As far as cabin layout goes, Munich has long been making promising noises about keeping the driver’s “hands on the wheel, and eyes on the road”; and the iX3 is very much the proof of that intent. It’s partially successful, you’d say; but not unconditionally so.
In addition to the 18in trapezoidal central infotainment display, a ‘Panoramic Vision’ display about four inches high but running almost the full width of the base of the windscreen replaces, integrates and augments a conventional dial binnacle. It can convey a broad choice of useful secondary instrumentation (and, as an option, you can put a head-up display behind it, if you choose). This means there are no dials to see through the steering wheel – a bit like with Peugeot’s i-Cockpit layout – although more successful here because the instruments are higher and, because they’re projected, have a longer focal length.
Even so, accounting for all of those screens, it’s a lot to take in. Somehow, despite there being so many displays, you still seem to have to adjust its various layouts fairly regularly to get to the information you want. You do all that mostly via the central touchscreen, which itself wants a lot of your attention. Meanwhile, BMW’s old iDrive rotary controller console – which we always liked because it makes navigating the infotainment system possible at a glance – has been given its marching orders yet again. That’s never been good news when it’s happened before.
There are window and mirror switches on the door armrest and a small scattering of drive essentials in the centre, but the rest – not just temperature but even the air-vent direction and strength – is relegated to the huge touchscreen, which is simply tasked with too much, and has text and buttons that some drivers might find too small.
Elsewhere, because you’re sitting on top of the battery and because the steering wheel doesn’t lift as high as in other BMWs, there’s no bum-on-floor, legs-outstretched, wheel-at-shoulder-height driving position available, which will be a shame if that’s your bag.
The cabin is elsewhere clean, with minimal switchgear. Big batteries are expensive, so there are some cost-saving scratchy plastics in the lower and rear of the interior, which is a pity. But mostly the interior materials feel fine, modern and airy.
