If a BMW has an ‘i’ at the start of its name, then that means it’s electric, and the BMW iX3 is the all-electric version of its popular X3 SUV. It was the first electric BMW SUV to go on sale, and it offers a familiar introduction to electrification for buyers already in tune with the German company’s existing product line-up.

In the UK, the iX3 has a number of electric rivals to contend with. Chief among them are the Tesla Model Y, Ford Mustang Mach-E and Audi Q4 E-Tron, all of which offer competitive driving ranges. There’s also the Volvo XC40 Recharge and the Mercedes-Benz EQA and EQB. This latter trio copy the iX3’s format by adding electric drive to an existing model, while the Tesla, Audi and Ford are all built on bespoke EV platforms.

The BMW iX3 has an official electric range of 285 miles from its large 80kWh battery, which is competitive when compared with its rivals. There’s just one battery option, and this powers a 286hp electric motor that drives the rear wheels only. It delivers a 0-62mph time of 6.8 seconds, so the iX3 is punchy off the line, while it’s quiet and refined when on the move, and it also manages to deliver the entertaining handling that BMW is famous for.

The major stumbling block to getting behind the wheel of the iX3 is price. While it’s not quite as steep as the rapid X3 M, it’s priced slightly more than the M40i and M40d models, but only has performance that matches the slower plug-in hybrid X3, which costs £10k less. Of course, the payoff is that the iX3 will be far cheaper to run on a daily basis, but if you only cover a handful of miles each day, then the plug-in could be just as cheap to run if you keep it fully charged.

We’ve thoroughly reviewed all aspects of the BMW iX3 and we give our verdict over the next few pages. Our scores take into account the driving experience, how pleasant the interior is, the practicality on offer and what it’ll cost you to run.