BMW's mid-size SUV BEV starting at 460,000 yuan is expected to break the game

The iX3, the first pure electric vehicle of BMW's mainstream car series, was officially launched at the 2020 Guangzhou Auto Show, starting at 469,900 yuan, bringing a latest change to the Tesla Model 3, a hot international brand pure electric luxury car market.

Q: What do you think of the starting price of iX3 469,900 yuan?

A: A few months ago, I stated that iX3 will fill the gap in the pure electric luxury SUV market of 500,000 yuan to 570,000 yuan. But later, iX3’s direct rival, Mercedes-Benz EQC, launched a low-power version of the EQC 350, which lowered the price to 490,000 yuan. In this way, if iX3 wants to do more, the pricing will have to go down further. Looking at it now, the starting price of iX3 469,900 yuan is reasonable and very competitive.

Q: From a cost-effective perspective, how do these two rivals compare?

A: In terms of power, the iX3 is equipped with a single motor, which is a rear drive, and the EQC is equipped with a dual motor, which is a four-wheel drive. The latter has the best drive performance. However, from the power point of view, the single motor iX3 and the dual motor EQC 350 are both 210 Kilowatts; in terms of cruising range, iX3 is 500 kilometers, which is similar to the upcoming Tesla Model Y. Its cruising range is 505 kilometers and the price starts at 488,000, which has a clear advantage over EQC's 408 kilometers. In other configurations, iX3's driving safety assist system has 4 more items than EQC. So, overall, I think iX3 has more cost-effective advantages.

Q: The EQC 350 was launched and the price dropped to 490,000 yuan. Although the sales volume has increased significantly, the monthly sales volume is only 500 to 600 vehicles. What will be the sales of iX3?

A: Surpassing EQC is not a problem. If monthly sales exceed 1,000, it means breaking the game.

Q: Tesla Model Y will soon enter the mid-size luxury SUV segment. There are three models competing in the same segment. This is the first time for a pure electric luxury vehicle. What do you estimate the result will be?

A: It will definitely be interesting. Model 3 has no direct rivals, and as a pure electric vehicle, although it has various preferential treatments in terms of taxation and market access, the price is actually lower than that of mainstream luxury brands of the same level, so it will be sold at special prices. But Model Y is different. Its price is in the middle. Between EQC and iX3, EQC may not have much hope. What we will see is that the world’s most popular new luxury brand Tesla and the most traditional luxury brand The ambitious BMW has the first direct 1 to 1 collision in the pure electric luxury car market in China, which is worth looking forward to.