Customer deliveries of the new iX3 begin later this year, and even BMW admits it didn’t expect such an overwhelming reaction from buyers
BMW officially entered its Neue Klasse era after unveiling the 2026 iX3 at last month’s Munich Motor Show. Not only does it usher in a new period for the broader BMW model range, it also has the ingredients to be competitive on the world stage.
And based on early responses, consumers appear to be excited about the new-age model.
Read: BMW Is Cranking Out Cars “Like Pretzels” And Says Even China Can’t Keep Up
Less than two months after the Munich unveiling, BMW Group head Christian Ach shared that interest in the iX3 has surpassed even their most optimistic forecasts. “We have received over 3,000 orders for the iX3 in the first six weeks after its launch at the IAA in Munich,” he told Automobilwoche, likely referring to demand within Germany alone.
One might argue that 3,000 orders sound modest compared with figures from China, but the context tells a different story. Germany recorded 2.8 million new passenger car sales last year, while China’s total exceeded 31 million.
The response appears all the more impressive given that BMW hasn’t begun offering test drives. In Germany, the 2026 iX3 will start at €68,900 ($80,600), with a lower-priced variant expected next year, starting closer to the €60,000 ($70,200) mark is expected next year.
Just one version of the iX3 will be available at launch. Known as the iX3 50 xDrive, it employs two electric motors to deliver a combined 463 hp and 476 lb-ft (645 Nm) of torque and can hit 60 mph (96 km/h) in a rapid 4.7 seconds.
Of equal, if not more, importance is the driving range: 400 miles (644 km) as per the EPA, thanks to the 108 kWh battery pack, which can charge from 10-80 percent in just 21 minutes.
While speaking with Automobilwoche, Ach added that the company’s planned production rate for the iX3 through 2026 “will not be able to meet the high demand”.
The next model in BMW’s Neue Klasse lineup will be the i3. Despite the familiar badge, this version will arrive as a fully electric 3-Series rather than the compact, unconventional hatchback or MPV the name once denoted. It’s expected to share much of its powertrain technology with the iX3.
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Brad Anderson’s lifelong affair and fascination with cars started young. Before even graduating high school,… Read full bio
