BMW is no longer selling the iX in the US as the focus shifts towards the Neue Klasse, and specifically the iX3 which is set to arrive later this year. It could also signal a shift in BMW’s strategy on the whole.
The model didn’t sell particularly badly, though the 13,000 units BMW moved in the last calendar year is a notable drop from the 17,300 or so iXs sold at the vehicle’s peak.
But when you look at the bigger picture, the iX has definitely had its time.
I drove the BMW iX, and it may be a symbol of its time
The iX was a bit over-the-top. The iX M70 had 650 horsepower; pair that with the instant torque provided by the electric motors and the hard regenerative braking the vehicle also boasted, and you’re in for a bit of a rollercoaster ride.
Shove it in sport mode and you’re ripping from 0-60 in around three and a half seconds. But as with most EVs, the throttle is a little temperamental. A fraction of an inch can make a few mph difference, with either the motors or the regen kicking in to drastically adjust the vehicle’s pace.
Not naming names, or mentioning the publication, but my drive partner when I tested the iX had to tap out around an hour and a half into the journey. I wasn’t feeling particularly well in the driver’s seat either. It’s highly strung, high-performance, and pretty expensive, with the base model coming in at over $75,000 and the high-performance iX M70 costing a staggering $111,500.
This isn’t all down to performance. BMW went pretty hard on the luxury aspect of the iX, too. The interior had that perfect blend of comfort, sportiness, and that futuristic slant you tend to get in the cabin of an EV. None of that comes cheap.
For me the iX sums up the era of EVs we’re exiting. They’re expensive, have impressive spec sheets, and can make your stomach a bit squiffy. For the era we’re heading into, manufacturers have had a bit of a rethink.
Drivers are crying out for more affordable vehicles, and with the EV market stagnating, many manufacturers are shifting towards cheaper options with mass market appeal. BMW isn’t following the trend here, the Neue Klasse concept debuted around three years ago and that’s what’s taking up the spot vacated by the iX.
The BMW iX’s replacement is genuinely exciting
Some people don’t like EVs, and that’s fine. For those that do, it’s hard to be impressed by things like 0-60 times anymore. When a Kia EV9 hits the benchmark in a shade over four seconds, it all sort of becomes irrelevant.
That’s where the iX3, the first Neue Klasse on American roads and one of the vehicles replacing the iX stands out. Its spec sheet is actually exciting, not because of its speed but because of what you’re getting for the money. It’s going to be followed by the new i5, and reportedly both an iX5 and iX7 are in the pipeline, but the iX3 is here first and we know the most about it.
I’ve not driven one yet, but I have been up close and personal with a couple of pre-production examples. It’s spacious, the quality of the interior is exquisite as you would expect from BMW, and the new panoramic display is genuinely wonderful to use. It offers 400 miles of range, and can charge from 10 to 80% in just 21 minutes.
The AI assistant has also had a bit of a rework, and enhances the whole experience now. This is partially down to a partnership with Amazon, which also means we can probably expect strong integration with Alexa in the future. Which may put some people off, but the ability to control your smart home and order your dinner from the car during your commute home seems pretty handy.
According to some of the BMW folks I’ve talked to, while the fast acceleration is still there (0-60 times are estimated in the 4-5 second range) the acceleration curve is a lot smoother. Meaning it feels a lot more like an ICE vehicle and your passengers may not need a sick bag.
The most amazing thing is the starting price. BMW is still a luxury brand with a lot of prestige. But the iX3 is expected to roll out for around $60,000 with a lot of previously paid for features (like decent cruise control) included as standard. And the vehicle we’re seeing later this year is the mid-level trim.
BMW plans to rollout a cheaper, likely single-motor, version of the iX3 in 2027, and a more powerful likely tri-motor “M-package” further down the line. The entry level version might have an MSRP as low as $50,000 putting it head to head with Lucid’s upcoming Cosmos. The pricier model will probably see a $10,000-$20,000 bump but still come in a lot lower than the iX.
With the standard iX3 rocking around 460 horsepower, the M variant would need a roughly 50% increase to match the iX M70. That may not happen, but factors like weight differences may close any gap in performance between the two.
Anyway, BMW’s electric SUV king is dead. Long live the new king.
