The new BMW iX3 is the first volume Neue Klasse product and the clearest indication yet of where BMW is taking its electric strategy. As we have written previously, this is the most important electric BMW since the original i cars. It introduces BMW’s sixth-generation battery system, next-generation software, and all-new packaging. With reviews now live across major publications, we can finally see how the iX3 is landing.
Driving Dynamics and Ride Quality
This is what we’ve been waiting for. From hints we’ve gathered over the last few years, those inside BMW have benefited quietly confident that the Neue Klasse would usher in a new era of driving engagement for the brand. It looks like the iX3 might be the start of that.
Autocar writes that the iX3 “feels like the first BMW EV that truly understands what makes a BMW drive the way it should,” highlighting its steering clarity and balance.
Car and Driver notes that “the iX3 shrinks around you in a way few electric SUVs manage,” calling out its agility and lightness on the road.
The Drive says the suspension calibration “delivers a level of calm and precision that immediately puts it among the best-mannered electric crossovers tested this year.”
Road & Track calls the iX3 “a showcase of the Neue Klasse advantage,” adding that it “finally fuses BMW’s dynamic identity with an EV platform that can keep up with it.”
Top Gear reports that the iX3 “floats over broken roads yet never loses its sense of control,” describing the drive as quiet, confident, and distinctly BMW.
Battery Performance, Charging, and Efficiency
This is where the Gen6 battery tech is a massive leap for BMW. But what does it mean in the real world? We now have some answer.
Car and Driver writes that the iX3’s 800-volt charging capability delivers “numbers that finally feel like the future BMW has been promising.”
Electrifying.com says the sixth-generation battery “sets a new benchmark for efficiency,” noting that range results feel like a step change for BMW.
The Drive highlights that the thermal management system “feels engineered for real-world abuse rather than lab numbers,” a rare compliment for an EV platform.
Auto Express reports that BMW seems to have “side-stepped the bloat that has plagued many rival electric SUVs,” resulting in stronger real-world efficiency.
MotorTrend calls the motor and inverter integration “the most cohesive engineering BMW has shown in an EV to date.”
Interior, Technology, and Everyday Usability
iDrive X is a bold move for BMW. And in our early testing it seems to have paid off. Now in production form, we have even more proof.
Autocar praises the cabin as “calm, modern, and free of the visual clutter that often overwhelms new EV interiors,” calling it BMW’s best design reset in years.
Car and Driver says the Panoramic Display “finally brings coherence to BMW’s digital story,” describing the UI as cleaner and more purposeful.
The Drive writes that the cabin “walks the line between tech-forward and hospitable,” avoiding the sterility common in some EV competitors.
Top Gear highlights the packaging gains, noting that the flat-floor platform “feels like one of the clearest benefits of Neue Klasse.”
Auto Express says the refreshed interface “finally understands how drivers actually interact with screens,” citing stronger voice and system response.
MotorTrend praises the overall craftsmanship, saying the iX3 “feels exactly like a BMW EV should.”
US Launch and Market Position
The iX3 is especially important in the United States because it finally fills the gap between the i4 and the iX. As we have reported on BimmerFile, BMW engineered this generation for the US from the start. That includes tuning and charging behavior tailored to American highways, packaging that aligns with US crossover expectations, and feature sets designed for the market’s growing EV demand.
This model effectively becomes the electric counterpart to the X3, the most important BMW in the US lineup. It will serve as BMW’s volume EV crossover here and anchor the transition to Neue Klasse products. The upcoming i3 sedan, built on the same platform, will pair with the iX3 to create a two-model core around which BMW’s US EV strategy will grow.
In short, the iX3 is not simply an EV BMW is bringing to the US. It is the beginning of an entirely new US-focused EV generation that will define the brand for the next decade.
BMW iX3 Video Reviews