I’m the latest member of the Auto Express team to take custody of the BMW iX3, and I’ll be sharing a more in-depth report soon. But I’m loving it so far. It’s a genuine joy to drive, beautifully refined and engaging.
One small issue: the side panel on the driver’s seat has come away. Whether it’s a fault or something we inherited is unclear, but given the exceptional build quality elsewhere, I suspect it’s an isolated issue rather than anything concerning.
BMW iX3 50 xDrive M Sport Pro: first report
Award-winning first Neue Klasse BMW gets off to a strong start on our fleet
- Efficiency: 3.2 miles/kWh
- Mileage: 5,552
In a previous long-term report I waxed lyrical about the value and practicality of the £30k Dacia Bigster I’d been living with, to the extent that I questioned the point of premium SUVs costing double the price. Within a week, I was called upon to drive our BMW iX3, the newest member of the Auto Express fleet, to our New Car Awards photoshoot in Suffolk after it won not one, but two categories. The irony was not lost on me.
The iX3 scooped Mid-size Premium SUV of the Year and Premium Electric Car of the Year at our awards ceremony. Just climbing inside offers an immediate sense of why, because the digital cockpit layout is like nothing I’ve ever seen. The long, thin display beneath the windscreen holds a wealth of information and is easy to adjust. Something unfamiliar feels intuitive and within no time, effortless to use.
Even the sat-nav system sits within this panoramic display, giving clear direction and almost leading the driver into the route ahead, although the navigation has a tendency to lag. Once out of central-London speed limits, the performance of the 463bhp twin e-motor SUV became apparent: rapid, and also far more agile than the bulky exterior might suggest.