Already? Yes! You see, BMW introduced the iX3 a bit over two years ago. And giving it a mid-life refresh is all part of the standard practice. The new iX3, which BMW says is even more striking to behold, packs a tweaked design inside and out, and more kit as standard. The Bavarians have also been busy draping the cabin with new upholstery.

BMW says it wanted to bring the iX3’s styling in line with other pure-electric models, such as the iX and the i4. So, it has added a larger kidney grille with a single-piece frame, new sleeker headlamps, revised side skirts and restyled front and rear aprons. What’s more, the M Sport package is now part of the standard kit. That means a more aggressive design with a few blacked-out elements.

The standard kit for the exterior also includes adaptive LED headlamps with Matrix functionality, 19-inch wheels, and multiple blue accents, reminding everyone that this is a BMW EV (Electric Vehicle). On the options list are bigger 20-inch wheels and BMW’s LaserLight technology which, at speeds above 60kmph, can light up to 650 metres of the road ahead and even follows the course.

Indoors, the iX3 facelift now gets sports seats, trimmed in new Sensatec perforated upholstery, as standard. Part of the same list are two 12.3-inch displays, one each for the instrument cluster and infotainment purposes. BMW has also tweaked the centre console, which incorporates the Start/Stop button, model-specific selector lever, drive mode controls, and the electric parking brake switch.

Besides the features mentioned above, the standard kit includes wireless mobile charging, adaptive suspension, auto tailgate operation, panoramic glass roof and three-zone climate control. Go for the “Impressive” trim, and the equipment list expands with stuff like a head-up display, Harman Kardon Sound system, BMW Gesture Control, Comfort Access and Vernasca leather trim.

Propulsion comes courtesy of a rear-mounted electric motor that produces 282bhp/400Nm. That’s enough for a 0-100kmph sprint time of 6.8 seconds and an electronically-limited top speed of 180kmph. The powertrain gets its juices from an 80 kWh battery (74 kWh usable). With the sensible shoes on, one can travel up to 460km on a single charge (WLTP).

Charging? The iX3 can replenish its battery from zero to 100 per cent in 7.5 hours. That’s if you have it plugged into an 11kW charger. The car also supports DC fast charging, with feeds of up to 150kW. Under ideal conditions, a 10-minute charge using the recommended fast charger can add 100km to the range. BMW says the wait time from 10-80 per cent charge is about 32 minutes.

BMW will display the refreshed iX3 at the upcoming 2021 IAA in Munich. Around the same time, it’ll put the crossover in production at the Shenyang plant in China.