Fitted with a 74kWh (usable) lithium-ion NCM battery, the iX3 M Sport has 461km of WLTP driving range.

The iX3 will take on AC electricity at 11kW, for flat to full in seven and a half hours. Public fast-charging is limited to 150kW (DC). A 10-80 per cent session should take 21 minutes, says BMW.

BMW's iX3 interior apes the petrol car with thoughtful storage, attractive lines, good (if not groundbreaking technology) and plenty of space.

The iX3 M Sport can get from rest to 100km/h in 6.8 seconds (claimed) and is limited to a top speed of 180km/h.

There's a single rear-mounted electric motor with no all-wheel drive version of the iX3 currently available. The motor outputs 210kW and 400Nm.

The iX3 M Sport has 19-inch alloy wheels, adaptive LED headlights, illuminated door sills, a power tailgate, 'Vernasca' leather upholstery, 'Sensatec' artificial leather on the dash and high-traffic touchpoints.

The front seats are heated and power adjustable and the ambient lighting is customisable. The iX3 also has tri-zone climate control, tyre pressure monitoring, adaptive dampers, a heat pump and even a full-length opening sunroof.

Paying the best part of $12,000 extra for the M Sport Pro adds 20-inch alloy wheels, black grille surrounds, acoustic glass with tinted rear windows, lumbar adjust, gesture control, head-up display and a Harman Kardon sound system.

There are also BMW's 'Iconic Sounds' in the Pro and the more expensive model includes five years from Chargefox public charging.

The iX3 has comfortable seats with standard leather upholstery, adjustable under-thigh support and power adjustment.

The back seat has a lot of headroom and good legroom. It has provisions to mount up to three child seats with either ISOFIX or top tether points.