BMW’s X3 goes all-electric
BMW's electric iX3 is a “green” SUV that won’t let you down. Nicole Garcia Merida reports
Seven years after the launch of the i3, BMW has finally brought out its second fully electric car, says Top Gear. The X3 is BMW’s biggest-selling model and this electric version, the iX3, is intended to meet the needs of the average driver. It is more efficient than rivals, has a smaller battery and can accept high charge power. That means you can start at full power after an overnight charge, stop after 220 real-world miles at a 150kW charger and add about 180 real-world miles in half an hour, then go on to complete a 400-mile trip. What’s more, it feels “ridiculously normal” to drive. The power “comes in with urgency… but is never brutal” and “keeps on going determinedly” up to its limited top speed of 112mph. The “top-spec” model even has an in-cabin sound generator that produces an “electronic hum that rises and falls in pitch as you change speed, and in volume as you press the pedal harder”, but otherwise the car is silent. It is “superbly easy” and relaxing to drive too.
The iX3 looks “normal” on purpose, says Jonathan Burn on AutoExpress. It is designed to “feel entirely conventional” and appeal to those delving into electric vehicles for the first time. It might not look all that special, but “it’s spacious, quiet, well built and packed with clever tech”. “This is simply an X3 that also happens to be electric.” One “neat piece of tech” is the car’s digital key, which allows owners with iPhones to share access to the car with others without them needing a key. Owners can set restrictions on speed, power, even music volume for each driver.
The car is too expensive and will do little for your “street cred”, says Georg Kacher in Car. But it is “remarkably efficient and dynamically up to scratch”. Three things stand out: the “superb” handling, which delivers “plenty of old-school emotions”; the long range between charges for peace of mind; and the low cost of ownership, meaning you won’t have to pay a “hefty penalty for saving the world”. Switch the energy-recuperation technology to its lowest setting and it is fun to drive when “pushing on” too.
Subscribe to MoneyWeek
Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE
Sign up to Money Morning
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
The iX3 is BMW’s first model to be made in China, but this has had no effect on quality, says Greg Kable on AutoCar. “If you’ve decided that it’s time for an electric car… you would be foolish not to give it a good look.”
Price: £58,850; Engine: 80kWh battery, one electric motor; Power/torque: 283bhp/400Nm; 0-62mph: 6.8 seconds; Top speed: 112mph; On sale: summer 2021
Sign up to Money Morning
Our team, led by award winning editors, is dedicated to delivering you the top news, analysis, and guides to help you manage your money, grow your investments and build wealth.
Nic studied for a BA in journalism at Cardiff University, and has an MA in magazine journalism from City University. She joined MoneyWeek in 2019.
-
Christmas at Chatsworth: review of The Cavendish Hotel at Baslow
MoneyWeek Travel Matthew Partridge gets into the festive spirit at The Cavendish Hotel at Baslow and the Christmas market at Chatsworth
By Dr Matthew Partridge Published
-
Tycoon Truong My Lan on death row over world’s biggest bank fraud
Property tycoon Truong My Lan has been found guilty of a corruption scandal that dwarfs Malaysia’s 1MDB fraud and Sam Bankman-Fried’s crypto scam
By Jane Lewis Published
-
Global car shares slide amid lower demand in China – what happens now?
Has the car sector run into trouble? Britain’s Aston Martin and Germany’s Volkswagen are among the key automobile brands that have issued profit warnings.
By Alex Rankine Published
-
Volkswagen mulls closure of German factories
Why is Volkswagen considering the closures and how is the carmaker performing?
By Dr Matthew Partridge Published
-
Is China winning the electric car race?
China now sells more electric cars than conventional ones within its territory. Western countries seem determined to stop them from crossing their borders. Why?
By Simon Wilson Published
-
Val d’Isère is a valley of delights
MoneyWeek Travel Matthew Partridge reviews Airelles Val d’Isere and Hotel Mont-Blanc in the famous French ski resort
By Dr Matthew Partridge Published
-
Review: The Ozen Collection – a dream stay in the Maldives
MoneyWeek Travel Ozen Life Maadhoo and Ozen Reserve Bolifushi, where luxury meets nature, are almost too good to be true, says Nicole García Mérida.
By Nicole García Mérida Published
-
Review: An odyssey through Sri Lanka
MoneyWeek Travel Merryn Somerset Webb explores the South Asian country’s ruins, jungle and fabulous food.
By Merryn Somerset Webb Published
-
Flexjet review: the only way to fly
MoneyWeek Travel Chris Carter flies with Flexjet, a provider of fractional ownership of private jets, to St Moritz in Switzerland for the Snow Polo World Cup.
By Chris Carter Published
-
South American nature holidays – take a walk on the wild side
Travel We find holidays in South America where you can explore nature in all its diversity.
By Chris Carter Published