After what we gather to be official press shots in Europe, the production 2021 BMW iX3 electric SUV has been been caught with its covers down in China where it will be produced by Brilliance-BMW. Other than the different wheels and the oddly placed BMW logo on the center cap, which is either some protective wrap or digitally placed by whoever took the pics, it looks the same as the Euro model.
The leaked images also include a set showing the different Chinese market model variations with colored grilles and body trimmings, while the spec sheet confirms previously available information. It shouldn’t be long before BMW officially presents their new EV. [Updated 5/14/2020]
Despite being among the first luxury car manufacturers to launch an all-electric vehicle (the i3), BMW does not seem to move fast enough when it comes to launching mainstream EVs.
The BMW iX3, in particular, had a too long gestation period, especially considering that it’s based on the X3, a vehicle that already exists, and it wasn’t developed from scratch.
BMW unveiled the Concept iX3 in October 2018 and yet the production model has not been launched yet. Mind you, the debut is probably not that far away as official photos have started to do the rounds on social media.
See Also: Production BMW iX3 Revealed, Appears To Retain KIAntroversial Grille
These two images have surfaced on Instagram uploaded by scott26.unofficial and are the only images this account ever posted. They look legit to us, as the iX3 incorporates the lightweight aero wheels BMW recently teased, blue accents that are typical of BMW i vehicles, and German license plates for electrified vehicles – that’s what that ‘E’ at the end stands for.
The most significant visual change compared to the concept is the grille, which continues to feature two separated ‘kidneys’ instead of the study’s Kia-esque iteration where the two grilles communicated with each other. It looks like BMW has had enough of kidney grille controversies and played it safe here.
Everything else looks just as you would expect, including the rear end with blue trim pieces where the exhaust pipes would be on a regular BMW X3.
The BMW iX3 will feature a 74 kWh battery pack good for more than 273 miles (440 km) of range in the WLTP test cycle. The battery powers an electric motor rated at 282 HP (286 PS) and 295 lb-ft (400 Nm) of torque. The rear mounted motor drives the rear wheels and there’s no official indication an AWD iX3 variant will be offered.
The lack of an AWD variant is reportedly the main reason why BMW won’t offer the iX3 in the United States. The iX3 will be made in China by the BMW Brilliance joint venture starting this year. The model’s exact launch date remains uncertain given the current coronavirus pandemic.
Images Cnfol
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