Electric vehicle (EV) sales are taking off in Australia and German luxury car maker BMW is getting its share of the action following the launch of its iX3, iX and i4 models.

Of these, the fully electric iX3 racked up the most sales tally in the first half of 2022 while the plug-in hybrid (PHEV) X3 xDrive 30e also enjoyed moderate success.

With a recommended price of $114,900 and a single electric motor driving the rear wheels, the iX3 is priced nearly $8,000 higher than its AWD stablemate the X3 PHEV.

It’s also between $17,000 and $38,000 more expensive than other internal combustion models in the range, except for the range-topping 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged M performance models.

While the electric Beemer may be expensive compared with its combustion-powered stablemates, it’s competitive with the latest all-electric model from arch-rival Mercedes-Benz, the $106,700 EQB 350 4Matic, while luxury newcomer Genesis asks $127,800 for its GV70 AWD.

Electric car buyers looking for similar size at a lower price need look towards Hyundai’s Ioniq 5, Kia’s acclaimed EV6 and even the popular Tesla model Y.

In line with an extensive update for MY22 X3 models, the iX3 features refreshed interior and exterior styling, including blue exterior and interior colour accents, enclosed kidney grille and aerodynamic optimised 20-inch alloy wheels.

A standard M Sport package adds a suitably sporty touch to the SUV’s appearance.

Many brands, including BMW, are now looking beyond tailpipe emissions when measuring their sustainability efforts and in the iX3’s case the Bavarian car maker points to the use of secondary raw material in its castings and plastics, the use of renewable energy in the car’s production and the absence of rare earth metals in the electric motor.

It's hard to believe that this is the brand’s fifth-generation eDrive powertrain, combining an electrically excited synchronous motor, power electronics and single-ratio transmission into one housing.

Performance is impressive courtesy of 400Nm of torque that can be summoned from rest and remains strong as motor revs rise. Maximum power is a claimed 210kW with the iX3 reporting a brisk 0-100km/h sprint time of 6.8 seconds.

An intelligent adaptive brake energy recuperation system is fitted to help optimise range and comfort by varying regenerative braking according to the road situation. Regen braking can also be driver-adjusted through the iDrive menus.

The high-voltage 80kWh lithium-ion battery provides a range of up to 460km on the official WLTP test cycle.

A full charge on a standard 10-amp domestic outlet takes about 44 hours, but the iX3 is capable of faster single-phase AC charging at up to 7.4kW and three-phase AC charge at up to 11kW.

The company says its new-generation three-phase BMW iWallbox unit allows 0–­100 percent charge in 7.5 hours while DC fast-charging can boost battery capacity from 10–80 percent in 32 minutes.

Owners also benefit from a five-year complimentary subscription to Chargefox’s high-speed charging network.

Drivetrain aside, the electric X3 closely resembles its siblings in terms of having healthy standard equipment levels, a user-friendly cabin layout, decent interior space for a medium SUV and a sporty, responsive edge to its road manners.

In summary, if you can afford the higher purchase price then BMW’s battery-electric iX3 offers an excellent alternative to its petrol and diesel-power X3 siblings, without compromising on the model’s established attributes.

Key stats

• MLP: $114,900.
• ENGINE: Single rear synchronous motor.
• ANCAP CRASH RATING: 5 stars (2017).
• ENERGY CONSUMPTION (WLTP test cycle, kWh/100km)_: 21.6 (0 g/km tailpipe CO₂).
• FOR: Plenty of grunt, familiar and enjoyable to drive, decent range, complimentary Chargefox subscription.
• AGAINST: Higher price, mobility kit – no spare wheel, no twin-motor AWD version, three year/unlimited km main warranty shorter than industry norm.