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Beijing: BMW Concept iX3 Beijing: BMW Concept iX3

Beijing: BMW Concept iX3

Made in China, the Concept iX3 will hit showrooms in 2020.

BMW has traveled to the biennial Beijing auto show to introduce a concept car named iX3. The thinly-veiled production model previews an upcoming electric crossover with a "made in China" label.

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.

As is so often the case, the iX3 is a concept in name only. BMW didn't even bother replacing the door mirrors with futuristic cameras. What you see in the gallery above is pretty much what you'll get when the iX3 arrives in showrooms in 2020.

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.

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