The just announced fully electric BMW iX3 will launch in Australia this November. Interestingly it will be fitted as standard with the M Sport package. Which makes sense as fully electric cars have instant response to the ‘throttle’ something that’s much loved by keen drivers.
The amount of the raw material cobalt used in the high-voltage battery of the BMW iX3 has been reduced by around a third compared with the previous-generation battery in the 2019 BMW i3 model.
The BMW iX3 is the first model to feature the fifth-generation BMW eDrive technology. This system will also be found on the BMW iX, which launches in the fourth quarter of this year and the BMW i4 and will arrive locally in Australia in the first quarter of 2022.
Its integrated drive unit brings the electric motor, power electronics and transmission together within a single housing, and generates 210kW and 400Nm.
The high-voltage battery has a gross energy content of 80kWh and will enable a range of up to 460 kilometres as calculated on the WLTP test cycle.
BMW tells us that it will provide generous levels of space for five occupants, has a load compartment whose capacity can be expanded from 510 litres to a maximum 1,560 litres.
Colour accents in BMW i Blue and a largely enclosed BMW kidney grille indicate that it’s an EV. The grille has pearl-effect chrome with a blue accent along the inner edges. The inner surfaces of the kidney grille have a mesh-like structure and feature a BMW i badge.
The lower air intake, which comes with 10-stage active air flap control to cool the drive system components and brakes, has gained in size. The air curtains positioned at the outer edges of the front end are now L-shaped and carry blue accents.
The air breathers in the front side panel have an M-specific design and there is aerodynamically optimised surfacing on the rear apron.
The rear design has diffuser elements finished in Frozen Grey or optional BMW i Blue, while contours of the LED rear lights are in black.
We look forward to road testing this fascinating new BMW pure electric vehicle when it arrives Downunder and will provide our thoughts soon afterwards.
