Merely months after its global debut, BMW has recently organised a media drive for the upcoming BMW iX3L (Long Wheelbase) in China.
Codenamed NA6, this long wheelbase version of the BMW iX3 will be manufactured in China for its domestic market.
The BMW iX3L will make its global debut at the 2026 Beijing Motor Show, with the market launch planned for the second half of the year. Export markets such as Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, and India are expected to receive the model after China’s market launch
Read Also: 2026 BMW iX3 NA5 debuts: First Neue Klasse EV offers 800 km, 108.7 kWh Gen6 battery
What’s new with the BMW iX3L?
As the name suggests, the BMW iX3L features an additional 108 mm wheelbase extension, bringing the iX3 LWB’s wheelbase to 3,006 mm – longer than even the G05 BMW X5 (2,975 mm).
BMW China’s R&D team also optimised the chassis for local urban roads and high-speed expressways, with the suspension damping that balances dynamic driving with long-distance comfort.
800-volt, 400 kW DC fast charging and how it reduces energy loss
First things first – the BMW iX3, both in standard wheelbase and long wheelbase form, is developed on an 800-volt electrical architecture. This marks an upgrade over older generation models that adopt the 400-volt CLAR platform.
Compared to BMW’s previous-generation electric systems, the Neue Klasse platform delivers an estimated 40% reduction in energy loss. This improvement is not attributable to a single component, but rather to a system-wide optimisation: new battery chemistry, advanced silicon carbide (SiC) power electronics, and reduced resistance throughout the charging and propulsion pathways.
The adoption of the 800-volt electrical architecture has its practical implications. For starters, at a higher voltage, charging efficiency improves, thus less energy is wasted as heat during high-power DC charging. Sustained charging performance also becomes more stable, which allows the iX3 to maintain higher charging rates for longer durations.
Thanks to its 800-volt electrical architecture, the BMW iX3L can add up to 400 km of CLTC range in just 10 minutes. 10% to 80% state-of-charge (SoC) is achieved in just 21 minutes.
No more rare-earth materials for motor construction
BMW’s motor strategy for the Neue Klasse also bucks industry trends. Instead of relying on permanent magnet synchronous motors (PMSM), the iX3L adopts an advanced electrically excited synchronous motor (EESM) design.
These EESM motors do not rely on rare-earth materials, while gaining greater control over the magnetic field strength. The rotor is magnetised by an electric current, not a permanent magnet, allowing it to operate more efficiently at a broader range of speeds.
In BMW’s ESSM implementation, the car can “turn off” the magnet when coasting or cruising, significantly reducing drag and improving highway efficiency, thus solving a key weakness of many current EVs.
There’s also a front-mounted asynchronous motor (ASM), which works on the principle of induction, so neither permanent magnets nor an external excitation current are needed. Instead, torque is generated when the rotor spins at a slightly lower speed than the rotating magnetic field in the stator, hence the term asynchronous.
In Neue Klasse xDrive models, the asynchronous motor is deployed at the front axle. Compared to the previous Gen5 layout, which used an additional EESM at the front, the ASM offers a more compact form factor and lower mass, contributing to improved packaging efficiency and reduced overall drivetrain weight.
BMW has also re-engineered the iX3’s thermal management, featuring a redesigned oil and water-cooling circuits integrated into the motor and inverter assembly. This helps to maintain consistent motor performance, even under load.
Heart of Joy centralised driving intelligence
At the heart (pun intended) of the Neue Klasse platform is the Heart of Joy superbrain electronics platform, underpinning all vehicle controls, from power delivery to driver assistance (ADAS).
By combining various electronic control units under a single umbrella, this shortens control loops and allows the BMW iX3L to process dynamic inputs 10 times quicker than traditional architectures.
The result is a driving experience that feels cohesive rather than fragmented. Because one brain controls both the motor (acceleration) and the brakes, it allows for 98% of braking to be regenerative. The transition between regen and mechanical braking is imperceptible because the same computer manages both instantly.
In short, Heart of Joy is BMW’s answer to a what a software-defined car can be – beyond just infotainment, but fundamental to how a car actually drives and functions.
All-round better interaction
BMW took a different interior philosophy when designing the interior of the iX3 LWB, focusing on user interface quality over putting more displays. Instead of oversized central screens designed primarily for entertainment, BMW introduces a panoramic, driver-centric interface anchored by its new-generation iDrive system called the BMW Panoramic Vision.
Said BMW Panoramic Vision works hand-in-hand with the 3D head-up display, which then projects information directly within the driver’s line of sight.
Speaking of driver, the UI has been designed in a way that driver would never need to look down or hunt for a specific menu, maintaining the “head-up” philosophy versus the “heads-down” tablet culture of many competitors.
There’s also a redesigned steering wheel that combines physical controls with capacitive inputs that enables “blind operation”, and when combined with the central display that’s angled towards the driver, is a gentle reminder that, to BMW, digitalisation remains a tool that assists the driver and not a replacement.
New cylindrical 4695 NMC battery pack to power it all
Compared with the prismatic cells used in BMW’s Gen5 electric architecture, these new 4695 cylindrical cells (diameter of 46mm and height of 95mm) deliver a 20 percent increase in volumetric energy density. The gain is achieved through a more efficient packaging format, optimised internal structure, and improved thermal behaviour, allowing more usable energy to be stored within the same physical space.
BMW has also rethought how the battery integrates into the vehicle itself. Called Cell-to-Pack, new cells are designed as a structural element within the battery pack, contributing to body stiffness and enabling a flatter, more space-efficient floor layout.
Combined with BMW’s in-house energy management software, this approach enhances not only range and charging speed, but also long-term thermal stability and efficiency consistency.
BMW even drove an iX3 from Debrecen, Hungary to Munich, Germany, covering 1,007 km on a single charge, with 2% battery remaining, setting a new BMW efficiency record.
BMW iX3L Prototype Vehicle Photo Gallery
