BMW’s first electric SUV costs £61,900

The new BMW iX3 is a big deal. It is the company’s first fully electric SUV and features advanced batteries, an electric motor, and charging technology that will appear in the i4 and iNext.

With an 80 kWh battery on board, BMW claims a range of 279 miles. Charging from 0 to 80% takes 34 minutes at a peak output of 150 kW, while 282 hp and 295 lbf means 0-62 mph in 6.8 seconds and a limited top speed of 112 mph.

And now we know how much it will cost. The premium version of the iX3 costs £ 61,900 while the premium version costs £ 64,900 in the UK. Pre-orders are already open, with the first handover scheduled for summer 2021.

Context? Mercedes EQC starts at £ 65,720, up to £ 74,610 for the flagship AMG Line Premium Plus. Meanwhile, the Audi e-tron 50 starts at £ 60,650, but you would need the longer-range e-tron 55 at £ 72,250. Jaguar’s I-Pace costs £ 65,195, and the massive seven-seat Tesla Model X weighs £ 82,980 (although the iX3 is perhaps a better match for the Model Y, which is not yet available to order. United).