BMW iX3 lands in Australia as Neue Klasse flagship with 805km range and $109,900 price

Launch and what's changed

The second-generation BMW iX3 has arrived in Australia as the debut model of the brand's new Neue Klasse family, launching in a single all-wheel-drive 50 xDrive grade with customer deliveries already commenced. CarExpert reports the new iX3 debuts a dedicated electric platform, a new electrical architecture, new battery technology and a new design language, making it a far deeper departure from its Chinese-built predecessor than the shared name suggests. Unlike the old model, it offers all-wheel drive. ¹³

A more affordable rear-wheel-drive iX3 40 will follow in the fourth quarter of 2026, between October and December. Chasing Cars notes the iX3 is the first of a large wave of Neue Klasse models that BMW is backing with an investment it puts at 18 billion euros, and that the range carries styling cues from the original Neue Klasse sedans of the 1960s, including slim kidney grilles. ¹⁴

Aerodynamics play a visible role in the new model's efficiency story: CarExpert cites a drag coefficient of 0.24Cd, which BMW points out is lower than even the old i8 sports car's 0.26Cd, aided by a closed underbody, active shutters and air curtains. ¹³

Pricing and rivals

CarExpert lists the BMW iX3 50 xDrive at $109,900 before on-road costs, with the incoming iX3 40 at $89,900 before on-roads. Both figures exclude on-road costs, so they should not be read as drive-away amounts. Chasing Cars, separately, estimates drive-away pricing of roughly $98,000 for the 40 and about $119,000 for the 50. ¹⁴

The 40's price point matters beyond the sticker: CarExpert notes it slides under the current Luxury Car Tax threshold, making the vehicle eligible for Fringe Benefits Tax exemptions, which Chasing Cars says positions it for novated-lease buyers under the $91,387 LCT threshold. ¹⁴

Against rivals, CarExpert lists the Mercedes-Benz GLC400 at $112,200 plus on-roads ($110,000 in Launch Edition trim), the Cadillac Lyriq at $90,000, the Genesis Electrified GV70 at $132,718, the Lexus RZ500e Luxury at $84,500 and the Porsche Macan 4 at $137,500, all plus on-road costs, and notes Audi offers no all-wheel-drive Q6 e-tron below the $150,000-plus SQ6. ¹³

Chasing Cars adds its own comparison, noting the Audi Q6 e-tron starts from $99,818 with the SQ6 from $156,318, the Porsche Macan Electric from $129,700, and Volvo's upcoming EX60 from $86,990. Earlier, at the international launch, CarExpert's quick-drive review speculated pricing before local figures were known, suggesting a starting price around $120,000 was on the cards; the confirmed $109,900 undercuts that estimate. ⁴⁵

Range, charging and specifications

The headline figure is claimed range of 805km on the WLTP cycle for the 50 xDrive, which both CarExpert and Chasing Cars identify as the longest of any EV currently on sale in Australia. Chasing Cars adds that this is 55km further than the next-best electric car, the Tesla Model 3 RWD Long Range. The figure applies to the standard 20-inch wheels, with BMW advising a rough rule of a five per cent range decrease for every added inch of wheel size, and aero-style wheels worth about 5-6km more than non-aero designs, per CarExpert. ¹³⁴

The 50 xDrive uses BMW's sixth-generation eDrive technology with a 108.7kWh net (113.4kWh gross) nickel manganese cobalt battery pack; BMW claims the new cylindrical cells offer 20 per cent greater energy density than its Gen5 prismatic cells. Output is 345kW and 645Nm, with a claimed 0-100km/h time of 4.9 seconds and a kerb weight of 2285kg. ¹³

On charging, the 50 xDrive accepts up to 400kW DC (the 40 is rated at 300kW), and Chasing Cars reports BMW's claim of a 10-80 per cent recharge in 21 minutes for either model, with up to 372km of range addable in ten minutes. Both grades support 22kW three-phase AC charging per Chasing Cars; CarExpert's quick-drive review of the international launch listed a maximum AC rate of 11kW, a discrepancy between the two publications. CarExpert also notes Australia's public DC charging network is not yet capable of delivering speeds anywhere near 400kW. ¹⁴⁵

Real-world observations during the local launch were less than the claim but still strong: CarExpert recorded 18.3kWh/100km across close to 200km of mostly high-speed rural driving, while Chasing Cars logged an indicated best of 17.6kWh/100km on 20-inch wheels and 18.8kWh/100km on 22s. Chasing Cars plans its own full range test. ¹⁴

Cabin and technology

Inside, the iX3's centerpiece is the 43.3-inch Panoramic Vision display, a pillar-to-pillar projection at the base of the windscreen that CarExpert describes as three separate projection panels rather than a screen, customisable to show speed, trip data and other information typically found in a digital instrument cluster. All Australian-delivered cars also get a head-up display. CarExpert frames the cabin as BMW's most dramatic interior departure since the first iDrive system in 2001, with the rotary controller gone and physical buttons largely eliminated. ¹³

The 17.9-inch touchscreen runs BMW's new Operating System X, with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a Harman Kardon sound system and an Intelligent Charging Flap that opens automatically when approaching a programmed charging point. Chasing Cars found the projection the standout feature of its drive, while CarExpert's quick-drive review from the international launch criticised the same operating system as occasionally laggy and layered enough to carry a steep learning curve. ¹⁴⁵

Practicality figures include 520 litres of boot capacity (1750 litres with seats folded) plus a 58-litre compartment under the bonnet — only the second BMW after the original i3 to offer one, per CarExpert. Chasing Cars notes the boot is 50 litres smaller than petrol X3 20 and M50 models but larger than the X3 plug-in hybrid's. Frustrations cited by reviewers include no ventilated seats in any market, no reversing-camera clarity (a distorted fish-eye effect per CarExpert), and limited cabin storage in the quick-drive review's assessment. ¹⁴⁵

On the road

Early driving impressions are positive. CarExpert drove a 50 xDrive with the optional 21-inch wheels in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales and found ride comfort good despite the lack of air suspension or adaptive dampers, praising engaging dynamics, minimal body roll and steering feel; it called the iX3 one of the most enjoyable vehicles to drive in its segment. BMW cites a 49/51 per cent front/rear weight balance, with the rear motor doing most of the work and the front engaging when needed. ¹³

Chasing Cars' Australian first drive concurs, describing exceptional body control and alert steering from a vehicle weighing nearly 2.3 tonnes, though it flags a firm ride, busier behaviour on 22-inch wheels, front-seat cushioning on the firm side, and no adaptive suspension option for the 50 xDrive. It also notes Australia misses out on the Motorway Assistant hands-free driving function available elsewhere. ⁴

Equipment is identical between the two grades apart from mechanicals: CarExpert lists standard items including 20-inch M Sport alloys, the panoramic glass roof, head-up display, both displays, wireless phone charging and Veganza upholstery, with the M Sport Pro package at $3500 adding M Sport seats, steering wheel, seatbelts and red-caliper brakes. Options range from $2000 metallic paint to 22-inch wheels between $5300 and $7700, and $2500 trailer tow hitch preparation. ¹³

M60 flagship confirmed for Australia

Chasing Cars reports BMW has revealed an iX3 M60 xDrive flagship with combined output of 450kW and 875Nm and a claimed 0-100km/h time of 3.9 seconds, using the same 108.7kWh-class battery as the 50 xDrive with more powerful dual motors. WLTP range drops 51km to 754km, but the M60 retains 400kW DC charging, which Chasing Cars says can theoretically take in 340km of charge in ten minutes. ²

The M60 gains adaptive suspension, an electronic limited-slip rear differential, revised variable-ratio steering with chassis reinforcements, M-specific front seats and steering wheel with a temporary 'Boost' mode, plus M styling touches including yellow daytime running lights. Chasing Cars confirms the M60 xDrive is coming to Australia, but its timing and pricing are yet to be confirmed; the publication notes production starts in autumn next year and speculates Australian deliveries beginning next winter, suggesting a possible alignment with the petrol X3 M50's $131,400 before-on-roads price. ²