- The long-wheelbase BMW iX3 has semi-closed door handles.
- BMW plans to sell the stretched iX3 outside China.
- Compared to the global version, it adds a camera mounted on the roof spoiler.
When BMW introduced the iX3 for China at the start of the year, they showed a prototype with the same flat door handles as the global version. However, new regulations for new vehicles in China, effective January 1, 2027, prohibit this design due to safety concerns. Models already approved for sale at that time must comply with the new rules by January 1, 2029.
The Chinese iX3 will go on sale before 2027, but instead of updating the electric SUV once series production begins, BMW implemented the changes at its official debut. Its first public launch will take place next month at the Beijing Auto Show, before sales begin soon after. Meanwhile, a long wheelbase model has been revealed by the company weibo social media accounts in China.
Gone are the electronic pop-out door handles, replaced by a design that appears to be taken from existing models such as the combustion engine X3. It’s worth noting that the larger iX3 won’t be exclusive to China, as BMW intends to sell it in at least four other markets: India, Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia.
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Source: BMW
Motorcycle Pickup1: Considering official images from January showed a prototype with global-style door handles, it’s clear that BMW had to make last-minute changes to the Chinese version. Considering the iX3 Long Wheelbase will be approved for sale before January 2027, BMW could have waited until 2029 to implement the change, but they chose not to.
A reasonable guess suggests that this forced update is also planned for the elongated i3 that BMW wants to sell in China from 2027. The long-wheelbase sedan hasn’t been revealed yet, but it should follow the global model formula, with no door handles that retract into the body when not in use.
