BMW iX3 50 xDrive M Sport - long-term review

BMW has much to lose with this long-term test, as the iX3 starts at the top of the mountain. That’s because in case you’ve been living under a rock for the past 12 months and don’t now know the geography of the Strait of Hormuz and the journey taken by #virusratboat, then you’ll also have missed the seminal arrival of this first ‘Neue Klasse’ model.

It’s paradigm-shifting stuff for BMW. Everything is basically new, from a new design language, via a new infotainment OS, to a new vehicle architecture (which ushers in BMW’s sixth-gen eDrive tech, 500 miles of range and peak charging speeds of 400kW). The ‘Neue Klasse’ technology will be used in 40 new or revised models between now and the end of next year. In short, there has been much fanfare.

There has also been much success. Including by way of us: Top Gear crowned the iX3 our ‘Car of the Year’ late in 2025, and in spring 2026 followed that up with ‘Best SUV’ in our Electric Awards, as it easily saw off the Tesla Model Y in a head-to-head.

So, BMW has built a good car, we’ve given it its flowers – but is everything else now downhill from here? Is the real-world range nowhere near the magic 500 miles? Is having that full-width digital display at the base of windscreen a gimmick that frustrates after the first week? Will it remain on top as new-generation rivals like the Mercedes GLC Electric and Volvo EX60 arrive? We'll answer all those questions over the next six months, plus generally let a young family that lives near a sandy beach and muddy forest give it hell.

In the meantime, the iX3 that Top Gear will be running… it’s a light colour (Brooklyn Grey) so we can find it in car parks, and it’s in M Sport guise because that’s the trim level everyone buys. Go for the entry-level model and there’s too much black plastic exterior trim; go for the M Sport Pro model and there’s too much gloss black exterior trim. Plus the M Sport Pro’s red brake calipers and M Sport seats mark you out as someone who hasn’t realised their 2.3-tonne electric family SUV isn’t an M3 Touring.

Beyond that, you can (initially) have the iX3 in two flavours: the £58,755 50 xDrive has a dual-motor four-wheel drive set-up, with 463bhp and 476lb ft for 0-62 in 4.9 seconds, and a range up to 500 miles thanks to the 108.7kWh (net) battery; £53,250 gets you the rear-drive 40 with one motor, which has 316bhp, 369lb ft, is a second slower to 62mph, and will cover up to 395 miles with its 82.6kWh battery. We’re in the 50, as the 40 isn’t quite yet on sale, and M Sport guise lifts the price to £61,255. It’s another £1,500 for the M Sport Pro.

All iX3s get heated front seats, dual-zone climate control, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, and a leather-free interior (which is a marketing spin to say ‘cloth is back!’). The M Sport trim level brings a different design to the same-size 20in alloys, blue brake calipers, plus an M Sport-specific set of front and rear bumpers, various M Sport cabin accoutrements, ‘translucent dashboard lighting’ and a different alt-leather upholstery.

This iX3 is an ex-BMW UK launch vehicle, so we didn’t spec it, but we did have our pick of a few, and avoided the ones with £3k 22in wheels and £1,275 panoramic roofs. The options on this car are: a heated steering wheel (£250), a different design for the 20in alloys (£325, now hiding the blue calipers, but apparently adding six miles to the range), Sun Protection Glass (£450, for darkened rear-side and rear windows), the grey paint (anything bar non-metallic white is £875), BMW Iconic Glow (£950, and an awful phrase to encompass adaptive headlights and a light-up grille), and the Technology Plus Pack (which bundles together three-zone climate control, a 3D head-up display, and a Harman/Kardon 13-speaker and 365-watt stereo). All in, it’s £65,805.

Next month, the real-world test starts. And it starts with travelling on a bank holiday…