Made exclusively in China for the entire world, the BMW iX3 was introduced in July 2020 and received a Life Cycle Impulse only a year later. The rear-wheel-drive-only electric SUV is getting another update, albeit this time is less significant. With the 2023 model year, the bulky gear lever (pictured below) is removed to make room for a smaller selector to clean up the center console.
We’ve seen it before as several recent BMWs have the same hardware, including the 3 Series LCI and the X7 LCI. According to the Munich-based automaker, all iX3 manufactured from January 2023 will switch to the more compact gear selector. The German configurator has already been updated to show the change, as evidenced in the top image.
The revised iX3 is part of a wider fall update that also includes a new Innovation Package for the 1 Series and 2 Series Gran Coupe. It essentially bundles several extras into a single package and will be available from November 2022 for these two front-wheel-drive-based vehicles. Customers receive goodies varying from a two-zone automatic climate control system to an electrically adjustable driver’s seat with a memory function.
Innovation Package also encompasses adaptive LED headlights (with high-beam assistant), a head-up display, and a wireless charging pad. Rounding off the list of niceties are the Comfort Access including Digital Key and Welcome, and the interior and exterior mirror package. These two models are also getting an upgraded continuous tire pressure monitoring with notification in the My BMW app.
Speaking of electric vehicles, the recently announced i4 eDrive35 will join the European lineup from November, promising to offer a WLTP range of 483 kilometers (300 miles). Its rear-mounted electric motor is rated at 286 hp (210 kW) and 400 Nm (295 lb-ft) to enable a 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) sprint in six seconds. It already shows up in the BMW Deutschland configurator where pricing starts at €56,500 or from €60,720 for the M Sport model.
Source: BMW
