Mid-size Premium SUV of the Year 2026: BMW iX3
The BMW iX3 is the Auto Express 2026 Mid-size Premium SUV of the Year with the Mercedes GLB and Volvo EX60 commended
The BMW iX3 feels like the EV's iPhone moment. It doesn’t invent the electric car, but BMW’s painstaking optimisation takes the breed to new heights, while delivering on the brand’s dynamic and engineering promise.
The electric SUV spearheads BMW’s Neue Klasse project, rolling out new batteries, e-motors, software and chassis, plus a fresh digital cockpit design. The car’s engineers describe it as a once-in-a-career moment.
Switching to more space-efficient cylindrical batteries boosts energy density by 20 per cent, while BMW is leading European car makers by making the pack structural, Tesla-style, to cut mass. BMW’s 800-volt system speeds up its charging by 30 per cent; being able to swallow 230 miles of range in 10 minutes isn’t far off a petrol pit stop.
But these would all merely be stats on a Top Trumps card if the iX3 didn’t drive as well as it does. The BMW is a proper software-defined vehicle, with ‘superbrain’ computers delivering instant, co-ordinated responses for dynamics, super-smooth one-pedal driving and intuitive driver-assistance features. Bottom line: the iX3 responds just like a BMW and rides comfortably, without the need for air springs or adaptive dampers that would add weight.
Then there’s Panoramic iDrive, a customisable display that runs across the full width of the windscreen’s base, bringing key info such as speed and electric range right into the line of sight. While other companies show such systems on concepts, BMW makes it a reality. And to top things off, the iX3 was the first EV to pass 500 miles of WLTP range.
With 40 new and updated models set to use this tech, it would have been a disaster if BMW had dropped the ball. Instead this feels like the shot that won the World Cup.
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Our choice
- BMW iX3 50 xDrive M Sport (£63,155)
The iX3 range kicks off at £53,250 with the smaller-battery, rear-drive 40 model packing 395 miles of range. That’ll be fine for many people, but upgrading to the 50 cranks up the power output to 463bhp, adds all-wheel drive and delivers that 500-mile figure. M Sport spec looks the part, too.
Commended
Need a seven-seat electric SUV? Mercedes’ second-generation electric GLB will carry a five-a-side team plus subs, treating them to a comfortable ride, 380 miles of range and plenty of cutting-edge tech.
The Volvo EX60 is more relaxing than a spa day, thanks to its rolling refinement and tasteful cabin. Volvo’s electric SUV also promises a 500-mile variant, but it’s more expensive than the BMW and doesn’t charge as quickly.
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BMW iX3
Mercedes-Benz GLB
