The latest electric car from BMW is the first in a new range of high-tech models with radically different styling, futuristic interiors, and rated for up to 805km of driving range.
Electric Cars
BMW has revealed what is pitched as one of the most important new models in its history, the 2026 BMW iX3 – the first in a new wave of ground-up, high-tech electric vehicles, due in Australia from mid-2026.
The mid-size iX3 debuts the 'Neue Klasse', a family of electric vehicles offering longer ranges, faster charging, upgraded 'super-brain' computers, and all-new exterior and interior design themes.
It is named after a range of BMW models introduced in the early 1960s, considered to have saved the company from bankruptcy and locked in its financial future.
Australian arrivals are due to commence in mid-2026 – built in a new factory in Hungary – with prices to be confirmed closer to launch, but increases are expected over the $91,000 to $104,900 of the outgoing iX3.
Unlike the old iX3, the 2026 model is based on a dedicated electric-car platform – rather than a petrol car converted to run on batteries – which promises improvements in cabin space and energy use.
Available at launch in Australia will be a single model grade, the iX3 50 xDrive, powered by dual motors developing 345kW and 645Nm combined, for a claimed 0-100km/h acceleration time of 4.9 seconds and 210km/h top speed.
The headline figure is driving range, now rated at 805km based on European WLTP lab testing – 75 per cent longer than the 460km of the old iX3, despite a 35 per cent larger battery (108kWh vs 80kWh).
In theory, it is enough to drive from the outskirts of Sydney, to the outskirts of Melbourne, without stopping to charge.
It is thanks to improvements in energy efficiency, via new motors claimed to reduce energy losses by 40 per cent, while being 10 per cent lighter and 20 per cent cheaper to produce.
The new battery uses more energy-dense cells, which take a leaf out of the book of Chinese brands in using the pack as a structural component of the car to save cost and weight.
It all runs at 800 volts – up from 400V in the previous iX3 – unlocking faster charging, now capable of a 10 to 80 per cent fill-up in a claimed 21 minutes, or adding 350km of rated range in 10 minutes.
To do so, drivers will need to find a charger capable of supplying the iX3's maximum 400kW – of which there are currently just two in Australia, split between NSW and Western Australia, according to PlugShare.
It is vastly faster than the old iX3, both in charging performance – needing 32 minutes to charge from 10 to 80 per cent at up to 150kW – as well as the older vehicle's single 210kW/400Nm rear electric motor.
Vehicle-to-load (V2L) technology – confirmed for Australian models – allows the iX3's battery to supply up to 3.7kW to power external electrical devices such as hairdryers, camping gear, and other appliances.
AC charging is available at up to 11kW, for an empty-to-full recharge in a quoted 11 hours. The charging port is housed behind an electrically-operated flap.
The new iX3 debuts a new design language for the BMW brand, led by an all-new front fascia with LED headlights and vertical daytime-running lights integrated into two elongated clusters.
The 'kidney' grilles have been downsized to reference the original Neue Klasse cars of the 1960s, with illumination along their surrounds, in place of chrome.
The body sides are smoother, with flush-fitting door handles, smaller windows and fewer sharp lines to emphasise the wheel arches, which house 20-inch standard, or 20-, 21- and 22-inch optional alloys.
A similar shape to the headlights is seen in the LED tail-lights, plus a sporty lower bumper, and a standard power tailgate that opens to a 520-litre load area (10L more than a petrol X3), which can expand to 1750L with the rear seats folded.
Unlike earlier BMW electric cars, there is now storage under the bonnet, though only 58 litres – well down on the 116L of a similarly-sized, but cheaper Tesla Model Y, which is also based on a dedicated electric-car platform.
Measuring 4782mm long, 1895mm wide and 1635mm tall, on a 2897mm wheelbase, the new iX3 is 48mm longer overall, 5mm wider, and 33mm longer in wheelbase, but 33mm lower than its predecessor.
Inside, the iX3 is the first BMW with Panoramic iDrive, a new dashboard design that replaces the small instrument display with a 43.3-inch screen stretching across the base of the windscreen.
Key speed and vehicle data are shown on the portion of the display ahead of the data, while passengers can personalise the content on the rest of the screen, such as the current song, navigation information, and even a G-force meter.
In the centre of the dashboard is a 17.9-inch touchscreen in an unusual parallelogram shape, which displays maps, audio, smartphone mirroring, and the functions usually managed by a vehicle's infotainment display.
It runs new 'Operating System X' software, with customisable widgets on the driver's side of the display, configurable applications, and updated menu structures claimed to be easier to use on the move, plus Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
A head-up display remains, with a 3D-effect image projected onto the windscreen, and an updated voice assistant can also be used to control functions.
BMW has kept the air-conditioning controls and most other functions in the touchscreen, but there remain traditional indicator and wiper stalks, as well as a gear selector on the centre console, a volume dial, and regular mirror controls.
The two-spoke steering wheel is all new for the iX3, with haptic touch-sensitive controls, while the door releases are electronic, as with the larger iX.
Buyers can opt for M Sport and M Sport Pro packages, which swap the standard 'Veganza' synthetic leather-look upholstery for Veganza and fabric 'M Performtex' trim, or full black Merino leather.
Power-adjustable heated front seats, dual-zone climate control, and wireless phone charging are standard, while a panoramic sunroof with "climate comfort glazing" is available; buyers need to pay extra for a sun blind via the accessories list.
The new infotainment software packages over-the-air software updates, satellite navigation with charging-station routing, Spotify music streaming, AirConsole in-car gaming, Zoom video calls while stationary, and the ConnectedDrive app store.
BMW continues to allow owners to unlock features after delivery that were always baked into their car, including "extensive safety functions" and "extended navigation features" plus 'BMW M Apps' in M Sport variants.
The German giant touts four "superbrains" powering the iX3, its term to describe high-performance computers that manage the infotainment, basic vehicle functions, advanced safety systems, and driving dynamics electronics.
It claims the vehicle's new software architecture has been designed for artificial-intelligence features; the cabin lights switch on automatically if the driver reaches over to the passenger seat to grab an object, for example.
By packaging the car's electronics into four high-power computer 'zones' – rather than thousands of modules spread around the car – it says the wiring harness in the iX3 is 30 per cent lighter than earlier models, and includes 600 metres less wiring.
All models in the BMW range will eventually use the iX3's upgraded electronic systems, the company claims.
Among the 'superbrains' is the Heart of Joy, a computer managing the car's electric motors, brakes, energy recuperation and steering systems, which is said to process information 10 times faster than "conventional control units".
Adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, speed sign recognition and a door exit warning are all standard, while European models can also be specified with automatic parking.
The German car maker claims the superbrain computer powering the safety systems reacts 20 times faster than earlier iterations, and unlocks functions such as linking the deactivation of adaptive cruise control to varying pressure applied to the brake pedal, not just a light tap.
Measures such as leather-free interior trims, reduced CO2 in the production process, and increased use of recycled materials are claimed to give the new iX3 a smaller carbon footprint over its life "than a comparable combustion-engined model once it has covered around 21,500 kilometres".
If the iX3 is charged exclusively with renewable energy, that number falls to 17,500km.
The 2026 BMW iX3 is due in Australian showrooms in mid-2026, with more details to be announced closer to launch.
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Alex Misoyannis has been writing about cars since 2017, when he started his own website, Redline. He contributed for Drive in 2018, before joining CarAdvice in 2019, becoming a regular contributing journalist within the news team in 2020. Cars have played a central role throughout Alex’s life, from flicking through car magazines at a young age, to growing up around performance vehicles in a car-loving family. Highly Commended - Young Writer of the Year 2024 (Under 30) Rising Star Journalist, 2024 Winner Scoop of The Year - 2024 Winner
