BMW hasn’t even started delivering the 2026 iX3 yet and the electric crossover is already winning awards. To be fair, journalists often have early access to unreleased vehicles, allowing them to evaluate products long before they hit the market. A typical example: Top equipment has already tested the “NA5” before next spring, when deliveries to customers in Europe begin.
The renowned British magazine praises the second generation iX3 for its looks: “After years of trial and error, the BMW stylists have now got it right.” The publication also liked the minimalist interior: “The furniture is beautifully calm.” Perhaps most importantly, they found it exciting to drive, even though it was a large and heavy electric luxury barge: “It drives like a BMW. Not like a bulky EV crossover or a soulless digital-first zombie mobile.”
“What’s important to BMW is important to the rest of us, because its cars have always been at the forefront of mainstream excellence. Just as well, as the kids say, the iX3 absolutely comes out on top and snags the biggest prize of all.”
The iX3 marks the start of around 40 new or updated models, all of which are scheduled to come onto the market by the end of 2027. Not all of them will be electric vehicles, as internal combustion engine cars will also be part of the New Class family. Vehicles with gasoline and diesel engines are in the process of adopting the new design language. Inside, the iDrive X comes with Panoramic Vision in all cars.
Even future CLAR-based electric vehicles are expected to feature BMW’s new round battery cells, which debuted in the iX3. Next year’s iX5 will likely use sixth-generation battery technology, as will the iX7 in 2027. Likewise, the iX6, which launches in 2028, will benefit from Neue Klasse know-how. Looking ahead, it’s only a matter of time before MINI incorporates some of the technology from the facelifted iX3. The same applies to Rolls-Royce and the youngest member of the BMW Group, ALPINA.
Of all the new models coming out in quick succession, we’re most excited about the i3. Essentially a sedan version of the iX3, the second electric vehicle from the Neue Klasse family will hit the market in 2026. Just a few months later, the next generation of the 3 Series will also come out of cover. The two will look nearly identical inside and out, despite having very different underpinnings.
Logic suggests so Top equipment I will note that the i3 sedan is better to drive than the iX3 because sedans are lighter and have a lower center of gravity. An electric M3 will follow in 2027, but traditionalists need not worry. As a reminder, BMW is still developing an inline-six M3 for release in 2028, although it will likely only come with two pedals and xDrive.
Source: Top Gear
