The BMW iX3 Already Looks Like It

• BMW has received over 3,000 orders for the new iX3 in Germany alone.
• The first deliveries in Europe are expected in the spring of 2026, with the U.S. following later in the summer.
• The BMW iX3 is built in an all-new factory in Hungary with a production capacity of 150,000 vehicles per year.

BMW has poured all of its electric vehicle know-how into the upcoming iX3, making it its most advanced EV by far. It features all-new motors, electronics and batteries, which all add up to make it exceptionally efficient for a vehicle of its size. It also looks bold and fresh, and apparently it’s striking a chord with buyers in its native Germany.

According to Automobilwoche, the iX3 has garnered over 3,000 orders on its home market in the six weeks since its debut, making it more popular than the combustion-powered X3 in the same period. 

BMW was already worried that it wasn’t going to be able to meet the volume of orders it initially anticipated for the iX3. Now that it’s proving so popular, its task of starting and then ramping up production to meet demand is even more difficult. The iX3 will roll off the production line in a newly-built factory in Debrecen, Hungary, which was created specifically to build Neue Klasse vehicles. It has an annual production capacity of 150,000 units.

The first iX3 deliveries are expected in Europe in the spring of 2026, with the United States following later in the summer. BMW is also gearing up to build the iX3 in Mexico, but it’s still unclear if that factory will supply the U.S. or if the cars will come from Hungary instead. It could be a case of some versions coming from one factory and others from the other.

BMW has so far only revealed the dual-motor iX3 50 xDrive, which has a power output of 463 horsepower and 475 lb-ft of torque, propelling it to 62 mph in 4.9 seconds. Probably the most remarkable thing about it is the range from its 108-kilowatt-hour battery pack, which in the dual-motor version is rated at 500 miles (805 km) WLTP, making it Europe’s longest-range EV.

Attending the local iX3 unveiling here in Romania last week, I got to see it in person and it made a really good first impression. The exterior design is unique and it takes a bit of getting used to, but it’s a good-looking car and its interior feels of higher quality than some other recent BMW offerings. It also has the industry’s most unique wrap-around panoramic display sitting right below the windshield, which makes sitting behind the wheel unlike anything else I’ve experienced.

BMW promises that the iX3 and all vehicles built on the Neue Klasse platform will be great to drive too. At around the same time when I spotted the Mercedes C-Class EV prototypes in the Italian Alps, I also saw an iX3 being driven very vigorously around the twisties of the Gavia pass. The driver was driving the prototype very enthusiastically with the electronics off, and I saw the iX3 go a bit sideways as it was coming out of a corner. It looked very good doing it and the driver seemed to be having a very good time behind the wheel.

U.S. pricing for the iX3 has yet to be announced, but it is expected to start at over $60,000, tariffs included. In Germany, it has a starting price of €68,900 ($80,300) and a fully-loaded example can go over €80,000 ($93,000).