Nobody saw this coming: the second-generation BMW iX3 is flying off the order books. By mid-March, BMW had already logged more than 50,000 orders for the electric SUV — and now the automaker says it’s closing in on the 100,000 mark.
The reason isn’t hard to find. BMW rolled out a more affordable rear-wheel-drive iX3 40 with a single motor and a smaller battery. In Germany it starts at €63,400, or roughly $72,440 — that’s €7,500 (about $8,570) cheaper than the iX3 50 xDrive. The conversion is based on a current rate of about €1 = $1.1429. Cheaper clearly means more popular, and the order numbers prove it.
Ambitions are growing right alongside the map. Deliveries of the dual-motor version in the United States kick off this fall, while China and several other markets are getting the long-wheelbase variant. The Debrecen plant is already running double shifts, barely keeping pace with early demand. Starting in the second half of next year, Mexico joins the effort too, building the standard-wheelbase iX3.
Meanwhile, the electric i3 sedan is picking up steam of its own: BMW opened orders ahead of schedule, without waiting for the obvious cue. The Neue Klasse family isn’t just a new lineup — it’s BMW’s big bet on electrification, and the bet is clearly paying off.
