Lighting replaces chrome around the new kidney grilles that have grown exponentially smaller.Kunal D'souza/JOBFlocks
Circuito Ascari resort, a technical 5.4-kilometre race track and motorsports club tucked away between the hills near Ronda in the south of Spain, isn’t the place you’d expect a car company to launch a luxury electric SUV. But that’s what BMW is doing with the iX3, the first of its Neue Klasse (New Class) family of vehicles.
While the company made it clear that the new iX3 wasn’t intended to be a track vehicle, Ascari was the safest place for BMW to demonstrate its capability. With dual electric motors drawing from a 108-kilowatt-hour battery pack, combined power is rated at 463 horsepower and 476 lb-ft of torque, and you can use every bit of it from the moment you plant your foot into the carpet. Acceleration is intense, but it’s the precision of the steering and the sheer grip during steady-state cornering that’s impressive at speeds nearing 200 kilometres an hour on Ascari, which is a sort of Frankenstein track made up of famous corners of other famous tracks.
A makeshift slalom course highlighted the iX3’s lightning-fast response to steering inputs as it danced its way through the cones. I was correcting less mid-corner and over the curbing, a testament to the suspension’s stability as well as to the computer system that reduces the number of steering corrections needed through the corners. Surprisingly, the iX3 sits on simple steel springs and conventional dampers and rides well for a vehicle that was capable of moving so quickly at Ascari.
The iX3 has 463 horsepower and 476 lb-ft of torque.Kunal D'souza/JOBFlocks
On the road, where it really matters, the iX3 is quiet, comfortable and stable. It has excellent seats and a bit more space for passengers in the back than the current gas-powered X3, despite being slightly shorter.
Ascari was thrust into the media spotlight in 2013 when it became a playable track in the PlayStation hit Gran Turismo 6. The launch event for the racing game was also held near the track in Ronda. BMW’s confidence in the iX3’s driving dynamics is hinged on what it calls the “heart of joy” supercomputer that was developed and coded fully in-house. It governs braking, acceleration, recuperation and steering, and processes information up to 20 times faster than previous systems, while greatly cutting down response time to driving inputs.
There are three more of these supercomputers, each one responsible for various subfunctions of the vehicle, including the infotainment and automated driving. They replace the dozens of ECUs found in most modern cars, reducing the complexity and weight of the wiring harnesses.
Dr. Mike Reichelt, Head of Neue Klasse, says the iX3 was the first time he’s had the opportunity as an engineer to start on a completely clean sheet. Every component of the iX3 is new, even the state-of-the-art facility in Debrecen, Hungary, where it’s built.
“Normally in the automotive industry, you never take such a big step,” says Reichelt. “You make further developments of what you already know, but we saw the potential in the cell technology and the new user interface.”
Applications beyond the race track for a supercomputer dedicated to driving dynamics are numerous: wet roads, ice, snow, emergency manoeuvres – there’s a big advantage in all these situations.
“All of BMW’s knowledge has gone into the heart of joy,” says Reichelt.
Gears on controlled but a small switch on the centre console.Kunal D'souza/JOBFlocks
While the brand is reinventing itself, it’s not forgetting about its past. Much of what was established during the first Neue Klasse era in the 1960s – quad headlamps, kidney grilles, Hofmeister kink – is present on the new iX3.
But so much is new. Lighting replaces chrome around the new kidney grilles that have grown exponentially smaller, framed by a front fascia that evokes the spirit of the 1961 BMW 1600 – the first Neue Klasse car.
Flush-mounted door handles, which contribute to the iX3’s low drag coefficient, pop out when you walk up to the car and into the biggest departure in BMW interior design I’ve seen since the “Bangle-butt” BMW 7 Series came out in 2001. That car established the iDrive infotainment system and rotary controller, which was slowly adopted by the industry until touchscreens started to replace them. The iDrive controller has existed in nearly all BMWs since then, but the iX3 and every other Neue Klasse that comes after it will not have it.
Instead, there’s a slim pillar-to-pillar display, which is actually a pin-sharp light projection that runs at the base of the windshield. It combines with a 17.9-inch driver-oriented touchscreen display to form what the company calls “Panoramic” iDrive. The windshield display is separated into segments that can be customized to show information such as the weather, air quality and performance data. The section behind the steering wheel shows speed, charge and other critical driving information.
The slim pillar-to-pillar display at the base of the windshield, which displays a customizable array of useful information, isn't a screen but a sharp light projection.Kunal D'souza/JOBFlocks
The interior of the iX3 is the biggest change for BMW in decades.Kunal D'souza/JOBFlocks
The square steering wheel is a requirement here so as not to obstruct the display and the view is superb with the seating position just about perfect. Many new infotainment systems can seem intimidating but this one is intuitive and has been designed to cut down on hunting through menus to do simple tasks such as turn on seat warmers.
The bar has been raised again (not counting China’s gigawatt chargers) when it’s time to plug in as the iX3 can replenish range at a rate of 372 kilometres in 10 minutes, or as fast as 400 kilowatts if you find a Level 3 charger capable of that output. I’ll save you the time of looking it up – there are none in Canada. The best we have is 350 kW and there aren’t very many of those around. Not that it matters much because all iX3s come with a standard NACS port, plug-and-charge technology and an EPA estimated range of more than 650 km.
Pricing for the iX3 will be released closer to Summer 2026 when it goes on sale. In Europe, it starts at €68,900 for the dual-motor 50 xDrive version tested here, with cheaper versions to be announced, including in our market.
The rear seats on the iX3.Kunal D'souza/JOBFlocks
Tech specs
2027 BMW iX3 50 xDrive
- Price: To be announced
- Motor / battery: dual electric motors / 108-kilowatt-hour
- Transmission / drive: Single-speed / all-wheel drive
- Horsepower / torque (lb-ft): 463 / 476
- Range: 650 kilometres (EPA estimated)
- Curb weight: 2,285 kilograms
- Energy consumption: To be announced
- Alternatives: Audi Q6 e-tron, Lexus RZ, Tesla Model Y, Cadillac Lyriq, GV70 electrified
The trunk on the iX3.Kunal D'souza/JOBFlocks
The writer was a guest of the automaker. Content was not subject to approval.
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