BMW Philippines is one of the first carmakers to bring in fully-electric models. What we’re reviewing now is the BMW iX3, which offers the familiar feel and interior environment of the standard X3, matched with a battery electric powertrain. Is it a good way to transition into electrification for German car owners? Click play on the video above for the full review.
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Dig cars?
Read more about cars and motoring here: http://www.topgear.com.ph
Like us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TopGearPH
Tweet us: http://www.twitter.com/TopGearPH
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Join us on Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@topgearph
#topgearph #bmwix3 #electricvehicle
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MotorTranscript
00:00 I will admit that my experience with EVs or electric vehicles is rather limited.
00:05 See, the first time I drove one was way back in 2017 with the Nissan Leaf and that was in Japan.
00:11 And the second time was back here in the Philippines with a Kia EV6 and guest-starring Cheeney.
00:18 However, I haven't actually taken one home with me and sort of do errands with it and whatnot.
00:25 So to break that cherry, we have this, the BMW iX3.
00:31 And this is gonna be a sort of video of two kinds.
00:34 One, my experience really living with it and two, how is the iX3 really like as a car?
00:40 So I picked up the iX3 a couple of days back and I've taken it around the city,
00:54 driven it around the province, and I've also basically been stuck in really, really bad traffic
01:01 and also out on the highway.
01:05 Now if you're curious about its battery consumption, well it is at 5.1km/kWh.
01:13 Truth be told, I have no idea if that is good or not.
01:17 5.1km/kWh, according to a friend of ours, is actually pretty good.
01:23 It's not too heavy on battery, it's not too heavy on charge.
01:28 And you're gonna need that because this car has a battery capacity of about, give or take, 78kWh.
01:36 But I could be wrong, of course you could refer to the little ticker down there.
01:42 So you got that battery capacity and at the same time, it actually produces 320hp and 400Nm of torque.
01:51 So you get that slug of torque from a diesel engine, at the same time you get the horsepower from a petrol engine.
01:58 So would you call it the best of both worlds? Well, I'd say it's not bad at all.
02:04 But to drive, well I actually had the diesel iX3 prior to this one.
02:09 And in terms of refinement, this is just leaps and bounds ahead of that diesel engine.
02:14 Now, BMW diesel engines aren't exactly renowned for refinement.
02:20 This one, well again, it is a battery-powered car so you're not really gonna have any issues with sound or refinement or noise.
02:31 And that's the thing about this car.
02:35 If you want a silent and comfortable driving experience, the only way to go really is EV.
02:43 But what about the ride?
02:45 Okay, so it's a bit firmer than your standard diesel-powered iX3 for two reasons.
02:51 One, this is an M Sport model so it's got bigger alloys, it's got sportier suspension, etc. etc.
02:58 And two, battery packs are heavy.
03:02 And that is why they had to beef up the suspension of this one and in return, it is a firmer ride.
03:10 That doesn't mean that you're riding on coilovers or you're riding like it doesn't have any suspension.
03:15 It is still supple, it is still comfortable, but if you're coming from the diesel, you will notice.
03:20 But perhaps the happy consequence of having those battery packs is surprisingly better handling.
03:27 Now let me explain.
03:29 Now, BMW doesn't put the battery packs at the front.
03:32 Like most EVs, they put the battery packs, well, where I'm seated right now, under the floor.
03:37 And because they lowered the center of gravity, that also means better handling.
03:42 It also helps that it's on grippy Advan tires, although they don't really do much favors for its range.
03:48 Whether you like it or not, electrification is here.
03:52 Whether it is with a hybrid, whether mild or standard hybrid or plug-in, or full electrification.
03:59 One way or another, you're gonna have to come to terms with that.
04:03 Admittedly, I do miss the sound of BMW's straight-six engines because that's what I grew up with.
04:09 You know, a straight-six and a BMW is always a perfect combination. You'll never go wrong with it.
04:14 And now for the big question, which is range.
04:18 Now, according to BMW, the iX3 can do up to 385 kilometers on a single charge.
04:25 Now, when I got this car, it was at 80% charge.
04:29 And I have done over 100 kilometers with it so far.
04:34 Again, in mixed conditions, bad traffic, light traffic, standstill traffic, and the expressway.
04:41 And right now, I have 186 kilometers of charge left at about 50%.
04:47 Now, with the air conditioning off, it adds about 20, 20 plus kilometers worth of range.
04:54 It actually went up right now. It went up from 185 to 187.
04:59 So I actually gained 2 kilometers of range because that will all depend on your driving style.
05:05 Well, pessimistic or overly optimistic.
05:08 So take it with a grain of salt.
05:11 And I would recommend, let's say you're at 25% charge, that's when you plug in.
05:17 Don't try to stretch it because given our charging infrastructure in this country,
05:23 you're gonna have a lot of range anxiety after that when it's at about 20, 25%.
05:31 And speaking of charging, well, if you do purchase one of these cars,
05:35 at least it does come with a wallbox so you can charge this car when you get home.
05:40 So you're never gonna have to worry about looking for some place that offers charging,
05:46 whether it's fast charging or trickle charging or etc.
05:50 But all in all, when it comes to driving, you know what?
05:55 As much as I hate to admit this and I love the sound of six-cylinder engines,
05:59 and I love the old-school feel of BMWs, I am starting to appreciate this car.
06:06 Should I hand over my car guy card already?
06:11 Well, no, because as a car, it's really good.
06:15 And I can't deny the car's talents.
06:19 Judging a car based on its powertrain is a bit like judging a person based on their hairstyle, really.
06:26 I mean, there are some bad hairstyles and bad haircuts, but that doesn't define the person as a whole.
06:34 If I could sum up the BMW iX3's interior nicely, it would be familiar.
06:41 You get the same digital instrument cluster, although it has different displays because this is an EV.
06:46 You also get a sort of different iDrive layout, but again, it's almost similar to the diesel-powered X3.
06:55 You do get this plate down here that says iX3 on it.
06:59 Ergonomics are typical BMWs. You got the good old dial here for your headlight switches.
07:05 You got your onboard computer switch right by the turn signal stalk.
07:09 And just a word of note, in non-Japanese cars, the wiper controls are actually the other way around.
07:15 It's not the fault of the X3, it's really just more of cars outside Japan thing.
07:20 Now, what I like about the iX3 though is this.
07:24 It's got buttons in here.
07:27 And I'm happy that this model didn't have that whole put everything in the touchscreen for controls thing.
07:34 It just makes it so much easier to deal around here.
07:36 You don't have to keep looking at the screen when you're driving and you want to adjust something.
07:41 Space inside here at the front, okay, it's good.
07:45 It's not spectacular because this is still based on the standard model, standard X3.
07:52 It is a compliance car, but I do like the layout. I do like the conventionality of it.
07:58 Now, the iDrive itself is pretty easy to use or if it's your first time driving a BMW,
08:04 you can just stick to the touchscreen. So at least you have dual controls.
08:09 Cabin materials, well, it is typical of BMW.
08:13 Lots of soft touch here. This is a very soft armrest by the way.
08:17 And you also have this sort of unvarnished wood trim here.
08:21 So of course, the dashboard is soft touch, the door panels are soft touch.
08:25 But here is something that you don't get in the standard X3.
08:28 And it's up there. It is a full glass panoramic sunroof.
08:34 So that is the front of the iX3 covered. Let's hop on over to the back.
08:39 Like the front seats of the iX3, the rear accommodations are exactly the same as that of the X3.
08:47 It's not exactly the most spacious crossover in its class.
08:50 Now, I know I make it look like there's a lot because I'm not tall.
08:55 So why is that? Well, again, I explained that this is a compliance car.
08:59 It is a standard internal combustion engine car converted with battery power.
09:05 So the space is limited by the fuel-fed version's chassis in itself.
09:11 And that is why the iX3 still has a transmission tunnel even though it actually doesn't need one.
09:18 But in terms of hip room, elbow room, shoulder room, and in some degrees, hip room,
09:23 you still have about this much, although that's according to my height.
09:27 As for other things about the interior, as you can see, my arm is resting on this armrest back here.
09:33 You have a climate control panel down here, and yes, you do get rear AC vents.
09:38 Oh, and if you've noticed the speaker grilles, they're the same color as this trim right here.
09:45 Now, it's not just because of aesthetics, and that's because the iX3 comes with a Harman Kardon sound system.
09:51 So that's the back seats, and this is a crossover, so we might as well check out the cargo area.
09:58 Now, here's a rather interesting thing about the iX3, particularly the cargo area.
10:03 It is actually bigger than that of the Philippine-spec X3 diesel.
10:07 Now, the X3 diesel has a huge lip down here because that's where the spare tire is.
10:12 Now, the iX3 does not have a spare tire. It does come with a tire repair kit, but you don't get a spare.
10:19 It is flatter, it is wider, and you get extra pockets on each side.
10:25 And right down here is where your charger is.
10:29 As for the tailgate, well, to close it, it is of the power-operated variety,
10:34 although you can also swing your foot underneath. It's got a sensor down there,
10:39 so you can either open or close it if you've got your hands full.
10:43 Now, the current generation X3 has been around since around late 2017 for the 2018 model year,
10:49 and because the iX3 is quite literally a battery-powered X3, the exterior design is pretty much the same.
10:57 BMW does want to show its green credentials on its sleeve, so the iX3 does get a couple of design details
11:03 that separates it from the standard fuel-fed models from this battery-powered model.
11:08 Oh, of course, the most obvious difference here is the different grille.
11:13 Obviously, you see the blue highlights down here, and sort of this plate where the grilles used to be,
11:19 or rather, the slats used to be.
11:21 Now, this, they say, is sort of for the radar for the car, and if it's fitted with adaptive cruise control or etc.,
11:27 that's where they sort of put all the sensors in.
11:29 Another thing is the blue ring around the BMW logo on the hood,
11:34 and more blue highlights right here by the corner.
11:38 Now, this is exactly the same M Sport kit that you would get in an M Sport X3 that's powered by fuel.
11:45 Another thing worth pointing out is the color.
11:47 Now, this color, I'm not too sure if it's exclusive to the iX3, but I do rather like it
11:53 because from what you see, it looks like black, but it is actually a very deep shade of dark blue.
12:01 Moving on to the back, it looks again like the standard X3, but there are two key differences.
12:08 One, it actually has a different tailgate spoiler, and it's actually optimized for aerodynamic efficiency
12:14 so you could get more kilometers out of each charge of this thing.
12:17 The other is the obvious lack of exhaust pipes because why would you need one in an electric vehicle?
12:25 Right, so the iX3, what do we think?
12:28 Well, there are a couple of things that the iX3 actually doesn't have
12:32 which brings me neatly to the pros and cons of this EV.
12:37 Now, the first one is it doesn't have all-wheel drive.
12:40 Yes, standard X3s have all-wheel drive, but regardless of what variant of iX3 you look at,
12:47 whether it's for the local market or abroad or etc, there's no all-wheel drive option for this crossover.
12:54 Now, the second would be, well, it doesn't actually have much in the way of active safety systems
13:00 or advanced driver assist systems.
13:02 I don't know about you guys, you're paying this much for a luxury crossover, for an electric crossover,
13:09 do you think it should have it or do you reckon it's nice to have but you're not really going to use it?
13:14 So, it doesn't have adaptive cruise, although it does have a distance monitor
13:19 so it tells you if the car in front is too close, although it's not necessarily going to do the braking for you.
13:26 It'll warn you that you're a little too close, but it's still up to you to do the stopping.
13:31 The third disadvantage or rather con of the iX3 is the platform itself.
13:37 This is an internal combustion engine car that was adapted to carry batteries
13:43 and because of that, there is always going to be compromise
13:47 which also explains why it can't have all-wheel drive and the space inside isn't exactly as big as you'd expect it to be.
13:55 But as far as compromises go, well, we reckon this is a good one and that brings us on to the positives of this.
14:02 One, it feels like a very normal car to drive. There's no learning curve needed.
14:07 There's no dizzying ergonomics, you don't have to bring out your owner's manual to figure stuff out.
14:12 I mean, if you're coming from BMWs from the past, you're going to be able to figure this out pretty quickly.
14:17 Well, it's pretty simple and straightforward to deal with and especially the fact that it's got,
14:22 on to the second pro, buttons inside.
14:25 It is ergonomic as far as modern German or rather European cars go
14:31 because not everything is shoved into the touchscreen.
14:34 Another thing I did like about this one is the way it regenerates power.
14:39 So, of course, you have regenerative braking through the brakes when you're coasting.
14:43 It harvests all that power back.
14:45 So, in terms of range anxiety, it doesn't give you massive freakouts or any of that.
14:51 I mean, I will admit when I did get this on the first day, I was a little worried that I only got it at 80% charge.
14:58 The way it saves charge and regenerates charge, it's actually mighty impressive on this one.
15:03 And last, of course, is the practicality. Yes, it's not going to be as spacious as a dedicated EV platform.
15:11 It's not going to have a flat floor or any of that, but it is still a crossover.
15:16 And the cargo area, well, it's surprisingly bigger than the diesel-fed model.
15:22 So, how much is this, you ask? It starts at Php4,590,000.
15:27 So, it's hardly what anyone would call "abotkaya," but I think it's a good family crossover.
15:33 And you know what? If somebody gave me the keys to the iX3, I wouldn't hesitate getting one.
15:38 I wouldn't hesitate accepting that offer.
15:40 And if I were to give it a score, you know what? I give it a 9 out of 10 because this car finally made me understand
15:48 that EVs don't actually deplete their batteries that quickly, and it got rid of my range anxiety.
15:54 Yet, but, as it is, you know what? It's a darn good car.
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