BMW’s first Neue Klasse SUV for America will set you back $61,500 plus $1,350 destination. 483 hp 50 xDrive’s 434-mile range makes 306-mile Model Y Performance look off the pace. M Sport package costs $2,500, or $4,000 with Iconic Glow grille and M Sport brakes and wheel. BMW of North America has dropped two crucial numbers for its new iX3 electric SUV, and they couldn’t have come at a more important time. Up to 434 miles (699 km) of EPA range isn’t just impressive, it might be exactly what the sagging US EV market needs right now. As is the price, which makes the electric X3 SUV cheaper than a less powerful combustion X3. That headline range figure, which is even better then the 400 miles (644 km) originally estimated by BMW stateside, puts it ahead of most rivals, though it does come with an asterisk. It only applies to cars equipped with the no-cost-option 20-inch summer tires. Stick with the default all-seasons 20-inchers and it drops to 383 miles (616 km). Related: BMW iX3 Beats Its Official Range By Over 120 Miles In Real-World Test Here’s where it gets really weird, though. BMW reckons you’ll get 399 miles (642 km) if you upsize to the $600 21-inch wheels and all-season rubber, which actually give you 1 mile (1.6 km) more range than the 21-inch summer tires offer. It sounds all wrong but BMW says the strange numbers are the result of averaging range figures across various tire brands. You can check out the full range-to-tire stats in the table below, but whichever combo you pick, you’re going to be going further between fills than any other electric SUV in the sector. Tesla quotes 294 miles (473 km) for the base AWD Model Y, 327 miles (526 km) for the Premium AWD, and 306 miles (492 km) for the Performance variant. While we’re still waiting on official figures for the Mercedes GLC 400 4Matic, based on the difference between it and the iX3 in the European WLTP numbers, we’d expect its EPA range to be around 380 miles (612 km) at best. 2027 iX3 Electric Range Vs Tires Wheel & Tire PackageMPGe CombinedRange (mi)20″ Summer Tires (No-cost option)11843420″ All-Season Tires (Standard)10238321″ Summer Tires10539821″ All-Season Tires10539922″ Summer Tires104392 SWIPE It Undercuts The ICE X3 On Price But range, and an ability to charge at 400 kW, adding 185 miles (298 km) in 10 minutes, isn’t the only thing the iX3 has on its side. It’s also competitively priced. The iX3 50 xDrive costs $62,850 including a $1,350 destination charge, which means it costs less than the brand’s own gas-powered $67,850 X3 M50 xDrive. It also gives you 463 hp (469 PS) and 476 lb-ft (645 Nm) to the ICE SUV’s 393 hp (399 PS) and 428 lb-ft (580 Nm), and though the six-cylinder SUV gets to 60 mph (97 kmh) a touch quicker (4.4 plays 4.7 seconds) than the EV, we bet it’s the iX3 that feels the more urgent when you jump on the right pedal for a passing maneuver. That kind of pricing is designed to hook in American drivers who’ve lost interest in EVs lately. BMW’s electric sales sank 16.7 percent last year and cratered by 45.5 percent in the fourth quarter after the Trump administration axed the $7,500 federal tax credit program. Mercedes will now be feeling the heat to price its GLC EV as close to $60k as possible. M Sport Trim A $2,500 Option Naturally there are plenty of opportunities to add to the iX3’s $62,850 base price. Standard kit includes BMW’s Panoramic Vision pillar-to-pillar digital display, Perforated Veganza Upholstery, smartphone charger, Digital Key Plus (which uses your phone as a key) and umpteen safety aids. But plenty of buyers will want to add the $1,500 Comfort Package (heated steering wheel, panoramic glass sunroof and multifunction seats), or $1,900 Technology Package (BMW Iconic Glow illuminted kidney grille, 3D head-up display, Harman/Kardon hifi). Or maybe even both. And the M Sport package is sure to be a big draw. The base version of the package costs $2,500 and nets you BMW M interior and exterior trim, 20-inch M Aero V-Spoke wheels and a sports steering wheel, while the $4,000 Professional version adds the Iconic Glow light-up grille, a proper M sport wheel and M Sport brakes with red and blue calipers. That’s as near as you’ll get to an iX3 M this year, though we expect to see one of those before long. More Affordable iX3 40 Arrives Later And if even an options-free iX3 50 is too pricey for your pocket, there may be a solution arriving shortly. Though BMW hasn’t yet confirmed it’s coming to US roads, information that mistakenly appeared briefly on the brand’s website earlier this year before being taken down, suggested the 50 xDrive would be joined by a rear-wheel drive 40 sDrive and all-wheel drive 40 xDrive. Related: BMW’s Entry-Level iX3 Saves You Over $7K, But There’s A Real Trade-Off BMW has already debuted the single-motor 40 in Europe in March, revealing that it makes 316 hp (320 PS / 235 kW) and downgrades to a 82.6 kWh battery. The new base model needs 5.9 seconds to reach 62 mph (100 kmh) and going by the 395 miles (636 km) WLTP range, will probably get an EPA rating of around 340 miles (547 km).You can configure your iX3 50 now and reserve it for $1,000. Get in early and you should get yours when deliveries kick off in September. BMW