an exit warning function.
BMW has hit the proverbial home run with the iX3. It nailed everything from performance, handling, materials, and driving range. The most divisive factor is probably going to be pricing. With base prices starting at around R1,290,000, the 2022 BMW iX3 is well on par with the Volvo XC40 P8 Recharge.
