BMW to introduce cheaper variants for iX1, iX3 and i4 to undercut luxury car tax

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BMW Australia has announced it will bring three new vehicle variants to Australia that will all fall under the current Luxury Car Tax (LCT) threshold of $89,332. 

The importer of the German automotive brand will introduce the new iX1 eDrive20 priced from $78,900, the i4 eDrive35 priced from $85,900 and, finally, the iX3 M Sport priced from $89,100 (all before on-road costs). 

Importantly, by undercutting this threshold buyers will not just pay less tax on the purchase price of these models will also quality for the fringe benefits tax exemption for electric cars, which is important for those considering ‘purchasing’ a new EV under a novated leave program. 

BMW anticipates that by next year, one in five of the company’s new vehicles will have a fully-electric drivetrain, and by 2026, one in three vehicles sold will be electric. 

The brand aims to have more than two million electric vehicles on the road by 2025. 

The new iX1 eDrive20 will arrive in Australia in the first quarter of 2024, while the i4 eDrive35 and iX3 M Sport will arrive locally by the end of 2023. 

Grade breakdown for BMW’s cheaper EVs in Australia

BMW iX1 eDrive20

Starting with the new iX1 eDrive20, this variant will be powered by a 150kW/247Nm electric motor mounted on the front axle. Usable battery size for this particular variant is 64.7kWh. DC charging of up to speeds of 130kW is possible with this electric system. 

The new base iX1 model, which sits below the xDrive30 ($84,900 before on-roads) in the range, and will include the following standard features:

• 18-inch alloy wheels
• Dual-zone climate control
• LED headlights
• BMW Live Cockpit with 10.7-inch and 10.25-inch displays 
• BMW Head Up Display 
• Parking Assistant 
• Roof rails 
• Tyre pressure monitoring 
• Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto 
• BMW Iconic Sounds 

BMW i4 eDrive35

Next to arrive will be the i4 eDrive35 variant which will be powered by a 210kW/400Nm electric motor positioned on the rear axle in classic BMW style. The eDrive35 has a net battery size of 64kWh. 

180kW maximum DC charging speeds are possible with this variant, or up to 11kW of AC charging. 

As standard, the eDrive35 will include the following features:

• 18-inch alloy wheels
• LED headlights 
• High beam assist 
• Adaptive cruise control
• BMW Iconic Sounds 
• Three-zone climate control
• Electric seat adjustment – front 
• Parking assistant 
• Front sport seats 
• BMW head-up display 
• BMW Live Cockpit 

BWW iX3 M Sport

The last of the new models is the iX3 M Sport which is powered by a 210kW/400Nm rear drive electric motor, much like the i4 eDrive35. The M Sport is capable of sprinting to 100km/h in a claimed 6.8 seconds. 

Driving range for the model is a claimed 461km thanks to a larger 74kWh battery pack. 

Standard specifications for the M Sport includes:

• 19-inch alloy wheels
• M Sport package 
• Panoramic sunroof 
• Metallic paint 
• Sports seats with leather upholstery 
• Adaptive suspension 
• Parking assistant including reversing camera 
• Seat heating for front row