National distributor still mum after Australia confirms selection.

NO word yet from BMW here about whether it will emulate our neighbour and introduce just a single version of the electrified X3.

Yesterday BMW Australia confirmed it will only take the iX3 with an M Sport package, the car costing the equivalent of $120,300 plus on-road costs in their country – so, well above the cut-off for a Clean Car rebate – with the type entering production in September.

BMW NZ often accepts common specifications with that market. However it has said nothing about this model. The Auckland-based operation generally choses to communicate through a public relations agency.

Supply to Australasia was delayed to enable provision of product with update features just announced internationally.

Styling tweaks include a new front bumper, which BMW says shares design elements with its newest electric vehicles, the iX SUV and i4. The kidney grilles are slightly larger and have a single-piece frame with the blue accent to identify the iX3 as a BMW i car. Within is a stylised mesh with a BMW i badge. The adaptive LED headlights have also been reshaped.

The main air inlet features a 10-stage active air flap to minimise aerodynamic drag when cooling of the components behind is not required. The M Sport styling package brings a lower front splitter and some new gills for the front wings. At the back, the new LED light design is complemented by a stylised aerodynamic diffuser with large blue sections to emphasise the lack of exhaust outlets.

Inside, the revised iX3 gets sports seats as standard and an upgraded infotainment system with a larger 12.3-inch screen. The centre console has also been tweaked, and now houses a new start-stop button, a model-specific gear lever and drive mode selector.

The freshen up doesn’t touch the drivetrain, which consists of a 210kW electric motor mounted on the rear axle and an 80kWh battery pack, driving the rear wheels only. Go EV and you abdicate all-wheel-drive.

BMW quotes 0-100kmh in 6.8 seconds and an electronically limited top speed of 180kmh. Maximum range also stands at 460km.

A full recharge using an 11kW wallbox takes around 7.5 hours however the car also supports much faster 150kW DC rapid charging. Take that option and it will achieve 10–80 percent capacity in 32 minutes. BMW says 10 minutes of charging will provide enough electricity to cover 100km.

The model sources from the BMW Brilliance Automotive facility in Shenyang, China.

The Australia-delivered car has a panorama glass sunroof, 20-inch alloy wheels, vehicle pre-heating/pre-conditioning, ‘IconicSounds Electric’, Head-up Display, adaptive LED headlights with high beam assist, adaptive suspension, climate control, Vernasca leather, sport seats with electric adjustment, 16-speaker harman/kardon sound system, wireless phone charging, keyless entry with push-button start and an electric tailgate.