The BMW iX3 is about to get stretched, with a new ‘Long Wheelbase’ version teased this week ahead of a public debut at the 2026 Beijing motor show in April.
Scheduled to launch in China “and selected international markets” in the second half of 2026, the BMW iX3 Long Wheelbase has had its… erm… wheelbase extended by 108mm compared to the global-spec iX3 which “significantly [enhances] rear-seat comfort and overall spaciousness” according to BMW.
The iX3 LWB will also receive a specific chassis and suspension setup tailored for the Chinese market, “to ensure a refined balance between comfort and stability across a wide range of driving scenarios”.
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BMW says the stretched iX3 doesn’t compromise “agility, steering precision, or overall vehicle control”, while the new ‘Soft Stop’ function claims to offer the “smoothest stopping process ever achieved by a BMW”.
The iX3 Long Wheelbase will also get a tailored version of the Panoramic iDrive infotainment interface, which incorporates the new BMW Operating System X, head-up display and “shy-tech” multifunction steering wheel with illuminated haptic controls.
According to the German marque, the iX3 Long Wheelbase’s OS “incorporates approximately 70 per cent locally developed software engineering”.
For example, the navigation system has been developed in collaboration with Amap to offer “precise visualisation of complex intersections and highway ramps”, while the Intelligent Personal Assistant has been enhanced by large language models from Alibaba and DeepSeek for faster and more natural voice recognition.
Huawei technologies have also been integrated – including Digital Key, HiCar, and the My BMW App based on the Chinese firm’s HarmonyOS NEXT software – supports connectivity between the vehicle, personal devices and home ecosystems.
Under the skin, the iX3 Long Wheelbase rides on the same Neue Klasse architecture as the standard iX3, including its 800V electrical architecture and sixth-generation BMW eDrive electric drive systems.
BMW says the iX3 Long Wheelbase will offer a CLTC combined driving range “exceeding 900 kilometres” – though it’s understood the CLTC method is more lenient and less accurate than the WLTP regime.
Further, the iX3 LWB offers the same 400kW charging capacity as the global-spec iX3, meaning it can add more than 400km of range in around 10 minutes with a compatible fast charger.
Vehicle-to-load (V2L) functionality will also be available, allowing the iX3 Long Wheelbase to power external electrical devices.
Beyond the Chinese market, BMW intends to launch the iX3 Long Wheelbase in “selected international markets” including Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and India.
The iX3 Long Wheelbase isn’t the first time BMW has developed a stretched version of one of its vehicles for the Chinese market, with the current 3 Series also offered in long-wheelbase guise. Other brands such as Audi, Cadillac, Jaguar, Mercedes-Benz and Volvo have also done the same.
The standard BMW iX3 is expected to land in Australia around mid-2026, offered initially as a single 50 xDrive trim level powered by a 345kW/645Nm dual-motor electric drivetrain and a 108kWh battery offering 805km of driving range.
BMW Australia will add more variants in the early stages of 2027, likely a more affordable single-motor ‘iX3 40’ and a faster iX3 60 xDrive performance model. An all-out iX3 M is understood to be in development, also.
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