2022 BMW iX3 M Fully Electric SUV Full Review

2022 BMW iX3 M Electric SUV Review

When you saddle up the dusty old pony for a road trip, most of us think no further ahead than the first toilet stop, but BMW iX3 is electric, so Prior Planning Prevents Pi$$ Poor Performance.

First thing to notice is that it is an X3 with blue highlights, and blue means green!

20” alloys give the iX3 a goodly dose of butch, and along with the menacing black paint job, the iX3 looks aggressive, even if it sounds about as dangerous as a summer breeze. The wheels have plastic spats to make things a little slipperier, but for something weighing 2255kg, it hardly seems to matter.

Our test car had the $2,000 addition of a smart set of Laser Lights that can see 650m down the road. They have the matrix function of shaping light so as not to blind any oncomers, but with extra reach. That technology is commonplace now, but still amazes anyone who hasn’t experienced it.

We last reviewed the X3 back in 2018. Back then we loved it for the space and the ride, but the looks didn’t receive universal praise. It is even chunkier with rear lights that are so huge, they look like they look like a couple of nacelles nicked off the Enterprise.

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ABOVE: 2022 BMW iX3 M Electric SUV

The Cabin

Punters spend most of the time inside, and the interior design is typical of all new BMWs. There is an awful lot going on. Loads of metal highlights, and screens for miles. iDrive 7 operates the 12.3” centre touch screen, with the driver having his very own 12 incher replacing the dials, and an HUD projecting even more data on the windscreen.

Dark and brooding black is the theme du jour, with the seats in scrumptious leather replete with blue stitching.

If you talk with your hands, you might want to turn off the gesture control or you’ll constantly be muting the music or changing stations. I don’t know who thought that was a good idea, but perhaps it is one of those things a newbie needs to get used to.

510L of luggage space could be improved if the charging cables were stored in a frunk, but as it is, they’re under the rear floor. Like most EVs, there is no spare tyre.

The chaps are kept comfy with 3 climate zones, and although the platform is shared with petrol and diesel cars, the space is used well. EVs designed from the ground up have a more convivial flat floor.

The iX3 sound system was decent, but needed a kick in the bASS.

One reader said, “I’m gay, I don’t have a family, just a very demanding husband.” I told him his hubby could stay home of the didn’t like the big gay BMW EV!

Get more details HERE: iX3 M Sport_G08_S210555 BMW iX3

As Tested: BMW iX3

Technology

The iX3 design isn’t exactly in the first flush of youth, but BMW have crammed everything but the kitchen sink in.

We’ve already mentioned the things you can see and touch, such as the screens, iDrive controls, and centre stack, but it doesn’t end there, oh no.

Safety and driver aids are essential now for a 5 star ANCAP rating. The X3 was 5 star in 2017, and the iX was rated in 2021. We can assume a decent rating to the iX3 too, but it won’t be tested, I suspect.

Airbags and AEB are ubiquitous now, as are things like lane centering and smart cruise control. So much so, that they no longer rate a mention.

Apple Carplay/Android Auto is wireless, as is the Qi charger, of course.

BMW has resisted the urge to put all the controls under a screen, and although many lesser-used options are in menus, there are buttons or levers, including the 8 one-touch memories for radio stations, destinations, and other selected features.

Less obvious convenience includes a BMW assistant. We’ve tested that in the past, and it was handy for pointers on how to use your car, or to make a booking to eat. We’ve been told they can find the nearest charger, and send it to your navigation, which is handy.

At first, it all looks daunting, but a quick play with the menus and everything is tickety-boo. You can’t break anything, so go for it, have fun.

The App adds a few extra things, and you can monitor your charging, and ask the car to take a 360^opic. The clever old German unfurls her mirrors, for the full show, and saves it to your phone. That’s handy for keeping an eye out, just in case.

Charging

BMW is giving out free charging for 5 yearswith Chargefox for a period. They’re have the biggest network, but the fastest you can go is 150Kwh. We charged from 30 to 80% in the time it too to have a coffee.

The system will show you the locations of outlets, but remember as fast as the network if growing, EV sales are growing faster. We either had to use slower units, or come back late at night. We found the Chargefox app gave the bet info, as the BMW’s inbuilt nav unit showed the 2 local ultra-rapid chargers as being available. In fact they’ve been broken for months. We cheekily used the 156Kwh unit at the back of Audi in Zetland.

Recent studies have shown that even if the world was 100% Ev now, only 30% more power would be needed by the network. And remember, no coal is needed. Furthermore, the dimwits who claim you need to top up using coal are delusional. Chargefox is 100% renewable. Even if you top up at home, you can pick a green option. Coal, oil, and gas are dying, get used to it.

Plan your trip carefully, but I see a long journey in your future, if you do it right.

The Drive:

The 210kw /400Nm output is generous enough, and 6.8 seconds to a hundred more than most will needs, but the iX3 doesn’t have the insane urgency as the “Ludicrous-moded” Tesla. Instead, the BMW iX3 feels gentle and relaxed.

Steering is fairly light, and the ride quite decent. Our rubbish weather has ruined the roads, the iX3 coped, but sportier modes made the suspension a trifle untenable on that tough terrain. Highway driving has almost become a blood sport, as people try to avoid potholes.

Corners were handled athletically, but even in the hardest settings, the batteries made their presence known. She gently rolls, just a little, but never feels like she’ll pull herself off-target.

Should you ever take one out for a drive, make sure you give the automated parking a whack, although let’s not use “whack” as a term when it comes to parking, am I right?

At lower speeds, the car keeps an eye out for a spot, so once you activate the system, even if you’re just past the spot, the system will take over, and park. It operates autonomously, but do keep a foot hovering, just in case. Our car slammed on the anchors when it thought a rouge philodendron leaf might do damage.

The main thing to take away from this is the regal experience is soothing, with the car taking care of everything. iX3 is incredibly quiet inside, and at low speeds on the outside, it makes a weird ghostly sounds to let punters know you’re nearby. In sport mode, it makes a naff growling noise inside, which does nothing for the trip. If you don’t have a massive throbber up front, just be contented with hot-hatch-like sprint and be done with it.

Conclusion:

iX3 isn’t about hoopla. It isn’t a brassy “look a moi ploise” rig with satellite dishes for wheels, that has been lowered so much, it could mow grass. Instead, BMW iX3 is a classy electric SUV has enough whizz-bangery to feel up to date, but not so much as to feel unfamiliar.

In fact, if you have a petrol or diesel powered SUV now, the only difference for you would be plugging in to a power point instead of a filthy fossil-fueled nightmare.

Price: $114,900 (as tested $116,900)
Engine: Electric motor
Power: 210kw/400Nm
Battery: 80Kwh
Charging: up to 150Kwh
0-100: 6.8 Sec

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