The kidney grilles are not grilles at all but the look is still there and the shape is getting smaller after they kept growing bigger on previous models.Mark Richardson/The Globe and Mail
The iX3 compact, all-electric SUV is perhaps BMW’s most important new vehicle for 2026, and we’ve written about it extensively. We reported on its advanced powertrain and technology, its recycled materials and its back-to-its-roots design. We told you about it capturing the prestigious World Car of the Year award, and even took it for a blast around a test track in Spain last year.
The only thing we didn’t do is what really matters: drive it in Canada – in the rain, on roads with potholes and bumps, when all you want to do is get where you’re going. This review will put that right.
Let’s get the range question out of the way first, because that’s often the first concern of potential buyers. BMW claims the iX3 has a maximum possible range of 698 kilometres – rated by Natural Resources Canada – and that might be true, but the best I saw was an estimate of 591 kilometres from a full charge. That was based on my driving and with the electronic mode set to Efficient; move it to Sport or Silent and the range dropped to 548 kilometres. That’s impressive, but so it should be for an enormous 108-kilowatt-hour battery that can probably power a shopping mall.
The front seats and dash of the iX3. The wide, thin projector screen below the window works well to keep eyes on the road.Mark Richardson/The Globe and Mail
The all-electric 2026 BMW iX3 was named World Car of the Year at this year's New York International Auto Show.Mark Richardson/The Globe and Mail
To its credit, the car’s estimated range display showed me it could be stretched to 663 kilometres – presumably if I were to shuffle around the city all day instead of the highway use the vehicle’s computer likely expected given my recent driving, when the temperature was a comfortable 22C. It also showed a minimum range of 276 kilometres, good for 69 pace-setting laps of Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, if I were so inclined.
The iX3 is also one of the fastest-charging electric vehicles on the market, with an 800-volt architecture that accommodates 400-kilowatt DC charging. This is future-proofing – there are no 400-kilowatt public chargers in Canada, though Tesla has said it will introduce some of its next-generation V4 500-kilowatt superchargers soon, perhaps even later this year. When that happens, BMW says the iX3 should be able to charge from 10 to 80 per cent in 21 minutes.
This is also owing to the newly designed batteries having an energy density 20 per cent greater than the previous batteries, though when I tried plugging the SUV into my paltry 110-volt garage socket to find an extra few kilowatts overnight, the BMW would not charge. “Grid power too low,” it told me. “Use another charging station or domestic outlet.” I’ve never seen that before. So much for plugging in at a friend’s cottage for an extra day if you are stranded.
Drivers are treated to a mini show with lights and sounds when getting into the iX3 at night.Mark Richardson/The Globe and Mail
I also really liked the wide, thin projector screen below the window. It’s gimmicky, but it looked good and worked well to keep my eyes on the road, reading the selection of gauges while making the SUV feel a little special. Inside the cabin, with its thick leather, funky ambient lighting and orchestral beeps and chimes, the iX3 seemed like a six-figure car. When I turned on the massage function – part of an optional $1,500 package that included BMW’s exceptional Highway Assistant – I could have been in a 7 Series.
That Highway Assistant is BMW’s answer to General Motors’ Super Cruise and Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (Supervised). It uses onboard cameras and map data to allow hands-free driving for extended periods, and it will automatically execute lane changes once the driver confirms the manoeuvre by glancing at the corresponding side mirror. You cannot simply input a destination address and expect the vehicle to handle the rest – as is possible with the Tesla system – but the Highway Assistant remains a capable feature, regardless.
Tesla pioneered the capability to skip starting the motor with a key or button – the driver simply sits in the seat to wake the vehicle – and the iX3 similarly features no starter button. To get moving, you step on the brake pedal to activate the drive-ready system, flick the gear toggle to Drive, and go. This takes getting used to when it’s time to exit the car, but as long as the gear selector is in Park,the system will turn off and lock the doors once you step away. I’ve driven several vehicles equipped with this feature and I still dislike it, but that’s probably just me being old.
The rear seats of the iX3.Mark Richardson/The Globe and Mail
The iX3 trunk with the rear seats folded down.Mark Richardson/The Globe and Mail
The iX3’s greatest advantage, though, is that even with all this wizardry, the SUV is still a marvellously satisfying vehicle to actually drive. Its response to driver input is exceptional without being twitchy, thanks – apparently – to boiling down the dozens of electronic control units that most cars use into four supercomputers that BMW says can process information up to 20 times faster. I was happy to let the SUV drive itself on the highway into the city, but I sought out country backroads when I had time to do so. I usually reserve such driving for when I’m on a motorcycle.
You can buy a gas-powered X3 for about $15,000 less, but that’s the less-powerful X3 30 with a 255-horsepower engine that’s 1.4 seconds slower off the lights to reach 100 kilometres an hour. The iX3 is the equivalent of the 393-horsepower X3 M50, which hits that speed in 4.6 seconds – a third of a second quicker than its electric sibling. The X3 M50 currently sells for about $81,600 before taxes, but who knows what will happen with tariffs. The gas-powered X3 30 is now imported from South Africa, while the more powerful X3 M50 is still built in South Carolina; the electric iX3, however, is assembled at an all-new plant in Hungary.
Tech specs
2027 BMW iX3 50
- Base price/as tested: $79,596/$93,396, including freight and pre-delivery inspection, plus taxes
- Motor/battery: Front ASM, rear EESM/108.7 kilowatt-hour (Usable)
- Horsepower/torque (lb-ft): 463/476
- Drive: All-wheel drive
- Power consumption (NRCan ratings)/charging capacity: 18.6 kWh per 100 kilometres (observed)/400 kilowatts
- Curb weight: 2,338 kilograms
- Range (claimed and observed in kilometres): 698/591
- Alternatives: Audi Q6 e-tron, Tesla Model Y Performance, Cadillac Lyriq, Genesis GV70 Electrified, Lexus RZ
The iX3 has an 800-volt architecture that accommodates 400-kilowatt DC charging, though the highest in Canada at the moment is 350 kilowatts.Mark Richardson/The Globe and Mail
Shopping for a new car? Check out the new Globe Drive Build and Price Tool to see the latest discounts, rebates and rates on new cars, trucks and SUVs. Click here to get your price.