Entry-level iX3 is rear-drive 320hp BMW for less

We knew a more affordable, single-motor variant of the iX3 was inbound – BMW indicated as much when it revealed the car last year – though we did not know for certain how affordable it might be, nor how far it might go on a single charge. Now we do: the new rear-drive iX3 40 (as distinguished from the 50 xDrive we’ve already tested) will be priced from £53,250, and offers up to 395 miles of WLTP-approved range. 

For anyone not paying attention, that compares with 449 miles in the M Sport Pro, or 500 miles if you’re not too fussed about the M Sport bit. The reason for the difference? A smaller battery, unsurprisingly: where 50 gets BMW’s 108.7kWh pack, the 40 must make do with 82.6kWh. Outright charging speed drops, too. The shortfall might be largely theoretical at the moment given the absence of anything approaching 400kW in this country – but if you’re concerned with future proofing, you’ll do well to remember that the entry-level iX3 tops out at 300kW. 

Nevertheless, thanks to the same 800v architecture, BMW reckons you’ll still add up to 186 miles in as little as 10 minutes if you’re plugged into a suitably beefy plug socket – or go from 10 to 80 per cent in 21 minutes. In other words, while not threatening to set a new benchmark like the iX3 50, the cheaper variant ought to be a perfectly usable modern EV – one that should arrive with a significant weight advantage, given BMW has downsized the battery and deleted the front motor. 

The manufacturer does not go into detail on the subject, though it does outline the difference in performance you can expect. Where the 50 xDrive M Sport Pro boasts 469hp and 476lb ft of torque and the traction benefits that come with all-wheel drive, the rear-drive model delivers 320hp and 369lb ft to its single axle. Healthy enough for a 5.9-second sprint to 62mph, though comfortably behind big brother, which manages it a full second quicker. Its top speed is marginally lower, too, at 124mph. 

Any PHer sporting permanently white knuckles might well be inclined to think the advantage worth paying for, though we’d be inclined to hold off on that decision given the umpteen examples elsewhere of lowlier iterations proving the better EV to drive. Expect that lower kerbweight to count for something in the ride and handling department, not to mention BMW’s age-old knack for getting the best out of a rear-drive chassis. 

Especially when you consider that in look and specification, the BMW iX3 40 is said to exactly replicate the standard 50 xDrive. That helps account for the size of the £5,505 saving versus its stablemate, though it’s perhaps worth recalling that the as-tested price of the M Sport Pro we drove earlier this month was an eye-opening £72,162. As impressive as the iX3 is to drive, recommending it to anyone at that price does stretch battery-powered credibility to breaking point. But for nearly £20k less? Let’s just say that anyone taking delivery of an iX3 40 later this summer might yet find they have a reason to be smug beyond simply being first in the queue…