• Same cabin space as an X3
• But boot space is smaller
• Strong safety credentials

How much space is there?

If you’re familiar with the X3 on which the BMW iX3 is based, then it won’t come as a surprise to find there’s the same amount of passenger space as in the combustion-engined car. That means the iX3 is a five-seater, with decent shoulder room to sit three abreast in the back and plenty of head- and legroom for taller passengers, while the doors open wide for easy access.

Up front, the cabin has a sporty feel, but is still spacious and has plenty of storage, while the dashboard is angled slightly towards the driver in typical BMW fashion. The layout itself is virtually identical to that found in the standard X3, save for some metallic blue highlights dotted around the cabin, and some EV-specific displays for the digital dashboard.

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Boot space and storage

One place where the iX3 falls behind the standard X3 is in the boot. There’s still a power-opening tailgate, but since the iX3’s electric drive motor is located at the back of the car, boot space drops by 50 litres to 510 litres. That’s still pretty reasonable, although the smaller Audi Q4 E-Tron demonstrates the benefit of a dedicated EV platform, with 520 litres of space on offer.

Fold the seats, and the iX3’s roomy passenger compartment means there’s 1,560 litres of space with the 40:20:40 splitting rear seat back folding completely flat. This is easily achieved, thanks to levers in the side of the boot. The load area itself has tall, flat sides, with one small storage net to the left of the cargo area.

While cars such as the Tesla Model Y have additional luggage space in the front, thanks to a dedicated EV platform, the packaging constraints of the iX3’s combustion-engined roots mean that there’s no extra storage in its nose. The space is taken up by the electrical system and other ancillaries instead.

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Is it easy to park?

Since it’s a high-riding SUV, the BMW iX3 offers a decent view of your surroundings. It doesn’t have the tallest seating position, but there’s a wide range of seat adjustment to help you find the perfect spot. The large glass area offers decent visibility, although some might find the long bonnet and thick rear pillars a little obstructive.

The BMW iX3 is only offered in high-spec trims, so there are plenty of parking aids included on all models. Parking Assistant includes front and rear parking sensors with Active Park Distance Control, while the rear camera displays lines on the sharp central screen that help you to position the car. Park Assistant can also automatically steer the car into a parking space, whether it’s parallel or perpendicular to the road.

Safety

• Five-star Euro NCAP rating
• Shares scores with X3
• Very good Assisted Driving tech

Since the BMW iX3 is based on the same platform as the combustion-engined X3, it shares its safety technology with that car. This means that while the iX3 was only launched in 2020, the five-star Euro NCAP rating that the X3 earned in 2017 applies here. Euro NCAP will have checked that the score is valid for the iX3, and conducted any additional tests on the EV to make sure it’s consistent.

There are seven airbags in the iX3, with the driver gaining a knee bag alongside the six other airbags to protect all occupants. There are two Isofix mounts in the back seats, while a seatbelt reminder warns if any seat is occupied but the belt is unfastened. Automatic Emergency Braking with pedestrian detection is also included.

In 2021 Euro NCAP tested the iX3 under its Assisted Driving assessment. The car received a Very Good rating and came out on top of all the cars it had assessed up until that point. Euro NCAP appreciated that the iX3’s handbook and supplementary information highlighted the limitations of the tech (with no mention of self-driving), while the assorted features (including lane assist, adaptive cruise control and blind spot detection) offered effective assistance to help with driving without being obtrusive.