Earlier this year, BMW revealed its iX3 concept, an electric SUV to battle the Jaguar I-Pace and upcoming Mercedes EQC. We've since seen the iX3 conducting cold weather testing, and expect it to come with around 275 horsepower and a range of around 250 miles. Not to be confused with the all-electric iX3, BMW is also working on a plug-in hybrid version of the X3 which could arrive before the electric version. Early rumors indicated that the plug-in model would be available with either 252 or 326 hp, but BMW Blog insists that the car will have even more power.
Inside sources in Munich say that the base plug-in model will be known as the X3 xDrive30e. It will share a 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbo engine mated to an electric motor with the upcoming 330e sedan. The X3 plug-in will likely be launched as a 2020 model with 275 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque and an electric driving range of 30 miles. This means that if your commute is less than 15 miles, you'll be able to make it to and from work without having to use a drop of fuel. An xDrive40e version with around 326 hp is also in the cards.
We love the idea of a plug-in hybrid. Being able to drive on electric power alone, then call in the might of a gas engine on demand is a very exciting concept. The Kia Niro plug-in is one of our current favorite plug-in hybrid SUVs, but this X3 plug-in could easily take the shine away from the humble Kia (of course, at a much higher price). We are excited to see the full reveal of the plug-in X3, which will likely be next year in 2019. BMW will follow it up with the all-electric X3 later in 2020 or 2021.
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