BMW iX3 first drive: a ‘New Class’ is in session
TL;DR
Despite initial skepticism due to prolonged hype, the final BMW iX3 crossover SUV impresses, making the extensive previews and new EV platform features worthwhile.
BMW has been peppering us with teasers and bits and pieces about its next-gen EV platform, Neue Klasse, for so long - fully two years now - that I confess I've become a bit numb to the hype. I'd seen the dashboard-filling displays, talked to engineers endlessly about the completely retooled active safety suite, and even got a go behind the wheel of a prototype machine.
All this for the launch of a crossover SUV, typically the most milquetoast of all the automotive classifications. But after spending the better part of a day wheeling around the final version of the iX3, I'm surprised to say it was all worth it. This little(ish) SUV really is …