Long-term test: BMW iX3 50 xDrive M Sport Pro
First report: Award-winning first Neue Klasse BMW gets off to a strong start on our fleet
Verdict
We thought from the moment we first drove the BMW iX3 in prototype form that BMW would be on to a winner, and everything we’ve seen so far has backed up how great its latest electric vehicle is. The biggest test of all over the next six months will see what everyday exposure reveals about the long-term capabilities of the so-far highly impressive car.
- Efficiency: 3.2 miles/kWh
- Mileage: 5,552
In a previous long-term report I waxed lyrical about the value and practicality of the £30k Dacia Bigster I’d been living with, to the extent that I questioned the point of premium SUVs costing double the price. Within a week, I was called upon to drive our BMW iX3, the newest member of the Auto Express fleet, to our New Car Awards photoshoot in Suffolk after it won not one, but two categories. The irony was not lost on me.
The iX3 scooped Mid-size Premium SUV of the Year and Premium Electric Car of the Year at our awards ceremony. Just climbing inside offers an immediate sense of why, because the digital cockpit layout is like nothing I’ve ever seen. The long, thin display beneath the windscreen holds a wealth of information and is easy to adjust. Something unfamiliar feels intuitive and within no time, effortless to use.
Even the sat-nav system sits within this panoramic display, giving clear direction and almost leading the driver into the route ahead, although the navigation has a tendency to lag. Once out of central-London speed limits, the performance of the 463bhp twin e-motor SUV became apparent: rapid, and also far more agile than the bulky exterior might suggest.
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It’s truly exciting to drive. For someone brought up on the promise of the BMW brand’s driving dynamics, the iX3 delivers that without question. But it also offers a smooth ride, gliding over potholes with an almost magical ability to make them disappear. Within the first 10 miles of my 250-mile round trip, I could more than account for the additional £35k over my Dacia. You get what you pay for.
Fully charged, the BMW is showing a real-world range of more than 350 miles, and it proved to be spot-on because I completed the journey from my south London home to the photoshoot location and back with more than 100 miles of range left. I’ve experienced previous electric car runs over similar journeys and know how power-sapping the drive can be.
There were no such issues with the iX3, which got me there and back with no range worries and in exceptional comfort. Our photoshoot spanned the weekend, and I had the pick of any of the 23 award-winning cars to drive back and forth, but chose the BMW every time. I’m beginning to think upmarket.
Aside from being a photography star, the iX3 has been put to serious work already, acting as support car for former editor Paul Barker and two friends completing the Chase the Sun bike ride before he left Auto Express last month. The run from the south up to the start point in Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear, on the Friday, driving 200 miles to various checkpoints the following day, and then back down from the finish at Ayr in Scotland to Sussex, added more than 1,000 miles in a weekend, and really showed the BMW’s class.
Despite the weight of three bikes on the Thule bike rack attached to the iX3’s £1,025 optional retractable towbar, and high-speed motorway running mixed with flowing empty country roads, he averaged a little more than 3.0 miles per kWh, giving a 326-mile real-world range. Not bad at all for a two-tonne-plus car, given the higher speeds and extra load. Charging was also efficient, and we saw a high of 348kW at a Gridserve chargepoint, taking us from 20-80 per cent much faster than our comfort break and coffee stop.
Barker also reported that the iX3 is way more engaging and lovely to drive across those empty Scottish country roads than any other big electric SUV has got close to so far. It felt precise through flowing bends and enjoyed the challenging terrain.
But spending 1,000 miles in the BMW over a weekend showed up a few flaws, and there are places where it feels over-engineered. Having to go into the climate screen to adjust the angle of the vents is adding regressive tech, and the pop-out door handles need to eject faster, rather than making you wait to get in the car. If we’re really nit-picking, there’s also a lot of road noise from the optional 22-inch wheels.
While the touchscreen is responsive and well laid out, the nav often lags slightly behind your actual position, to the point where it induces hesitation when in unfamiliar busy cities or motorway junctions. The voice-recognition system is also outgunned by more intuitive and advanced tech in Google-based systems. Its most-used phrase seems to be “I’m not quite sure how to help you with that”.
But these gripes fail to detract from a supremely excellent all-round car. Great range, excellent performance and typical BMW driving characteristics, plus top-notch quality inside and plenty of space and practicality show why the iX3 is top of the premium class. And why it’s already an Auto Express award-winner.
| Rating: | 4.5 stars |
| Model tested: | BMW iX3 50 xDrive M Sport Pro |
| On fleet since: | June 2026 |
| Price new: | £61,750 |
| Powertrain: | 109kWh battery, 2x e-motors |
| Power/torque: | 469bhp/645Nm |
| CO2/BiK: | 0g/km, 4% |
| Options: | Tech Plus pack (£1,700), panoramic roof (£1,275), retractable towbar (£1,025), Parking Assistant Pro (£775), sun protection glass (£450), heated steering wheel (£250) |
| Insurance: | Group: 44 Quote: £1,746 |
| Mileage/efficiency: | 5,552 miles/3.2 miles/kWh |
| Any problems? | None so far |
*Insurance quote from AA (0800 107 0680) for a 42-year-old in Banbury, Oxon, with three points.
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