MUNICH, GERMANY - BMW has released more details about its upcoming iX3, while also confirming that the electric SUV will enter production in 2020.
While not the brand’s first fully electric vehicle, this battery-powered X3 will be the first BMW that’s available in electric, plug-in hybrid, petrol and diesel powertrain guises.
The iX3 will also usher in BMW’s “completely redeveloped” fifth-generation eDrive technology, which was designed in-house by BMW, and which will also power the upcoming BMW i4 and iNext.
Its 74 kWh battery features pioneering battery cell technology and according to BMW, it will allow a range of over 440km between charges, on the WLTP test cycle.
It’s not going to be a slouch either, with BMW quoting maximum outputs of 210kW and 400Nm for the iX3.
However, both the drive unit and battery are scalable in terms of power and energy storage, meaning that it can be adapted for both lower-cost and more premium models in the line-up in the future.
What’s more, the drive unit brings the electric motor, system electronics and transmission into a central housing, a set-up that saves space and reduces weight, with the ratio between motor output and drive system weight having improved by around 30 percent versus the previous generation, according to BMW.
BMW has not yet released pictures of the showroom-spec iX3, however the Concept iX3 that you see in the pictures above gives us a good indication of how the production model will look, which is not radically different to the conventionally-powered X3 model that it’s based on.
Although it has yet to be officially confirmed for South Africa, the iX3 is a likely contender for our market, according to sources.
