Post the launch of the iX3, BMW's X3 model family will become the first to simultaneously offer conventional ICE-powered, hybrid as well as fully-electric versions.
Thanks to Instagram user scott26.unofficial, we now have the official images of the production-ready BMW iX3 with us. Compared to the 2018 Concept, the production-spec iX3 remains near-identical. Further, as the Concept is already quite similar to the standard X3, the iX3, therefore, has gone for a conventional design approach, unlike its i8 & i3 siblings of the past.
As for the changes over the Concept, the production-spec iX3 gets a slightly modified front bumper, that incorporates the radar sensor in its lower half. The front kidney grille, though still closed, gets the signature two-part layout, unlike the Concept. Interestingly, the Concept features the charging port on the front fender, but on the final car, it seems to be in the conventional place where the fuel filler flap is located. One can also spot some blue body accents on the door bidding & rear bumper, as well as the specially designed aerodynamic wheels (same as the Concept). The rear design has been left unaltered.
Coming to the specs of BMW's first-ever electric SAV, the iX3 will be powered by the brand's fifth-gen eDrive tech. A highlight of the fifth-gen eDrive tech is that the electric motor, the system electronics and the transmission have been packed together into a compact, single drive unit that allows space-saving. This same tech will also make its way onto the 2021 BMW i4 & the iNEXT. The electric motor in the iX3 (which, for the first time, has been developed without the use of any rare earth metals) will send 282bhp* & 400Nm* of torque to the rear wheels. It will be powered by a new, 74kWh* high-voltage battery that gives the iX3 a driving range of more than 440km* (based on the WLTP test cycle).
The iX3's launch may have been delayed due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic, but it is still expected to arrive in 2020. When launched, it will go up against the Jaguar I-PACE and the Mercedes-Benz EQC. It will be produced for the global markets by the BMW Brilliance Automotive joint venture in Shenyang, China.
*All performance & mechanical figures are based on preliminary data.
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