What’s the big deal with the new BMW iX3?
It’s the first model from BMW’s Neue Klasse (which means New Class) line that aims to redefine what a BMW is in the age of electrification. Those old enough to remember the German phrase Neue Klasse (insert maintenance medicine joke) will recall a BMW generation in the ’60s and early ’70s that basically saved BMW.
Those Neue Klasse BMWs from half a century ago would eventually set the direction of the German carmaker toward luxury and sportiness. So in a way, the new iX3 is BMW refocusing itself, this time as a serious contender in the premium EV space.
We were in Thailand recently, on the outskirts of Bangkok, to have a first try of the 2027 BMW iX3. It’s coming to our market, but BMW has not given a timetable as to when.
It looks good.
Indeed it does. It looks much better than the polarizing massive kidney grilles that afflicted the iX, the i7, the i4, and the M3/M4. And the new iX3 face is a direct visual link to the BMW 1500 and 2000 from the ‘60s. With this generation came the introduction of the famous Hofmeister kink.
In the metal, the iX3’s front is the most striking angle. The sharp headlight silhouette has design elements that give it a 3D effect, almost Tron-like. In the evening, with the iX3’s lights on, the look can be quite dramatic. The rear angle looks just as sleek, although some of us journalists noted it looked reminiscent of some modern Chinese crossovers; not unexpected given that Chinese brands are leaning heavily on futuristic looks.
The proportions are also just right: It’s big enough to be comfortable in the cabin, but not too big that it will be difficult to maneuver and park. It’s classified as a compact crossover, but I would say it leans toward the larger side of the segment.
After all the hype, does it feel like a BMW on the road?
A resounding yes. These BMW driving events are normally well-planned to give the drivers the optimum experience within a tight schedule. For my group, our convoy of iX3s was led to Thai roads for a 20-minute drive—and Thai convoys are fast. Our units were the 50 xDrive M Sport variants with 469hp and 645Nm of torque. I had to accelerate to 100kph right away, as the first thing I saw after exiting the Patumthani Speedway complex was a rapidly diminishing iX3 taillight.
After just a few minutes I felt confident with this new BMW already. The seating position, the transmission, and the powertrain melded and then faded away, and the iX3 just followed my bidding. And the brakes were amazing, even for a brand like BMW that has always had good brakes. Power was instantaneous without being overpowering like many EVs.
This kind of natural driving connection would have been extraordinary in a regular internal combustion engine (ICE) car, but EVs have always had a harder learning curve—because it is harder to make an electric vehicle behave. Carmakers have had the better part of a century taming and refining the ICE power train through R&D and of course motorsport—factors that have defined the BMW story.
But an electric vehicle changes the game completely because electric motors behave differently, the curb weight is heavier, and the way an EV’s heft shifts during driving is radically different. Even early BMW EVs had birthing pains. You know they were good because so much engineering was put into them, but you can still feel they were not designed from the ground up to be EVs. The Neue Klasse feels cohesive in a way no other BMW EV is.
Of course, all this symbiosis was not enough to prevent us from getting lost on Thai roads. Somewhere between the traffic, the fast pace, and the right-hand drive expressway, one iX3 made a wrong turn and those of us behind followed it and got lost as well. A few radio messages later, we were blazing toward a U-turn, an unintended demonstration of the iX3’s performance, and quickly rejoined the waiting convoy.
What else did you do with the iX3?
After the public road drive, we tried out the new BMW on a short track with a slalom test, a braking test, and a wet road test—the usual exercises prepared to showcase their cars.
I’ve done enough track tests that my body was starting to tense up. Because when the Germans want you to feel their cars, you will really feel it. “Brake as hard as you can,” said the instructor over the radio during the braking test. I accelerated to 100kph, aimed for the space between two cones, and slammed my foot on the brakes. I expected the seatbelt to bite into my shoulder and for my weight to be violently thrust forward. But the iX3 just calmly dissipated the speed, and my head just nodded a bit. Wow.
By the time I was done with the slalom course, I wanted to make a reservation for the iX3. There was that same confident behavior as the BMW hit the apexes of the course. I thought I braked too late, but it didn’t matter, the iX3 was unruffled. I tried going faster in the next corners, expecting to nudge against the limits of its handling, maybe get it unsettled a bit. Nope. The iX3 was too well-sorted, and all it did was make me smile even more.
Clearly there was a lot more to be discovered with BMW’s latest model beyond the fun but quick driving exercises. We hope to get a proper test drive in the future.
How’s the iX3 as a premium crossover? What was the interior like?
Oh yes, the cabin. It definitely has the premium vibe of a BMW, with materials that look and feel good. But it also advances the BMW cabin philosophy. The inside door ‘handles’ are small switches, but they do open easily. The infotainment screen has slanted sides, a departure from the expansive display BMWs have. All in all, the cabin looks different enough to distinguish it from the current crop of Bimmers, but still look familiar to BMW owners.
The German carmaker is also touting its Panoramic iDrive system, a unique display that projects data under the full width of the windshield, like widgets. This is complemented by BMW’s 3D Head-Up Display. Powering these systems is BMW’s new Operating System X, which offers extensive personalization, intelligent driver assistance, and future-proofing via software updates.
Sounds like the iX3 is a big deal.
It is, or BMW wouldn’t have bothered flying us to Thailand just for a half day’s drive. And there’s really a lot more to unpack. We just have to wait till it lands in the Philippines to get to know it better.
