Beijing: BMW Concept iX3
Made in China, the Concept iX3 will hit showrooms in 2020.
The name says a lot about BMW's newest design study. It's an X3-sized crossover designed and sold by the company's i brand. Entirely electric, it's powered by an electric motor that draws electricity from a 70-kWh battery pack which stores enough juice for about 250 miles of range in the European testing cycle.
That figure places it on par with the Jaguar I-Pace unveiled in Geneva last month and the Audi e-tron quattro we'll see before the end of the year. BMW predicts a 150-kilowatt quick charger can top up the battery pack in 30 minutes.
The iX3 adopts an evolution of BMW's design language that moves away from the separate twin-kidney grille that has characterized the brand's cars since the early 1930s. The specific front end with blue accents hint at the electric powertrain hidden under the sheet metal; the rest of the car looks a lot like the X3 currently on sale.
BMW hasn't released photos of the interior.
Automotive News reports production will take place in Shenyang, China, through a joint-venture with Brilliance China Automotive. BMW will sell Chinese-built iX3s globally, including in the United States and in Europe.