Despite the fact that the current administration in the U.S. believes that greenhouse gas emissions are not harmful to human health, much of the rest of the world understands science and reality. So while electric vehicles may not be flying off our dealer lots quite as quickly as they did when our government subsidized their purchase, global car companies need to appeal to a wide array of consumers, and EVs are still seeing big growth in a lot of other markets.
In BMW’s case, its Neue Klasse cars like the sharp little i3 and the recently revealed iX5 are the Bavarian brand’s full-throated effort to produce exceptional, uncompromising electric cars. In the case of the iX3 compact crossover, the first Neue Klasse model to launch, it’s already paying off in a big way: BMW is producing iX3s quicker and at higher volumes than it has ever done before.
This week, BMW Group Plant Debrecen built the 50,000th iX3 not even ten months after production started in October 2025. Due to high demand a second shift was added in February of this year, and BMW says it will soon receive its 100,000th iX3 order, so the accelerated production will be important.
Production takes place in a newly built plant in Debrecen, Hungary
iX3 production at BMW’s factory in Debrecen, Hungary, has been the fastest ramp-up of a new BMW Group plant ever, which is especially impressive given how it’s a brand-new plant, and a brand-new vehicle architecture. BMW says it plans to launch 40 new or updated models that will incorporate technologies and the design language of the Neue Klasse cars by the end of next year, which should be a boon for the company given how many orders the company has for its iX3.
The 2027 BMW iX3 50 xDrive will launch in the U.S. later this year for a starting price of $63,850, including destination, with units reaching dealer lots on September 25. BMW says it will go 434 miles on a charge with 20-inch wheels and summer tires, and it will produce 463 horsepower and 476 lb-ft of torque. We aren’t big fans of the gas-powered current-generation BMW X3, but the iX3 is a totally different animal that we’re eager to experience for ourselves.
