All-electric 2021 BMW iX3 with rear-wheel-drive unveiled

The first-ever production electric SAV from BMW will make its commercial debut in China (where it will be manufactured) towards the end of this year.

Though the car's images were unofficially leaked a few months ago, we now officially get to see the all-new BMW iX3, the first fully-electric model from the brand's X model family of Sports Activity Vehicles (SAVs), in its production form. The iX3 will also be BMW's first model to be produced for export at the Shenyang manufacturing facility in China. With its arrival, the BMW X3 product family becomes the first of its kind to offer petrol, diesel, hybrid, & electric derivatives.

Powered by the fifth-gen BMW eDrive technology, the iX3 misses out on the complex xDrive (all-wheel-drive) setup for a simpler rear-wheel-drive format. A single electric motor draws its power from an 80kWh high-voltage battery pack to develop a healthy 282bhp and 400Nm of torque. This means the iX3 can do the 0 – 100km/h dash in 6.8 seconds and reach an electronically-limited top speed of 180km/h. The limited top-speed helps the iX3 offer an impressive driving range of about 460km on a single charge (based on WLTP test results). Plus, adaptive recuperation of braking and coasting energy ensures further optimisation of the driving range.

The iX3 is capable of supporting DC fast-charging capacity of up to 150kW. Thanks to this, 100km of range can be added with a 10-minute charge and 80% of the battery can be charged in about 35 minutes.

The BMW iX3's list of standard fitment includes 19-inch BMW aerodynamic wheels, adaptive suspension, metallic paintwork, three-zone automatic climate control (with pre‑heating and pre-conditioning), LED headlamps, automatic tailgate operation, panoramic glass sunroof, ambient lighting, Driving Assistant Professional, and BMW Live Cockpit Professional (with BMW Maps, Intelligent Personal Assistant, and Apple CarPlay/Android Auto connectivity).

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Prototypes of the upcoming BMW iX3, i4 and iNext EVs revealed