Here’s our first look at the China-produced 2026 BMW iX3 Long Wheelbase, based on the Neue Klasse-era NA5 which is built in Hungary. Will it be cheaper than the standard-wheelbase car in Malaysia, since China-made EVs get a 5% import duty versus the standard 30%? Case in point – our Germany-made standard-wheelbase iX1 costs RM250k while our China-made iX1 L goes for an estimated RM255k – and the estimated price will almost always be higher than the final price.
We’re really getting ahead of ourselves, aren’t we – shall we look at the car first? This guy’s wheelbase has been lengthened by 108 mm to 3,005 mm. No other dimensions have been released yet, but the standard-wheelbase (2,897 mm) car is 4,782 mm long, 1,895 mm wide and 1,635 mm tall.
Other changes? Unlike the standard-wheelbase car, the iX3 L’s got pull-up door handles (instead of the ones China has banned – hidden/pop-out/flush/aerodynamic/retractable; whatever you want to call ’em) that you see on many current BMWs. The iX350L tailgate badge is likely to be a China-only thing, while the roof spoiler has a new centrally-mounted camera.
Crucially, this thing’s a lot techier – if that word exists. What’s expected, according to Car News China, is Huawei HarmonyOS Next, Alibaba and DeepSeek AI models, Amap 3D navigation and Momenta all-scenario ADAS – all of which are tailored to China.
Underneath, it’s pure NA5 iX3 – 800V, two motors, a combined 469 PS and 645 Nm of torque, 108.7 kWh (net) NMC battery, 400 kW DC charging (10-80% in 21 minutes) and vehicle-to-load (V2L). The CLTC range is 900 km – a bit shorter than the standard-wheelbase car’s 805 km WLTP.
Finally, as the standard-wheelbase car has a 4.9-second 0-100 km/h time, this panjang guy should be in the fives, although we see no reason why it shouldn’t also max out at 210 km/h. We’ll see more of the iX3 L at the upcoming Beijing show. Learn more about the NA5 BMW iX3 here.
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