Your first premium EV? The 2023 BMW iX3 Review!

October 7, 2023 Jonathan Ho Off BMW, Reviews,

It’s been over a year since our last BMW test which was a hybrid, so it’s probably appropriate that our next car is one of BMW’s earlier attempts on a full EV. As we were handed the keys to a 2023 BMW iX3 M Sport Impressive in subtle M Carbon Black, we can’t help but notice (or not notice) that it’s an EV. Exterior wise it is rather similar with its petrol-powered sibling except for some blue accents on the badges, lack of tail pipes, covered kidney grilles and distinctive 20-inch M aerodynamic wheels that comes with this top Impressive variant. More on the variants later.

Stepping inside the BMW iX3, you will be greeted with black ‘Vernasca” leather upholstery with blue stitching, with the option for brown leather should you prefer. Before we mention the rest of the standard equipment, let’s tell you the differences between the two variants buyers can choose from: Inspiring and Impressive.

For a roughly RM20k top up from Inspiring to Impressive, you will get acoustic glazing on the windshield, Laserlight, 360 degree camera, Harman Kardon sound system, IconicSounds Electric (driving sound effects by Hans Zimmer), Heads-up display, Gesture Control, and larger 20 inch rims compared to 19 inch. The Impressive also provides you with more exterior paint color choices (notably Piemont Red and Phytonic Blue). We think it’s a worthy upgrade for the price, but this of course depends on your priorities.

Either way, all iX3 features standard M Sport kit, three-zone air-conditioning, wireless charging, hands-free powered tailgate, a panoramic sunroof, Parking Assist with Reversing Assistant which is kind of handy in tight situations, a 12.3-inch touchscreen with BMW Live Cockpit Professional and an M Sport steering wheel. Safety wise, you get adaptive cruise with stop and go, lane centering, and autonomous emergency braking which are to be expected in this price range. Should you prefer more active safety systems, everyone knows that Volvo is the only way to go.

How does it drive you might be wondering? With a power delivery of 286PS and 400Nm of torque delivered by a single rear electric motor making it rear wheel driven, the BMW iX3 feels rather playful as some oversteer is apparent when you corner and throttle hard which makes this 2,200 kg SUV a rather fun one when you want it to. Zero to hundred time of 6.8 seconds is plenty enough for most, just like its electronically limited top speed of 180 km/h. If sheer neck-breaking acceleration is all you seek, you might be surprised to hear that the more affordable albeit smaller segment Volvo XC40 and C40 can do 0-100 km/h in less than 5 seconds!

However, acceleration is not everything and when it comes to driving dynamics and handling, the Volvo would lag behind BMW as one would expect. While the iX3 is no 3 Series, it still has some of its characteristics with very positive feedback from the steering wheel and its noticeable rear-biased playfulness, while the AWD Volvo XC40/C40 provides way less communication through the wheel. During our long drive to Kuala Kubu Bharu we also noticed that the suspension in the BMW iX3 is much more comfortable thanks to its adaptive suspension unlike its petrol variant which has a harsher ride from the traditional passive suspension.

As for range on the BMW iX3, a 73.8 kWh lithium-ion battery offers the electric SUV a claimed range of up to 460km (WLTP). In terms of charging, it takes seven and a half hours to fully charge the iX3 with an 11 kW AC charger, but with an 150 kW DC charger, it takes just 32 minutes to charge the iX3’s battery up to 80% in ideal conditions. During our time with it, we managed to achieve roughly 200km at about 50% state of charge, so getting at least 400km if not more on a full charge is very much possible depending on your driving style.

So is this car for you? Starting at RM322,800 for the Inspiring and RM343,800 for the Impressive variant, the BMW iX3 is a great choice especially for existing BMW owners to transition to the full EV route with a familiar exterior and interior. As for the rest of us, the iX3 may have been on the market for a few years, but it has still proven itself to be a competent EV despite increase in competition even from within.

If you don’t need the space, the recently launched iX1 is also worth a look with more performance yet similar range for much less money, not to mention newer tech inside and out. That’s the beauty of technological advancements. The EV market will only continue to bloom at this point, and that can only be a good thing for us consumers.