BMW has put itself at the center of the electric renaissance with the introduction of the iX3 Neue Klasse. The car is everything you would expect from a Bavarian premium: technologically sophisticated, design-confident and with a range that will give many buyers the first feeling that an electric future is truly practical. Up to 800 kilometers (WLTP), 400-kilowatt charging, futuristic interior with a 43-inch projection screen across the entire windshield – on paper the iX3 enters as an electric “game changer”. But - its own pricing strategy could bury it. We reveal - the prices of the BMW iX3 Neue Klasse.
But then comes the price list. So – prices of the BMW iX3 Neue Klasse. Germany: €68,900. Rest of the EU: €69,950. Announced basic version – smaller battery around 80 kWh: around €60,000. And it quickly becomes clear that BMW is not aiming for a revolution with its prices, but rather a continuation of its traditional game: a basic price that sounds nice, and a package logic that easily takes the buyer into the €80,000 range. For a BMW at the level of today's BMW X3. So a premium price.
Why price is no longer just price and why your own pricing strategy can bury it
In the world of electric cars, price is no longer just a number written on a price list. It has become a symbol of the user's philosophy. Tesla understood this first - fewer packages, everything included, simple orders via the app. Chinese competitors such as BYD, Nio, Zeeker and Xpeng quickly internalized the lesson. Buying a car is as easy as ordering a new phone.
BMW, however, has remained in the previous era. So the prices of the BMW iX3 Neue Klasse, or rather their pricing policy. The configurator still works like a digital labyrinth: you click, you choose, you pay extra. If you want heated and cooled seats, you pay extra. If you want better sound, you pay extra. If you want a color other than basic white, you pay extra. The result? A car that seems competitive at first glance ends up costing as much as a small mortgage. So the advertised price is a “scam”.
Competitors that are breathing down BMW's neck – especially with their affordable user experience
Let's see who plays in the same class.
-
- Tesla Model Y Performance: in Slovenia approximately €62,000. Includes all equipment, AWD, acceleration from 0–100 km/h in 3.7 s and a range of around 514 km (WLTP). No philosophy, no extra payment traps. With Tesla charging infrastructure.
- Xpeng G9: available from around €57,000. Range up to 570 km, charging up to 300 kW, interior with large screens and standard equipment that impresses in Europe.
- Nio EL6: approximately €59,000. Up to 550 km range, possibility of changing batteries at “battery swap” stations and rich standard equipment.
- Audi Q6 e-tron: around €75,000, range much lower than BMW, but with a strong premium image.
- Zeeker X7: priced from €52,990 to €70,000, range up to around 615 km, charging 10–80 % in around 13 min, excellent interior with AR-HUD and digital cockpit
- Smart #5: in Germany from €45,900 (Pro) or €55,400 (Premium), range up to 590 km (WLTP), 800-V DC charging up to 400 kW (10–80 % in 18 min); BRABUS version exceeded 400 kW in the test and reached 10–80 % in <15 min.
BMW iX3 New Class finds itself in a tricky position. Technologically, it is even ahead of its competitors in some segments. But when we put the prices side by side, it quickly becomes clear that Tesla, Xpeng, Zeeker and Nio offer more for less to the buyer who is looking for a balance between technology and simplicity. Above all, more is included in the basic price.
Premium that doesn't understand the new premium
BMW's problem isn't technology. Technologically, the iX3 is impressive - range, charging, interior, software. The problem is that BMW still thinks like it's 2005, not 2025.
The new premium is no longer in how much you pay extra for massage seats, but in how easy it is to get to the car. Or that in the BMW i4 most of the seats still do not work on electricity. The new premium is in transparent packages, in transparent prices, in digital platforms where you do not lose three hours to assemble your car. The new premium is in the feeling that you are respected as a customer – not lured into a game of extra payments.
The new philosophy is also “one” seat, for all equipment. One technique without permutations, which starts mass production and reduces costs. And greater added value per unit. This is how cars are made in 2025. Mass and simplification of the model range and versions.
Conclusion: BMW against itself
When I read the prices for BMW iX3 Neue Klasse, I feel like BMW is competing with two opponents at once. The first is Tesla, Xpeng, Nio, Zeeker, Smart – companies that have long embraced the electric future and made it user-friendly. The second opponent is BMW itself.
It's as if the Bavarians still believe that buyers in 2025 value the same as buyers in 2010. But the reality is different. The younger generation doesn't want to sit on a configurator and wade through surcharges. They don't want to negotiate with salespeople in showrooms. They want to click, order and drive. If Tesla understands this, if Xpeng understands this, then BMW must understand this too.
Technologically, the iX3 is one of the most compelling electric SUVs of the moment. But in terms of price, it risks becoming a reminder of how great technology can be overshadowed by outdated pricing strategies. And at a time when the electric vehicle market is growing, BMW really shouldn't allow itself to be buried by the competition - but by its own logic.
