2027 BMW iX3 Review

Abundant tech and range make BMW's 2027 iX3 a massive step forward from the EVs that came before.

Tim Stevens | 

Dec 4, 2025 | 7 min read

Tim Stevens

BMW was an early adopter of electric vehicles, releasing the little i3 hatchback in 2013. Since then, the company's EV offerings have expanded and improved, including the i4, i5, and i7 sedans, as well as the iX SUV. However, we have never seen a leap quite like this.

It's the new 2027 BMW iX3, the first vehicle built on the company's Neue Klasse platform. Neue Klasse is an EV-focused architecture that includes a new battery pack, an improved motor design, and a redesigned chassis control system, all designed to make the 2027 iX3 an EV that drives like nothing the company has made before.

The result is an unorthodox-looking crossover SUV with impressive range, power, and poise, a recipe that makes it the company's most compelling EV yet.

Tim Stevens

About the 2027 BMW iX3 Review Vehicle

BMW has not yet finalized the offerings for the 2027 iX3's release in the United States, except to say pricing will start around $60,000.

For this iX3 review, I drove one in 50 xDrive specification with the M Sport Package Pro, Highway and City Assistant, 3D Head-Up Display, Parking Assistant Professional, and extra-cost paint. BMW provided the vehicle for this iX3 review and paid for airfare, lodging, and meals during the evaluation period.

Tim Stevens

An Unfamiliar Face in the 2027 BMW iX3

As of late, BMW has not been shy about throwing tradition out the window and pushing the design of its models in eye-catching, though sometimes controversial, directions. The iX3 follows that trend with styling that converges from that of more traditional BMWs. Outside of the familiar roundel on the nose up front and hatch out back, there were few design cues I recognized.

The company's trademark dual-kidney grille is there, but in a new angular shape. It illuminates as you approach, as do the sweeping taillights at the back, creating a dramatic, welcoming impression at night. The fender creases and the channel cut into the hood and hatch are distinctive, creating a crossover SUV that won't win everyone over at first, but certainly can't be called boring.

Inside, there's little to fault from a comfort perspective. I sampled both the M Sport seats and the standard chairs, and both are incredibly comfortable. There's also plenty of head and legroom up front.

Tim Stevens

The iX3 seats five, and second-row passengers are treated nearly as generously. The panoramic glass roof above provides both ample light and headroom, while the flat rear floor makes it easy to fit three across if needed. It's a genuinely roomy cabin front and rear, far more accommodating than the average vehicle I've driven in this segment.

That said, the SUV's overall cargo capacity is closer to average. The iX3 is officially rated to hold 30.4 cubic-feet of cargo behind the rear seats, or 65 cu-ft when the second row is folded flat. That's better than the Porsche Macan Electric (19.1 to 50.6 cu-ft) but not quite as spacious as the Tesla Model Y (33.1 to 75.5 cu-ft). Like the Porsche and Tesla, the iX3 has a front storage compartment under its hood. Still, once I put the emergency tire inflation kit and Level 1 charger in there, I found there was little room for anything else in the frunk.

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The BMW iX3's Panoramic Vision

The dominant feature inside the iX3 is Panoramic Vision. It's a projected display spanning the entire width of the dashboard, from pillar to pillar. It's reflected more or less like a head-up display, with the left portion featuring all the information you'd typically find in a gauge cluster behind the steering wheel.

Moving that information up puts it closer to your line of sight and helps eliminate any concern about the steering wheel blocking your view. The rest of the Panoramic Vision display, I found, is divided into sections that can be assigned to various customizable screens, such as navigation prompts, trip and efficiency information, or current media playback.

All that is in addition to a distinctly angled 17.9-inch touchscreen that stands out from the iX3's low dashboard. It's running BMW's Operating System X, which is quick and intuitive to use, doing away with some of the nigh-endless nested menus found in previous versions of the company's software.

The interface is also simplified by a more advanced voice assistant system that I found very responsive, enabling changes to car settings and the discovery of navigation points of interest with less delay. In my testing, it displayed lists of nearby restaurants in seconds and identified the closest hospital immediately. It even started whispering when it detected me speaking more quietly.

If all that's not enough, the iX3 also offers an optional 3D head-up display. Projected above the Panoramic Vision, it shows the current status of the car's active safety systems and also draws arrows to highlight turns and upcoming navigation prompts.

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Speaking of safety, the iX3 includes the expected Advanced driver-assistance systems, plus available hands-free adaptive cruise control.

The iX3 adopts a distinct approach to how all that works together. For example, when I was using Highway Assistant hands-off, I could still approve lane changes by simply looking at the left or right mirror, just like in some current BMWs. However, if you reach up and change lanes manually, the car will now automatically enable the turn signal for you.

Yes, a BMW that fires its own turn signals — tech that might finally put to rest one of the most tired of automotive clichés. It's part of an effort to make the driver-assistance system more cooperative rather than being simply on or off. To that end, I found on my test drive that you can press the brakes, even bring the SUV to a complete stop, without turning off the cruise control. It will simply pick things up again as soon as you take your foot off the brake pedal.

Tim Stevens

Good Power, Handling, and Comfort in the 2027 BMW iX3

For now, at least, the iX3 is only available in a single configuration, the 50 xDrive, with a pair of electric motors delivering 463 horsepower and 476 pound-feet of torque to all four wheels.

Buyers can step up to the M Sport package, as on the car I tested, but it only offers different styling features, such as fancier seats and larger 21-inch wheels. Still, it's plenty quick when scooting off the line, especially in Sport mode, which sharpens the throttle response and makes the iX3 feel significantly more aggressive. BMW estimates a 4.7-second zero-to-60-mph time.

I could also feel the power distribution changing between the two motors. While in Personal mode, the default, the iX3 felt safe and predictable when powering out of corners, like a front-biased machine. In Sport mode, the SUV tended to wiggle its tail a little, offering a taste of the eager, rear-biased feel that BMW's sportier models have long been known for.

But this is hardly a sports car. The suspension offers plenty of compliance, soaking up the numerous speed bumps and potholes I encountered while testing in southern Spain's Málaga. The iX3 is firm and responsive enough to be fun but soft and forgiving enough that your family won't dread the morning school run.

You also won't have to overload anyone with frequent charging stops. The iX3 doesn't have an official EPA rating yet, but BMW estimates it will travel about 400 miles on a charge. During my 100-mile evaluation, which included sporty driving and climbing a mountain, I achieved an average consumption of just under 3 miles per kilowatt-hour (kWh). Given the IX3's 108.7-kWh battery pack, that's enough for a theoretical maximum range of 325 miles. Driven more conservatively, I'm sure 400 is possible.

When you do run out of range, the iX3 charges at a maximum rate of 400 kilowatts (kW). That's enough current to go from a 10% charge to 80% in 21 minutes. While the SUV I drove had a different port for compatibility with European chargers, the U.S.-spec iX3 will have a Tesla-style North American Charging Standard (NACS) port.

Tim Stevens

Is the 2027 BMW iX3 a Good SUV?

The iX3 represents a significant departure from any other BMW on the road today. Everything from the styling to the outstandingly cooperative safety systems will take some getting used to. Once I got my head around it all, I really enjoyed it. It's fun, comfortable, and offers oodles of interior tech. It's a remarkably impressive package, and a great first step for BMW's new EV platform.

Tim Stevens

Tim is a freelance automotive and technology journalist with more than 25 years of experience. He is a frequent contributor to major domestic and international online, print, and broadcast news outlets, sharing his insights and perspectives on everything from cybersecurity to supercars. Tim also serves as a juror for the World Car Awards and regularly acts as speaker and moderator at major industry events such as CES, Web Summit, SXSW, NAIAS, and AutoMobility LA. He formerly served as editor-at-large and vice president of content at CNET. Before that he was editor-in-chief of Engadget and editorial director at AOL Tech.