BMW Bares Reason Why The iX3 Will Go On Sale Before The i3

The Neue Klasse-based i3 will enter production a year after the iX3.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

•  BMW prioritizes the electric X3 over the i3 due to the high demand for SAVs globally.
•  The next-gen iX3 is set for a 2025 release, while the i3 sedan will follow a year later.
•  The iX3 will be first produced in Hungary, while the i3 will be made in Germany.

We all know by now that the next-generation BMW iX3, the electric version of the upcoming X3, will go on sale before the i3 sedan – that's despite the fact that the Vision Neue Klasse sedan was previewed earlier than the beautifully designed Vision Neue Klasse X. But why is this so?

In an interview with BMWBlog, BMW's R&D boss Frank Weber clarified this timeline, which, unsurprisingly, is a business decision for the automaker.

"The decision to start with the crossover is strategic because today half of BMW’s sales, globally, are of ‘X’ vehicles. Which means that there are regions where they weigh up to two-thirds and these models are leaders in their segment," Weber told the publication.

SAVs Outsell Passenger Cars

Weber's comment about the demand for BMW Sports Activity Vehicles (SAVs) isn't surprising, given the global trend toward bigger vehicles. In the US alone, BMW SAVs outsold passenger cars in 2023, with the former moving over 203,000 units and the latter selling more than 158,000 vehicles. The same can be said in 2022, though the gap between SAV and passenger car sales is larger that year than in 2023.

Of note, the X5 and X3 are BMW's best-selling vehicles in the US last year.

When Can We Expect The iX3?

The next BMW iX3 is expected to be revealed in 2025, with influences, design and otherwise, coming from the Vision Neue Klasse X concept. The i3 sedan, which will draw inspiration from the Vision Neue Klasse sedan concept, will follow a year after that.

The iX3 will be built at the new Debrecen plant in Hungary, while the i3 will roll off BMW's Munich plant in Germany. We have yet to know whether the iX3 will be built and offered in the US, but note that Neue Klasse-based vehicles are confirmed to be produced in China, Mexico, and Regensburg, Germany, by the end of the decade.

Sourced from CarBuzz‍