2026 BMW iX3 50 xDrive

BMW revived its most loaded name in history, and the iX3 actually earns it

This is the big one for BMW. For years the company has promised that the Neue Klasse would mark a new era, going so far as to revive the name that revolutionised the brand in the 1960s. That is a lot of weight to place on one car. So has BMW pulled it off? We took the new iX3 50 xDrive to find out, and the short version is that the first Neue Klasse car is a genuine success.

Design: understated is back

The iX3 looks nothing like the current BMW range, and that is the point. It steps away from the big, aggressive grilles and back towards something more restrained. The front grille is tiny by recent BMW standards, while the headlights echo the units introduced on the facelifted M3 and M4. The side profile is where it feels most like the BMW we love, with the trademark Hofmeister kink neatly worked in. Calm, confident and a clear reset.

Interior: no instrument cluster, no iDrive controller, and it works

Inside is where it gets surprising. There is no instrument cluster ahead of you, and the steering wheel has an unusual shape that gives off a faint C4 Picasso vibe. In the centre sits an angled touchscreen, and the familiar iDrive rotary controller is gone. We were as sceptical as everyone else at first. Then we used it. This new iDrive OS 10 is genuinely intuitive: settings are far easier to find, it keeps your eyes on the road more than any previous iDrive, and it looks sharp with plenty of customisation.

Panoramic iDrive: the party piece

Keeping your eyes on the road is exactly where the iX3's headline feature comes in. Just below the windscreen sits a head-up display that runs the full width of the car, showing the most important information across the whole dashboard. It is partly customisable, though this is one area where we wish BMW let you reconfigure more of it yourself. Even so, it feels genuinely new rather than gimmicky.

Range: chasing a realistic number

Design and screens are only a small part of the Neue Klasse leap. The powertrain and the range impress most. BMW claims up to 805 km on the WLTP cycle, but we like that the configurator is honest about the cost of options: the 22-inch wheels alone knock off 60 km, and the M Pack a further 5 km, leaving a realistic target of 743 km. That gave us a figure to chase. With a lot of motorway running we covered just over 660 km on a single charge, and at no point did range anxiety enter our heads.

Charging: this is what we want from EVs

The range is backed by seriously fast charging. Thanks to its 800V architecture the iX3 50 xDrive accepts up to 400 kW, so a 10 to 80 per cent top-up takes around 20 minutes. In practice that means more than 500 km put back into the battery in the time it takes to drink a coffee. This is exactly what EVs should do, and it is the part that makes the iX3 feel like a real step forward.

Driving and ride: skip the 22-inch wheels

On the move the iX3 drives well and rides comfortably, but our advice is to leave the 22-inch wheels in the configurator. A 21-inch set lifts the comfort noticeably, and since this is first and foremost a daily driver, we would take that trade every time over the sportier look. The range penalty only strengthens the case.

Under the skin: the Neue Klasse hardware

The engineering story is the real headline. The iX3 uses BMW's sixth-generation eDrive technology with cylindrical cells and 800V electrics, cutting energy losses by 40 per cent, weight by 10 per cent and manufacturing cost by 20 per cent versus the previous generation, while raising cell energy density by 20 per cent. Two motors produce 469 hp and 645 Nm, good for 0 to 100 km/h in 4.9 seconds and a 210 km/h top speed, and it will tow 2000 kg. It also supports vehicle-to-load, vehicle-to-home and vehicle-to-grid. Running it all is the so-called Heart of Joy, one of four high-performance superbrains that manages the drivetrain, braking, recuperation and steering, processing information up to ten times faster than a conventional control unit. BMW says the Neue Klasse tech will reach 40 new or updated models by 2027.

AutoNext Verdict

BMW has built something a lot of us have been waiting for: big range, genuinely good driving and a competitive price, all in the first car of a new era. After years of Neue Klasse promises, the iX3 50 xDrive delivers, and the early sales success is no accident.

It is not flawless. The Panoramic display should be more customisable, the steering wheel takes some getting used to, and you will want to think twice before ticking those range-sapping 22-inch wheels. But these are small notes against a very strong whole.

More Neue Klasse models are coming, and if they are all this convincing, BMW's electric future is in good shape. The iX3 is not just a good electric BMW. It is the one that finally makes the case.