For the second time in a short time, the electric iX3 ends up on the internet as an unwrapped gift. After previously leaked press images, the Chinese variant is now showing.
The new plates, included with Autohome surfaced, giving a clear picture of what the car will look like in its upcoming daily life. No photoshopped streets or pretty finery: this is how the car ends up on the doorstep of customers. Please note, this is the Chinese version, so it might differ from the European version here and there. The pictures again show some more details. Take the closed grille, which has the same size as the regular X3, but now has no open slats, but dense plastic surfaces. The kidneys in the nose of the iX3 are optically connected, but the X3 is not. The air grille next to the front wheels also gets a different finish and at the rear the exhaust holes of the X3 at the iX3 make way for plastic cover plates.
Strikingly enough, the Chinese iX3, as it stands here, does not get blue accents all around. This may be due to the version, but in the previous leaked image of a European iX3, bright blue accents could be found in the sills and in the rear bumper, for example. BMW is now taking its time with the development of the all-electric iX3. It is already more than two years ago that the brand highlighted the concept version of the car. Then followed several moments when the iX3 packed and passed in front of the camera.
Fortunately, BMW recently announced a bit more about the technology. The rear-wheel drive iX3 uses a 286 hp electric motor. An 80 kWh battery pack is linked to this. All this is good for a range of 440 km (WLTP).
When the iX3 is unveiled later this year, it will be in a busy segment. Tesla has started with the delivery of the Model Y and Mercedes-Benz is not standing still either. The EQB, based on the current CAP, should be presented by then. Audi is also not standing still, so it is quite possible that the production version of the Q4 E-tron Concept can make things difficult for the iX3. The production model of that Audi is expected in 2021 with an estimated range of 450 km (WLTP). At Volvo, the XC40 P8 Recharge is rolling up its sleeves for the arrival of the iX3.