BMW Launches Pop-Out Door Handles For China’s iX3

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  • 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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BMW iX3 2027 (China)

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Photo by: BMW



 <p>BMW iX3 2027 (Global)</p> <p>” width=”16″ height=”9″ loading=”lazy”/><br /> </source></source></picture> </section> <p>Photo by: BMW</p> </section> <p>Compared with the global iX3, the wheelbase of the Chinese version is extended by 108 millimeters (4.2 inches) to 3005 millimeters (118.3 inches). As a result, the rear door is longer, and the greenhouse is slightly wider. At the rear, an updated roof spoiler integrates the central camera required for the advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) developed in collaboration with Momenta, a local company specializing in self-driving technology.</p> <p>The Chinese iX3 will travel more than 900 kilometers (559 miles) on a single charge, and while that beats the global model, it’s important to make up the difference. BMW cites the locally applied CLTC range, which is known to be overly optimistic compared to WLTP and especially the EPA.</p> <p>This long-wheelbase derivative also supports 400 kW charging and can charge the battery from 10 to 80 percent in 21 minutes. It takes only about 10 minutes to add enough energy to travel more than 400 kilometers (249 miles), but then again, those are CLTC numbers. BMW hasn’t revealed the capacity of the lithium-ion battery, although it’s unlikely to differ much from the global model’s net energy content of 108.7 kWh.</p> <div style=
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 <p>BMW iX3 2027 (China)</p> <p>” width=”16″ height=”9″ loading=”lazy”/><br /> </source></source></picture> <p>Photo by: BMW</p> </section> <p>Just like the rest of the world, China will initially only get the iX3 50 xDrive with dual motors. Combined output hasn’t been announced, but it’s expected to be close to, or even identical to, the 463 horsepower and 645 Newton-meters (476 pound-feet) of torque available on the standard wheelbase model.</p> <p>It’s likely that the Chinese iX3 will be slightly heavier once the wheelbase is extended, so expect its curb weight to surpass the 2,285 kilograms (5,038 pounds) of the European model. The additional load will likely have a small negative impact on performance. In the case of the Euro version, 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) takes 4.9 seconds before the iX3 reaches an electronically limited speed of 130 mph (210 km/h).</p> <p>More details will be released when the long-wheelbase iX3 premieres at the 2026 Beijing Auto Show. The event kicks off on April 24 with the first press day. Deliveries will likely begin in the second half of this year.</p> <section data-widget=

Long Wheelbase BMW iX3 2027 (China)

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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.

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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.

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