2025 BMW iX3
That's normal: you first look at a car's front end. And then the heretical thoughts arise. Why does the front end stick out so high into the wind? Is this a struggle for prestige?
It's probably even more heretical to compare this front end with that of the VW 412. VW's front ends became increasingly higher and steeper, the more luggage space they wanted to create. Is this perhaps the same with the
frunk here?
Or has the reference to the 'New Class' of the past led to a kind of dead end? Should the old trapezoidal shape perhaps be resurrected, which would play into the hands of greater air resistance, thereby helping to establish
the 'New Class'?
And what about the light signals? Okay, the kidney grille uses LED technology, that's fine. But does what’s happening in the middle even fit with what’s happening in the headlights? Or is it deliberately not meant to pass
into organically? With modern design, you never know.
In any case, how is design through light to be understood? Is the car only alive because it is driving or because it is switched on? And yet, with an SUV, the same question always remains: how to effectively conceal the
enormous front end? Really with this enormous black structure here on the iX3?
Admittedly, we're being a bit unfair, having just updated our page on the Citroen DS. We shouldn't really mention that name here. But does the difference to today really have to be so great? Doesn't the Mercedes CLA fare
better in comparison?
Yes, it's unfair, because the iX3 is an SUV. But just look at the transition from the almost horizontal front end to this extremely flat windshield. Does it fit, or isn't it a deliberate design contrast?
Of course, it is not possible to keep the old 'New Class' style at the sides and rear, because they were all notchback sedans. That's why they should have left it out on the front as well. And immediately, the image of the car
becomes brighter and clearer, regardless of the color.
The taillights are certainly quite impressive, but at least they're not continuous, as has become almost obligatory these days. The niche in the middle, like the one at the front, cleverly highlights the 'old' logo in a new
splendor, which is precisely why it doesn't need to be illuminated.
You can bet that if you first see the car from behind and then one of the pleasantly quiet sides, you won't be expecting a light organ that is shifted to the front and collapses so much when the vehicle is parked.
To quote the CEO: Perhaps it really is the right time, and $10 million is the right investment, but we'd like to question the 'right approach' when it comes to design. Why are they acting so brisk at the front instead of heeding
the corrections of the recent past?
Will this car truly be the 'benchmark for the industry,' as CEO Oliver Zipse claims? It will have its own electric platform for the first time, but BMW has largely borrowed that from other manufacturers.
As I said, this reservation only applies to the front, not the rest of the car, nor the interior. It's truly innovative that important information can be placed directly below the view through the windshield of the road. This is
supported by the 17-inch and head-up displays.
Please note that the area under the windshield is black and not a display. What appears there is projected onto it, so it's easily readable even in sunlight. We now also have a better understanding of the zonal division
between the four control units.
At BMW, this means that in addition to the control unit for infotainment, there are also control units for driving dynamics and driver assistance systems, and finally, the control unit for overall vehicle control. The option to rent
certain assistants for a short period of time has been expanded.
The rest is quickly told. The car at the Munich show has an all-wheel drive system with 345 kW and 645 Nm of torque, capable of reaching speeds of up to 210 km/h. It has a battery capacity of 108 kWh, which, according to
the manufacturer, enables a WLTP range of 803 km. The charging capacity is 400 kW.
This large battery can be charged from 10 to 80 percent in 21 minutes. Unusually for an electric car, the towing capacity is 2,000 kg. As a BMW iX3 50 xDrive, the car would cost just under €69,000, but it won't be available
until the first quarter of 2026 at the earliest.
| Wheelbase 2.897 mm, length: 4.734 mm, width: 1.891 mm, height: 1.668 mm |
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