BMW has been producing and selling long-wheelbase vehicles in China for well over a decade. Originally only sedans were stretched to provide more legroom in the rear. However, today the range also includes regional long-wheelbase versions of the X1, X3 and X5. The next model to get the LWB treatment will be the iX3 “NA6,” BMW’s first New Class model for China.
Some may be surprised to learn that the vehicle will not only be available in the Chinese market. BMW plans to sell the roomier iX3 in “select international markets,” naming four for now: India, Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia. It is too early to say whether these regions will receive both versions or just the LWB. In Thailand and Indonesia, BMW is already advertising the iX3 “NA5” with a standard wheelbase.
Offering the extended iX3 elsewhere also likely means production won’t be limited to China. This would not be without precedent. Just last year, the long wheelbase iX1 became the first electric BMW to be built in India. The company isn’t saying for now whether the stretched iX3 will be produced at its Chennai plant or other plants outside China.
How big is this stealthy iX3? BMW extends the wheelbase by 108 millimeters or 4.2 inches. This means the total wheelbase is a generous 3005 millimeters (118.3 inches), slightly longer than the wheelbase of the iX. The latter is likely to become unnecessary in the coming years when BMW launches the iX5 and iX7.
Of course, China will be the first market to receive the long-wheelbase iX3. After its world premiere at the Beijing Auto Show in the second half of April, it will go on sale in the second half of the year.
It’s a crucial model for BMW in China, where sales continue to decline. Demand fell by 12.5% last year; BMW and MINI together delivered 625,527 vehicles. For comparison, BMW Group sales in China have fallen by more than 200,000 units since their peak of nearly 848,000 in 2021.
The iX3 NA6 is one of more than 20 new vehicles that BMW plans to launch in China this year. This product offensive will be reinforced by price cuts on no less than 31 models to counteract the ongoing decline in sales.
