BMW iX3 Beats Its Official Range By Over 120 Miles In Real-World Test

- BMWβs iX3 50 xDrive completed a 626-mile drive from Hungary to Munich.
- The team finished with 2 percent battery left, enough for another 12 miles.
- The SUV used smaller 20-inch wheels and skipped HVAC to save energy.
BMWβs latest step into its electric future comes with more stamina than we expected. The second-generation iX3 , unveiled a few months ago with a projected range of 497 miles (800 km) under the WLTP cycle, has quietly outperformed even BMWβs own estimates, though, as always, there are a few caveats tucked in the fine print.
In a real-world run, the electric SUV managed to stretch its legs to more than 621 miles (1,000 km) on a single charge.
Read: The iX3 Is BMWβs Neue Klasse Future Now With A Surprising Price Tag
Eager to see how far their new creation could really go, a small team from BMW decided to take the iX3 on a proper road trip. They set off from the Debrecen plant in Hungary, where the model is built, and pointed it toward Munich, the automakerβs home base in Germany.
Not only did they complete the 626.1-mile (1,007.7 km) journey, but they did so with 2 percent charge remaining, which could have been enough to travel an extra 12 miles (20 km).
What Are The Caveats?
As you could have probably guessed, the team did everything they could to extend the iX3βs driving range. For example, they avoided highways during the journey, sticking to smaller and lower-speed roads where the SUVβs regenerative braking system would be most effective.
Additionally, the iX3 was equipped with smaller 20-inch wheels, rather than the 21- and 22-inch wheels itβs also available with. They also didnβt use the heating, cooling, or radio during the test, to save as much energy as possible.
BMW picked the iX3 50 xDrive, the only version announced to date, which has a pair of electric motors delivering 463 hp and 476 lb-ft of torque, meaning it can hit 60 mph (96 km/h) in just 4.7 seconds, and a sizeable 108.7 kWh battery pack.
