Review – BMW iX3 facelift (2022) – Still relevant?

It is not our first introduction to the X3 “LCI,” as facelifts are called at BMW. After all, the X3 M Competition was previously a guest of our editorial staff. That extremist kicks it up to a whopping 510 hp with its biturbo six-in-line! In this test, we are at the other end of the spectrum. Whereas the X3 M lets out a deafening noise from its four exhausts in sport mode, the iX3 whizzes away in silence. In the interior of the electric SUV, “IconicSounds Electric,” the package of sounds for which BMW enlisted renowned film composer Hans Zimmer, still provides something of a sound experience. This is especially useful because the iX3 imperceptibly goes faster than you feel, but more on that later.

Louter M

First the facelift. An iX3 of the new batch is best recognized by the modified front and rear light units. The headlights have been tightened and have a different interpretation with LED daytime running lights that will henceforth resemble those of BMW’s other models. Even more striking are the taillights, which have darker glass. With that, the turn signal is in a separate LED strip that passes through the center of the light units. Another element BMW modified about the iX3 is the grille, which is now slightly more angular and larger than before. The iX3’s unique feature is a largely sealed grille. Logical too, since the electric motor is in the rear.

If you pull out the configurator, you immediately notice that from now on the iX3 can only be ordered in combination with the M package and alloy wheels with a size of at least 19-inch. Our test car is a High Executive (6,000 euros) and is therefore on 20-inch alloy wheels. Those wheels are also new and exclusively reserved for the iX3. Our test car further stands out because of the Carbonschwarz color (no extra charge) and the M Shadow Line package (695 euros).

Trusted good

If you’re used to recent BMWs, you won’t have to adjust when you step into the facelifted iX3. Indeed, the interior design has not been as violently overhauled as in the facelifted 3 Series. The controls for climate control are now in a different control panel, and the iX3 has a new and larger 12.3-inch touchscreen, but that’s about it. That touchscreen runs iDrive 7.5, and that interface can also be controlled with the familiar control knob on the center console. In practice, we mainly use the touchscreen when the car is stationary and reach for the control knob while driving. In any case, it’s nice to still have both options, something BMW has unfortunately moved away from with the new X1 and 2-Series Active Tourer.

iDrive 7.5 is a proven concept and works in practice just a bit more intuitively than the new iDrive 8. Incidentally, with the new screen, which has a razor-sharp resolution, iDrive 7.5 does not feel dated at all. You can actually read and write with the system right away, and it works very nicely that you still have separate buttons for climate control, seat and steering wheel heating, and audio controls. A more traditional setup, but one that is familiar and good.

The interior of the iX3 is otherwise spacious and practically usable. Both front and rear seats are comfortable for a car of this size, although the middle passenger in the back seat is not exactly to be envied. This is because of the large transmission tunnel that sits there. Actually, it is redundant in the iX3 because the electric motor is in the rear, eliminating the need for a drive shaft. It’s a shame you can’t use that potential extra space in this case. What is nice is the relatively large luggage compartment of 510 liters with additional storage space under the load floor for the charging cable.

One powertrain

In yet another respect, the iX3 feels familiar: the powertrain. Indeed, that is still the same 286 hp and 400 Nm rear-wheel-drive unit as in the previous iX3. With that, the 2,160-kilogram SUV sprints to 100 km/h in 6.8 seconds and stops accelerating at 180 km/h. Thanks to the battery with a net capacity of 74 kWh, you’ll get anywhere from 453 to 461 kilometers on a single battery charge, according to the report. At a charging station you can charge at a rate of 11 kW, at a fast charger you charge at up to 150 kW, which can charge the battery from 20 percent to 80 percent in half an hour.

Of that promised range, in practice, at temperatures between 5 and 10 degrees Celsius, about 350 to 380 kilometers remain. A fine range, but the figure – like the iX3’s performance – is not groundbreaking. As far as we are concerned, it is a missed opportunity that BMW does not supply the iX3 with all-wheel drive. After all, you can get this with the competition, and a car like the iX3 in particular lends itself perfectly to this. In the Netherlands, you get by just fine with rear-wheel drive, but a little more choice in powertrains would have been nice.

Driving, by the way, in daily use, the iX3 does an excellent job. You do feel that you are driving a relatively heavy car, but thanks to the lower center of gravity compared to a regular X3, it still goes around corners quite fast. The adaptive M suspension manages to keep the car’s weight in check in the process, although the damping is sometimes a bit on the stiff side on short bumps.

Prices and equipment BMW iX3 facelift

“Oh oh, here we go again with the option list,” you may be thinking after reading the prices earlier in this article. Fortunately, this is not so bad in practice. The BMW iX3 facelift is available from 71,488 euros, and for that money the equipment list is already quite complete. In addition to the M package, the iX3’s standard features include M sport seats with seat heating, digital instrument cluster and 12.3-inch touchscreen, three-zone climate control, a power tailgate, a heat pump, Driving Assistant Professional (semi-autonomous driving), adaptive suspension and ambient interior lighting.

In other words, the iX3 is already tremendously complete by default. To complement this, the High Executive offers Harman Kardon audio system, Comfort Access, a Head-Up Display, a panoramic sliding/tilting roof, wireless smartphone charging, leather upholstery, black headliner and a parking assistant, among others. So you hardly need to check anything after that. On top of that, our test car has only a heated steering wheel rim (288 euros), interior trim “Rhombicle dunkel” (160 euros), the M Adaptive suspension (523 euros), the Shadow Line Pack (695 euros) and a tow bar with electrically retractable ball (1,175 euros). In other words, you stay well under 80 grand even with all the options and for that money you have an enormously well-equipped car.

Conclusion BMW iX3 facelift

With the iX3 facelift, BMW is ensuring that the electric SUV can move forward again for several years until the all-new X3 arrives. But is he still relevant in the face of increasing competition? In terms of overall package, it certainly is, because the iX3 is an incredibly nice driving car that is perfect for daily use. The specifications are just not particularly impressive anymore, especially when you put it next to the smaller, but still 313-hp BMW iX1. For that reason alone, it’s high time BMW came out with a completely new generation (i)X3, although you have absolutely no wrong car with the current one.