New base BMW iX3 slashes entry price for electric SUV

BMW’s iX3 electric SUV range is about to get a dramatically lower entry price.

The entry-level BMW iX3 M Sport arrives at the end of 2023, priced from $89,100 before on-road costs.

That’s $15,800 less than the standard model, which is currently priced at $104,900 before on-roads.

It slides in under the Luxury Car Tax (LCT) threshold for fuel-efficient vehicles while also being eligible for the Fringe Benefits Tax (FBT) electric car exemption.

It’s one of three new electric BMW variants – the iX1 eDrive20 and i4 eDrive35 being the others – to slide in under these thresholds.

The M Sport will sit at the bottom of a revised iX3 line-up with an “adjusted equipment offering”, with an M Sport Pro variant sitting atop the range.

Pricing and specifications for the M Sport Pro have yet to be announced, while BMW hasn’t released photos of either variant.

All iX3 variants will use the same single-motor rear-wheel drive powertrain, producing 210kW of power and 400Nm of torque with a claimed 0-100km/h time of 6.8 seconds.

The iX3 uses an 80kWh battery (74kWh useable) with claimed ADR 81/02 range of 461km. It can be charged at up to 11kW using AC power, or 150kW using DC power.

While the new M Sport offers a considerably lower price than the current iX3, it still offers the following equipment as standard:

• 19-inch alloy wheels
• M Sport package
• Metallic paint
• Panoramic glass sunroof
• Comfort Access
• Heated front sports seats
• Leather upholstery
• Adaptive suspension
• Parking Assistant including reversing camera

It also includes the Driving Assistant Professional suite of technology, which comprises:

• Adaptive cruise control
• Autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian detection
• Automatic speed limit assist
• Blind-spot monitoring
• Front cross-traffic assist
• Lane-keep assist
• Rear cross-traffic assist
• Speed sign recognition
• Steering and Lane Control Assistant

A more detailed equipment list for the M Sport and M Sport Pro has yet to be revealed.

The current, unnamed iX3 variant includes features like adaptive LED headlights, Vernasca leather upholstery, power front seats, a head-up display, a 16-speaker Harman Kardon sound system, wireless phone charger, tri-zone climate control, 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, and a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system running iDrive 7 with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

MORE: Everything BMW iX3