BMW’s new iX3 EV has a huge 500-mile range, but I’m holding out for the saloon version

The first of BMW’s ‘New Class’ of vehicles is the the new iX3
The largest battery models will offer a 500-mile electric range
The interior ushers in a new iDrive infotainment system

BMW has taken the wraps off the first of its new ‘Neue Klasse’ vehicles — a self-confessed resetting of the design language and approach to electric vehicle design from the German brand.

First teased in the smooth and shapely BMW Vision Neue Klasse saloon two years ago, and then again with the X-badged Sports Activity Vehicle last year, the new lines veer away from the divisive giant front grilles and chintzy chrome towards a simpler, more cohesive future look.

We are told the bold new approach will feature across more than 40 new models in the next two years, which is a staggering power play from a brand that, like so many established premium players, is feeling the heat from numerous more affordable Chinese rivals.

The German marque is also setting out its stool when it comes to the performance of its electric powertrain, with the range-topping iX3 50 xDrive offering up to 500 miles on the WLTP cycle from a 108.7kWh battery pack.

Ultra-rapid charging of up to 400kW is possible thanks to the now ubiquitous 800V electrical architecture, which will see 231 miles of range added in just 10 minutes.

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BMW has also started from scratch with the electrical architecture that will underpin the next generation of EVs. Four ‘superbrain’ high-performance computers will oversee driving dynamics, automated driving, infotainment and basic comfort functions.

(Image credit: BMW)

The so-called ‘Heart of Joy’ control unit will look after vehicle dynamics and is said to be 10 times faster than conventional rivals.

There’s impressive stuff inside the cockpit too, with an all-new iteration of BMW’s Panoramic iDrive infotainment system, which now consists of a trapezoidal central touchscreen, haptic buttons on the steering wheels and the pièce de résistance in the form of a huge black strip that runs the width of the windshield.

This will house six individual data areas that can be customized to offer all manner of driving information, navigational instruction and multimedia. We will have to wait and see what it is like to interact with (especially those haptic steering wheel buttons), but it certainly looks impressive in the flesh.

Analysis: Big range, big tech, bold looks

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(Image credit: BMW)

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While there are some styling elements that hark back to the undeniably beautiful original “New Class” cars of the 1960s, the exterior of the first modern interpretation will likely divide opinion.

The press images do a lot of heavy lifting, showing off the side creases with clever use of reflections and making the stance look more aggressive with lighting tricks, but I was a tad disappointed seeing it in the flesh.

It’s still not a conventionally beautiful car and although it steers clear of the enormous chrome kidney grille of recent BMW models, it still relies on illuminated elements that have become increasingly popular on models hailing from China.

But BMW says prices will starts at £58,755 for the 50 xDrive in the UK, with prices expected to start at under $60,000 in the US (around AU$91,00), which is less than both the current ICE X3 and the outgoing iX3 EV, despite being roomier, more powerful and offering a vastly greater range.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, after all, but BMW seems to be ensuring everything else in the Neue Klasse package ticks all of the right boxes.