The BMW iX3 already has nearly 100,000 orders. In China, only concept images are being sold for now.

The new BMW iX3 is approaching 100,000 global orders, with dealers in China reporting tens of thousands of deposits within less than a week since pre-sales began on August 21 during the 2026 Chengdu Auto Show. The issue is that the cars are practically not yet available at dealerships, so salespeople are mainly selling configurations, photos, and promises of delivery for now.

BMW launched the new iX3 last September as the first model in its Neue Klasse series. The former brand head, Oliver Zipse, had previously spoken of 50,000 orders in the first six months, and now the manufacturer confirms a figure close to 100,000. This exceeds what the company had anticipated, which is why an additional production shift was added at the factory in Debrecen, Hungary.

In China, the iX3 went on pre-sale in three versions, with prices ranging from 269,900 to 339,900 yuan, which is approximately $40,200 to $50,500. We already know the Polish reference point: here, the starting price will be at least 310,000 zł.

China: High demand, but no cars available

Dealers cited by 36Kr claim that after the price was announced, “the sales team practically stopped taking breaks and worked every day until 10 p.m.” At the main locations, each dealership was expected to receive around 80 small orders in less than a week. In total, there are tens of thousands of advance payments without actual cars.

The best quote is brutally simple: “We don’t sell cars; we only sell pictures.” One BMW salesperson admitted that in 10 years of working for the brand, he had never encountered a situation where they started pre-sales without a demo car.

Demonstration units are set to arrive at dealerships by the end of October, with first deliveries to customers planned for November. However, full-scale production versions of the cars are not expected until 2027. The BMW app even shows an order confirmation date of January 31, 2027. That says a lot.

To prevent customers from switching to brands like BYD or Xiaomi, BMW has introduced a waiting points system. Starting from the day of ordering, customers receive 100 points per day until they pick up their car. By January 2027, they will have accumulated around 16,000 points, which according to 36Kr is worth approximately 4,000 yuan, or about $600.

The range and technology look impressive, but some features are still under testing

A person affiliated with BMW’s R&D department told 36Kr that some of the new technologies in the iX3 are still in the final testing stages. The brand prefers to delay deliveries rather than hand over unfinished vehicles to customers. This is sensible, but it also shows that hype has outpaced the actual car’s readiness.

The Chinese iX3 Long Wheelbase has a wheelbase that is 108 mm longer than the standard iX3 and is tailored for that market. Its official range is as high as 919 km according to CLTC standards. As usual, CLTC figures should be viewed with caution.

BMW also highlights a real-world test of the iX3 50L xDrive LWB prototype from June. The vehicle traveled over 800 km around Qinghai Lake, including climbs of more than 2,000 meters, as well as in snow, rain, and at high altitudes. The average energy consumption was 12.6 kWh/100 km, with 2% of the battery remaining by the end. According to BMW, range under such conditions should be around 835-840 km.

In China, all versions will also come standard with nearly 40 features, including Panoramic iDrive, an end-to-end assisted driving system developed with Momenta, and an AI assistant based on Alibaba’s models.

In Europe, the BMW iX3 40 starts at 63,400 euros and has a WLTP range of 628 km, while the iX3 50 xDrive costs from 73,925 euros with a WLTP range of 805 km. In the U.S., the iX3 50 xDrive for the 2027 model year is priced at 61,500 dollars, with an EPA range of up to 434 miles.

BMW lost 20% in sales year-on-year in China during the first half of 2026, so the iX3 needs to do more than just secure pre-orders. Now the question is simple: how many customers will wait until actual deliveries in 2027?

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