BMW is hoping the China-specific iX3 will help turn around its fortunes in the world’s largest car market. Sales have been slipping dramatically for the last few years, but Neue Klasse gives Munich a reason to be optimistic. Better yet, freshly appointed CEO Milan Nedeljković believes the electric SUV can actually be profitable despite its low price.

That might sound surprising when you look at the sticker. As we reported last month, the long-wheelbase iX3 starts at RMB 269,900 in China, equivalent to roughly $40,200 or €35,400 at September 24, 2026 exchange rates. That’s dramatically less than the standard-wheelbase iX3 sold in Europe, where the iX3 40 starts at €63,400 in Germany. Okay, it’s not an apples-to-apples comparison because the entry-level version in China is an iX3 30 with an LFP battery that the rest of the world doesn’t get.

BMW gives Chinese customers plenty of equipment for their money. Even the base model gets heated front and rear seats, while ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel, three-zone climate control, and a Harman Kardon sound system are also standard. The iX3 40L xDrive is also more affordable than the rear-wheel-drive, regular-wheelbase iX3 40 sold in Europe. It starts at RMB 299,900 ($44,700 or €39,200) in China, whereas the German version with a standard wheelbase and a single motor begins at €63,400.

China Gets A Much Better Deal

The discrepancy continues with the iX3 50L xDrive, priced from RMB 339,900 ($50,600 or €44,500), a steal compared with the $62,850 you pay in the United States and €70,900 in Germany for its regular-wheelbase cousin. Of course, it’s not just the price; China also gets a larger, more spacious vehicle. And judging by the official press photos, the interior looks like a much nicer place to spend time.

BMW makes the iX3 locally at its Shenyang plant and developed it specifically for Chinese customers. The company has emphasized its “local-for-local” strategy, using local production, local supply chains, and technology from Chinese partners. And that’s precisely why Nedeljković is confident the long-wheelbase electric SUV will still turn a profit.

In an interview with Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, the new #1 at the world’s biggest luxury automaker said that BMW “naturally assumes” it’ll make money on the NA6, the separate codename it uses for the long-wheelbase model.

MN: “Even before the market launch, we’re already seeing strong customer interest in the New Class in China, particularly in the locally adapted BMW iX3. You can’t directly compare the product offerings in Europe and China. The iX3 we sell in China is also manufactured there with market-specific configurations, local development, and different partners.

The prices of our vehicles are never uniform worldwide; rather, they are based on the respective market and competitive environment. But one thing is also clear: The current hyper-competition in China, with a price war that is at times ruinous, cannot be a permanent state of affairs.

FAZ: Will you make money in China with the New Class?

MN: We certainly expect so. China remains the largest single market for the BMW Group and is therefore a key pillar of our business. At the same time, profit margins are under pressure, and we’re working to further optimize our costs in China as well as at all our other locations.”

As a refresher, the iX3 with a longer wheelbase won’t actually be a China-only affair, as BMW has already announced it will sell it in other markets. However, frustratingly, don’t expect to see it in major regions like Europe or North America. Most of the world gets the standard-wheelbase version, and BMW will likely follow the same strategy with other models. That includes the extra-long i3 (NA8), which the company is expected to limit to just a handful of markets.

It is what it is…

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Source: Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung

First published by https://www.bmwblog.com