BMW has been making and selling long-wheelbase vehicles in China for well over a decade. Initially, only sedans were stretched to provide extra rear legroom. Today, however, the lineup also includes regional long-wheelbase versions of the X1, X3, and X5. The next model to receive the LWB treatment will be the iX3 “NA6,” BMW’s first Neue Klasse model for China.
Some may be surprised to learn the vehicle won’t be exclusive to the Chinese market. BMW plans to sell the roomier iX3 in “selected international markets,” naming four for now: India, Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia. It’s too early to say whether those regions will get both versions or only the LWB. In Thailand and Indonesia, BMW is already advertising the standard-wheelbase iX3 “NA5.”
Offering the elongated iX3 elsewhere likely means production won’t be limited to China, either. That wouldn’t be without precedent. As recently as last year, the long-wheelbase iX1 became the first electric BMW built in India. For now, the company isn’t saying whether the stretched iX3 will be produced at its Chennai plant or at other facilities outside China.
So just how big is this camouflaged iX3? BMW is stretching the wheelbase by 108 millimeters, or 4.2 inches. That brings the total distance between the axles to a generous 3005 millimeters (118.3 inches), slightly more than the iX’s wheelbase. The latter is expected to become redundant in the coming years as BMW rolls out the iX5 and iX7.
Naturally, China will be the first market to receive the iX3 Long Wheelbase. It goes on sale in the second half of the year, following its world premiere at the Beijing Auto Show in the second half of April.
It’s a crucial model for BMW in China, where sales continue to slide. Demand fell by 12.5% last year, with BMW and MINI delivering a combined 625,527 vehicles. For context, BMW Group sales in China have dropped by more than 200,000 units since peaking at nearly 848,000 in 2021.
The iX3 NA6 is one of more than 20 new vehicles BMW plans to launch in China this year. This product offensive is being reinforced by price cuts on no fewer than 31 modelsaimed at countering the ongoing sales decline.
