BMW is preparing to begin European deliveries of its important new electric SUV, the iX3, this spring. But it's changing the formula slightly for the Chinese market, where a long-wheelbase variant is being readied for launch. The stretched iX3 will be unveiled at the 2026 Beijing Auto Show in April before going on sale in China in the second part of the year.
Der Spiegel reports, citing unnamed sources inside BMW, that the Bavarian automaker received more iX3 orders than it was expecting in 2025. The report says those "very high order volumes" have prompted BMW to add an additional (third) shift to the factory where the iX3 is being built earlier than initially planned. The source adds that in Germany, around one in three buyers have never owned a BMW, which makes the fact that they are buying one without a test drive all the more unusual.
BMW is finally getting the next-generation Alexa voice assistant and it's coming with a generative AI upgrade. Amazon said Monday that the 2026 BMW iX3 will be equipped with Alexa+, the same generative AI tech that launched in millions of the e-commerce giant's smart devices last year. This will be the first vehicle to come with Amazon's next-generation voice assistant, the companies announced during the 2026 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
BMW engineers drove an iX3 from the factory where it's built in Hungary to Munich on one charge with range to spare. The trip was 626 miles and the vehicle completed the journey with 2% and 12 miles remaining. The route avoided highways, and the vehicle had climate, comfort and media features turned off for maximum efficiency. Electric vehicle range estimates are really just a suggestion, and you can easily exceed them with some careful driving and route planning.
The ADAS system in the BMW iX3 is built on Snapdragon Ride, which integrates automotive-grade systems-on-chip (SoCs) for centralised sensor data processing, advanced computer vision modules for perception, and Snapdragon Ride AD software stack co-developed with BMW - including drive policy and safety guardrails. The AD system is built on Qualcomm's Snapdragon Ride system-on-chips (SoCs) using the Snapdragon Ride AD software stack co-developed by both companies.
Qualcomm is joining forces with BMW on a new driver-assist system that will allow drivers to take their hands off the wheel on approved roads. Qualcomm, which supplies infotainment, driver-assist, and telematics systems to a variety of automakers, is looking to raise its portfolio in the auto industry, as more car companies turn to advanced processors and chips to power high-tech features. The San Diego-based chipmaker says it currently has $45 billion in future revenue in its automotive pipeline right now.
