BMW has unveiled the 2020 BMW iX3 today and offered hints at what the future looks like for the brand. 

It looks spot-on as the leaks featured here, and with preparations for production at BMW Brilliance Automotive (BBA) joint venture plant in China already underway, Chinese customers will see it first as the cars are delivered by the end of the year. 

It’s a car with a couple of firsts - slotting in the BMW X3 range, it’s the marque’s first all-electric model and effectively makes the X3 the first range to have four different drivetrain choices: conventional petrol and diesel engines, a plug-in hybrid and now this pure-electric drivetrain. 

The electric motor delivers 286 PS and 400 Nm to the rear wheels and it achieves a range of 460 km in the WLTP cycle.

The iX3 also comes with fifth-generation BMW eDrive technology that has marked improvements in terms of power density, operating range, weight, installation space requirement and flexibility.

Vital systems such as the electric motor, power electronics, charging technology and high-voltage battery are all developed in house and will be deployed in the BMW iNEXT and BMW i4 from 2021.

Interestingly, BMW worked with renowned composer Hans Zimmer to create BMW IconicSounds Electric. No, it doesn’t pipe in the M4’s V8, it’s a series of electric sounds when starting and powering down the car. 

New features announced include the BMW Charging Card that provides access to more than 450,000 public charging points worldwide and new purchasable options such as the Flexible Fast Charger and high-output Wallboxes. 

It’s also pretty smart - new digital services from BMW Connected Charging in the car and app helps with navigation planning, including factoring in charging breaks and recommendations for charging stops. 

BMW aims that by 2025, 50% of their models sold in Europe will be electric, so electric M cars are looming ever closer to reality. What’s your take if that happens?