It won’t be long now before the BMW iX3, the
all-electric version of the X3 SUV, makes its debut this year, but before that
the car is making the rounds being tested – as seen by our spy photographers
yet again.
This particular mule wears the exact same camouflage
as before, and as we reported previously, it wears redesigned front and rear
bumpers that were previewed by the Concept iX3 in Beijing last year. The front
bumper design has been revised slightly from the show car’s but retains the slimline
air intake, and while the kidney grilles are still obscured by disguise, it
will likely retain the concept’s controversial conjoined design.
At the rear, the bumper looks to have adopted the
concept’s diffuser-like design, but with less pronounced “tunnels”. The side
sills also appear to be extended deeper, likely in an attempt to hide the large
battery pack apparent on the first development prototype.
During the Concept iX3’s debut, BMW listed initial
specifications that included a 268 hp electric motor and a 70 kWh
battery providing a range of more than 400 km on the new Worldwide Harmonised
Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP) cycle. A new battery charging control unit
was said to support fast charging of up to 150 kW, allowing for a full charge
in just 30 minutes at specific DC charging stations.
