BMW Debuts iX3 Long Wheelbase, Slated for 2027 India Launch

BMW recently unveiled the all-electric iX3 Long Wheelbase (LWB) in China, and the model is expected to make its way to India by 2027. Indian buyers will not get the standard model, which will arrive in European and US markets, though this is not necessarily a bad thing.

The move to offer LWB versions by BMW can be attributed to the Chinese market putting high value on rear-seat legroom. India is seeing similar trend, where the success of 5 Series and iX1 LWBs have encouraged BMW to push further into the segment.

With the iX3 LWB, the model will become BMW's first Neue Klasse EV to go on sale in India.

What Are the Changes Over the Standard iX3? 

The most obvious change in the iX3 LWB over the standard model is the longer wheelbase, which has been stretched by 108 mm, from 2,898 mm to 3,005 mm, with the car also getting larger overall dimensions. This expands the rear cabin space, which begins to approach the X5 territory.

Adding to this expanded rear, the occupants now get longer and thicker seats, that offer a greater 121 degree recline angle. Other conveniences include pillows integrated with the headrests, and a wireless charging pad in the center armrest.

At the front, the cabin gets a full width 43.3-inch Panoramic Vision screen at the bottom of the front windshield, which displays an AI-assistant, current weather, instrument cluster, and some other key information, including a 17.9-inch central touchscreen below, for personalised content.

The cabin also gets upgraded ambient lighting, new Harman Kardon speaker grilles, metallic coat hooks on the B-pillars, and a burgundy and white upholstery, rounding out the rear cabin.

What's interesting is that BMW has managed to retain the trending EV-esque aesthetic, highlighted with the two displays, while keeping the sensory overload low, cutting against the lazy move of adding a single non-intuitive massive display, as seen in the upcoming Mercedes-Benz C-Class EV.

This experience gets further enhanced with the tactile hard keys for seat adjustment, haptic multifunction steering wheel at the front, where occupants also benefit from a leg rest, and dedicated controls for heated seats at the rear.

Safety-wise, the door handles are now semi-recessed, partly influenced by China's new safety standard, which will fully ban electronic hidden door handles, starting next year. This is due to multiple crash incidents where victims couldn't exit the vehicles when power failed.

This is a safety upgrade in every sense of word. The car also includes Level 2 ADAS suite.

Finally, the boot capacity now expands to 1,900 litres with the rear seats folded down, which is 150 litres more, than on the standard model. An extra 58 litres of storage space is also provided under the front hood.

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BMW iX3 Long Wheelbase Powertrain, Battery, Range & Charging

The iX3 LWB is based on BMW's 6th generation eDrive technology, and it uses cylindrical battery cells. It gets a 108.7 kWh battery pack, paired with two electric motors in an all-wheel-drive setup, producing an output of 469 hp and 645 Nm of torque.

This allows for a 0-100 km/h acceleration in claimed 4.9 seconds and is capable of charging at up to 400 kW, going from 10% to 80% in 21 minutes, on the 800-volt architecture.

As for range, is goes over 900 km in China's own CLTC testing cycle. The equivalent WLTP standard will likely return less. Also, up to 400 km range gets added in just 10 minutes.

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BMW iX3 LWB Production, Price & Availability

The BMW iX3 LWB's production will begin at BMW's Brilliance Automotive's Shenyang Plant in June this year. Meanwhile, the India launch is still due for 2027, with no official confirmation of its final prices at this point.

Images Source: BMW