- New BMW iX3 40 revealed
- Entry-level RWD powertrain with smaller 82.6 kWh battery
- Around £5,500 cheaper than iX3 50 xDrive
- Lesser range of up to 395 miles
- Priced from £53,250 and available summer 2026
BMW has shaved five grand off the price of its award-winning iX3 by launching a new entry-level powertrain.
The iX3 has gone down a storm since its launch earlier this year, with the reborn electric SUV winning multiple ‘Car of the Year’ awards.
It also secured a near perfect score in our own glowing Select Car Leasing review. Read our review of the BMW iX3.
Now BMW has revealed a cheaper version - the iX3 40 - which gets a smaller battery, rear-wheel drive, and less range - but which is also £5,500 more affordable than the existing all-wheel drive iX3 50 model.
It’s priced from £53,250 and will be available in the summer of 2026.
What’s the range for the BMW iX3 40?
The current BMW iX3 50 utilises a large 108 kWh battery that unlocks a range of up to 500 miles on a single charge - which is right up there with the very best in the biz.
The new iX3 40, on the other hand, features a smaller 82.6 kWh unit that brings you a max range of up to 395 miles.
That’s still decent for the class, with the Tesla Model Y maxing out at around 391 miles between trips to the plug.
What’s the charging speed for the BMW iX3 40?
It might be a cheaper powertrain, but you don’t need to compromise when it comes to charging performance.
You still get fancy 800-volt architecture and rapid 300 kW recharging speeds (the iX3 50 can hit 400 kW DC) which means you can add 186 miles of range in 10 minutes.
A 10-80% charge takes 21 minutes, 11 kW AC comes as standard, while the optional ‘AC Charging Professional’ package unlocks quicker 22 kW AC charging (0-100% in 4 hours 15 mins).
How powerful is the BMW iX3 40?
As we’ve mentioned above, the BMW iX3 40 is rear-wheel drive while the iX3 50 xDrive is all-wheel drive.
And while the 320hp iX3 40 is down on power compared with the 469 hp 50 variant, it’s still no slouch.
With 500 Nm of torque to play with, the iX3 40 will hurtle from 0-62 mph in 5.9 seconds, which is only a shade slower than the entry-level Porsche Macan Electric (5.7 secs).
You also get a top speed of 124 mph.
BMW iX30 40 vs iX3 50xDrive: Is the styling the same?
Yes, BMW says the exterior and interior design and the standard specification for the new BMW iX3 40 is identical to that of the BMW iX3 50 xDrive.
That means you get BMW’s fresh ‘Neue Klasse’ design language with its sleek new kidney grille and light signature, as well as an interior that looks like it has been plucked straight from science fiction.
That cabin comes with the BMW ‘Panoramic Vision’ - a digital interface that projects information across the windscreen - and also features BMW’s fully-connected ‘iDrive’ infotainment system.
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