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New BMW iX3 2021 facelift brings fresh styling and M Sport trim

Despite only being on sale for a year, the pure-electric iX3 has been revised by BMW to keep its design consistent with its petrol-powered X3 sibling

This is the facelifted BMW iX3 – and it’s arrived at a rather unconventional time. Generally, facelifts arrive a few years into a car’s life cycle, but the iX3 was only launched last year.

BMW has a solid reason for the sudden update however - it keeps the iX3’s styling in line with the combustion engined X3, which received a facelift earlier this year. The decision also means that the iX3 gets many of the updates fitted to its petrol and diesel powered sibling.

The updated iX3 will go into production this September at the BMW Brilliance Automotive facility in Shenyang, China. Prices will start from £59,730 for what will become the new UK entry-level car: the new M Sport variant.

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Styling tweaks for the facelifted iX3 include a new front bumper, which BMW says shares design elements with its newest electric vehicles, the iX SUV and i4 saloon. The SUV’s kidney grilles are also slightly larger than before and feature new mesh-like inserts.

The SUV’s adaptive LED headlights have also been reshaped and BMW now offers its M Sport styling package as standard on every model in the iX3 range, which brings a lower front splitter and some new gills for the front wings.

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Inside, the revised iX3 gets sports seats as standard and an upgraded infotainment system with a larger 12.3-inch screen. The centre console has also been tweaked, and now houses a new start-stop button, a model-specific gear lever and drive mode selector.

Buyers can choose from two new equipment levels, called M Sport and M Sport Pro. M Sport comes with 19-inch aerodynamic alloy wheels, metallic paint, adaptive suspension, a panoramic glass sunroof and an electrically operated tailgate.

The cabin gets a heated sports steering wheel, electrically adjustable and heated front seats, a six-colour ambient lighting system and three-zone automatic climate control with a pre-conditioning system that allows the driver to set the interior temperature using their phone before entering the vehicle.

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M Sport Pro models are priced from £62,730. Upgrades tinted headlamps, keyless go and acoustic glass. The cabin also gets a premium Harman/Kardon stereo system, a head-up display, gesture control and parking assistant plus which can automatically park the car at the touch of a button.

The iX3’s electric motor and battery remain unchanged over the pre-facelift model. The system comprises a 282bhp electric motor mounted on the rear axle and an 80kWh battery pack.

BMW says that’s enough for a 0–62mph time of 6.8 seconds and an electronically limited top speed of 112mph. Maximum range also stands at 286 miles, while a full recharge using an 11kW wallbox takes around 7.5 hours.

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However, the iX3’s electrical system will support much faster 150kW DC rapid charging. Find a suitable station, and BMW says the battery can be charged from 10–80 percent capacity in 32 minutes. Or, to put that a different way, just 10 minutes of charging will provide enough electricity to cover 62 miles.

Facelifted BMW iX3: charging packages

BMW iX3 buyers get access to BMW Charging as standard, which allows them to plug-in at more than 11,000 charging stations across the UK using a single RFID card or smartphone application. The service is one of the largest in the world, also granting access to 173,000 charging stations across Europe.

For those who use public charging more frequently, BMW offers two monthly subscription packages. The BP Pulse package costs £7.85 per month and offers preferential pricing per kWh at more than 5,500 charging stations.

Drivers charging at 22kW AC pay £0.16/kWh with the subscription package, which is £0.10 less than BP’s standard guest rate. 50kW DC charging costs £0.23/kWh (£0.12 cheaper), while up to 150kW DC charging costs £0.27/kWh (£0.15 cheaper).

BMW also offers an IONITY-compatible package, which costs £11.30 per month and gives customers a preferential rate of £0.26/kWh when using up to 350kW DC rapid charging, representing a saving of £0.43/kWh.

Now read our prototype review of BMW’s newest electric vehicle, the iX SUV… 

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