BMW details rear-wheel drive iX3 40: Single motor Neue Klasse electric SUV will be Tesla Model Y and Zeekr 7X rival
BMW has unveiled the first rear-wheel drive version of its Neue Klasse mid-size electric iX3 SUV in right-hand drive ahead of its mid-year launch in the UK and expected Aussie arrival in 2027.
The new BMW iX3 40 will arrive in the UK mid-2026 priced from £53,250 (around A$100,000).
In Australia, the first iX3 variant unveiled, the 50 xDrive all-wheel drive, will also debut mid-year and is priced at $109,900 plus on-road costs.
That’s well under the new $120,000 luxury car tax threshold for European EVs set by the freshly-agreed Australia-EU free trade agreement.
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The iX3 40 appears certain to head to Australia by early 2027 and should be be priced well under $100,000 .
The iX3 40 introduces rear-wheel drive to the Neue Klasse SUV for the first time, powered by a single electric motor mounted on the rear axle producing 240kW and 500Nm. BMW claims a 0-100km/h time of 5.9 seconds.
It uses BMW’s new sixth-generation eDrive technology, built around an 800-volt electrical architecture designed to improve both efficiency and charging performance.
The model is equipped with an 82.6kWh usable battery, delivering a claimed driving range of up to 395 miles (around 635km) on the WLTP cycle.
Fast-charging capability peaks at 300kW, with BMW claiming up to 186 miles (approximately 300km) of range can be added in 10 minutes.
A 10 to 80 per cent charge is said to take around 21 minutes under optimal conditions.
By comparison, the dual-motor BMW iX3 50 xDrive delivers significantly stronger performance, producing up to 345kW and 645Nm from its twin electric motors. BMW claims a 0–100km/h time of 4.9 seconds, along with a substantially longer WLTP driving range of up to around 800km thanks to its larger 108.7kWh battery and higher-output drivetrain.
Like the iX3 50 xDrive, the rear-drive variant adopts BMW’s new Neue Klasse design language inside and out, including a simplified exterior with a reinterpreted kidney grille and a new-generation digital interface built around the Panoramic iDrive system and Operating System X.
BMW says standard specification for the iX3 40 largely mirrors that of the higher-grade all-wheel drive model, suggesting the key differentiator will be the single-motor powertrain and associated price reduction.
The introduction of a rear-wheel drive version is significant for Australia, where BMW has already confirmed aggressive pricing for the iX3 50 xDrive as part of a broader push to compete more directly with premium EV rivals.
A lower-cost iX3 40 would further strengthen that positioning, potentially widening its appeal against key competitors such as the Tesla Model Y Long Range, the Zeekr 7X and other mid-size electric SUVs.
The iX3 is the first of BMW’s Neue Klasse models to arrive, ahead of a broader roll-out that will include the next-generation 3 Series-sized i3 sedan and additional EVs built on the same dedicated platform.
The i3 xDrive 50 has already been revealed, so expect an i3 40 to follow soon.
