The Volvo EX60 is easily one of the most important cars the Swedish carmaker has launched in years. Think of it as the electric equivalent of the hugely successful XC60, but built from the ground up as an EV on Volvo’s new architecture. It’s got up to 503 miles of range, seriously fast charging and one of the nicest interiors we’ve seen in any electric SUV.
The iX3 is equally significant for BMW. It’s the first of the company’s new-generation ‘Neue Klasse’ models and introduces a completely new electrical architecture, new battery cells, new software and a radical rethink of the interior. BMW claims up to 500 miles of range and charging speeds of as much as 400kW.These aren’t simply two very good electric SUVs, then. They’re two cars showcasing what BMW and Volvo think the next generation of premium EV should look like. So, which one does it better?The
BMW iX3
Price from: £58,755
Price as tested (iX3 xDrive 50 M Sport): £53,520
Est monthly PCP (iX3 40 M Sport): £904 (3yrs, 10k miles, £5,000 deposit)
WLTP range (test car): 493 miles
Real world range (est): 370 - 460 miles
Max charging: 400kW
Power (test car): 469hp
0–62mph: 4.9sec
Boot capacity: 520 – 1,750 litres (58-litre frunk)
Max towing capacity: 2,000kg
Volvo EX60
Price from: £59,860
Price as tested (P10 AWD Ultra with options): £67,845
Est. monthly PCP (P6 Plus): £810pm (3yrs, 10k miles, £5,000 deposit)
WLTP range (test car): 410 miles
Real world range (est): 320 – 370 miles
Max charging: 370kW
Power (test car): 510hp
0–62mph: 4.6sec
Boot capacity: 532 – 1,647 litres (58-litre frunk)
Max towing capacity: 2,400kg
Real-world range and charging
The BMW iX3 xDrive50 uses a 108.7kWh usable battery and officially manages up to 500 miles on a charge. That’s an extraordinary figure for a big, four-wheel-drive family SUV, but it is spec-dependent. You get the claimed 500-mile figure, you need to choose the entry-level trim (not M Sport) and spend £550 on the 20-inch aerodynamic alloy wheels.
The Volvo can technically beat it. Go for the range-topping EX60 P12 AWD and its enormous 112kWh usable battery delivers a claimed 503 miles. Three miles! Except that’s not really the whole story.
The EX60 range starts with the rear-wheel-drive P6, which gets an 80kWh useable battery and manages up to 385 miles. The P10 AWD that we think will be the sweet spot gets a 91kWh useable battery and 410 miles, while you need the considerably more expensive P12 to get that headline 503-mile figure.
The BMW offers substantially more range for the money, then. And it backs that up with impressive real-world efficiency. In our winter testing, including plenty of motorway driving, the xDrive50 returned around 3.4 miles/kWh – enough for more than 360 miles in cold conditions. In warmer weather we'd expect something in the region of 420-450 miles to be achievable.
The Volvo has impressed us, too. We saw 3.7 miles/kWh from the P10 in warm conditions on our initial test and around 3.3 miles/kWh during UK driving, suggesting 300-plus miles is realistic. The P6 has managed 3.8 miles/kWh and should also comfortably clear 300 miles in favourable conditions.
Charging? Both use 800V electrical architectures. The Volvo manages up to 370kW maximum DC charging in P10 and P12 form, while the BMW goes one better with a maximum of 400kW. Find a sufficiently powerful charger and both can shove more than 200 miles into their batteries in around 10 minutes. The entry-level versions, the iX3 40 and EX60 P6, meanwhile, manage 300kW and 350kW respectively.
Interior and infotainment
While both cars are almost identically sized and have comparable battery and charging credentials, the interiors couldn't be any more different.
The Volvo is peak Scandinavian minimalism. It's simple, calm and beautifully thought out, with lovely materials and some brilliant little details. There's a jewel-like volume control (on Ultra trim), tiny Swedish flags on the seats and a frameless rear-view mirror, while the seats themselves are among the best you'll find anywhere.
But Volvo has gone very screen-heavy. The portrait central display controls a huge amount of the car, and we'd still prefer a few more physical controls. Thankfully, the software itself is much better than some of Volvo's previous systems. It's fast, uses Google Maps natively and gets wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as AI voice control.
Then there are Volvo's safety toys. Or, rather, safety technology – because some of it is properly clever. The new multi-adaptive seatbelts use the car's sensors to understand the size and seating position of an occupant and can vary how they react accordingly. It's classic Volvo: genuinely useful technology rather than tech for tech's sake.
The BMW takes a very different approach. There's no conventional instrument cluster. Instead, the Panoramic Display projects information across the base of the windscreen, while the main touchscreen has an unusual six-sided design.The screen is fast, crisp and easy to navigate, while the Panoramic Display works brilliantly once you're used to it. There's wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, more than 60 downloadable apps and regular over-the-air updates.
The BMW feels more futuristic. The Volvo feels more luxurious.
Space and practicality
There's almost nothing to separate the two. Both cars have acres of passenger space, with enough room in the back for adults to get properly comfortable.
The BMW is particularly impressive. Despite measuring less than 4.8 metres long, the rear feels almost X5-like for space. Even with a very tall driver up front, there's loads of legroom behind.
The Volvo is similarly generous, with excellent head- and legroom, a flat floor and that huge panoramic glass roof (which comes as standard) making the back feel wonderfully light and airy.
Boot space is another near dead heat as the Volvo offers 532 litres with the rear seats in place, compared with 520 litres in the BMW. Fold the seats and the BMW turns the tables, offering 1,750 litres compared with the Volvo's 1,647 litres.
But the EX60 has a little trick up its sleeve. Under the boot floor is a really useful split storage area, including a huge plastic bucket. It has crabs embossed in it, and Volvo is of the opinion that it can be used for that Swedish coastal pastime of catching crabs. In Britain, it's more likely to be used as place to dump welly boots and wet coats. The segmented underfloor storage area is clever as you can keep that stuff separate from your charging cables and luggage.
When it comes frunks it's a dead heat. Both have a useful 58 litres of space under the bonnet.Both can tow, too. The BMW can pull up to 2,000kg, while the EX60 manages 2,000kg in P6 form and an impressive 2,400kg with the all-wheel-drive models.
Which one is best to drive?
This is another area where the two cars feel very different. The iX3 feels typically BMW-like – its steering has a lovely natural weight, body control is excellent and the whole car feels remarkably well tied together for something this big and heavy.
BMW calls the electronic system controlling the motors, torque distribution, traction control, regenerative braking and steering the ‘Heart of Joy’. We're not sure about the name but it's undoubtedly a brilliant bit of engineering, as it gives this large car a very agile feel.
The Volvo is really rather different. While the BMW has a firm edge to the way it goes over potholes and bumps in the road, the Volvo glides. The P10 and P12 come as standard with adaptive suspension, which allows the driver to choose the type of ride comfort they like; the P6 has standard suspension. We've only tried the P10 in the UK so far, and the ride quality is seriously impressive. The EX60 is wonderfully relaxed. It's quiet, smooth and incredibly refined, with the sort of laid-back character that makes you instantly settle into it. At motorway speeds there's remarkably little wind or road noise; the only thing that disturbs the tranquility is the sound of the suspension working – but that's due to how the rest of the package is so eerily quiet.
Surprisingly, the Volvo is the more powerful car across the range. The P6 packs more punch than the iX3 40, and the P10 and P12 versions, with their 510hp and 680hp outputs respectively, walk all over the iX3 50's 469hp.
It really comes down to what you want. For motorway journeys and wafting around? EX60. For enjoying a good road? iX3.
Which one is the best value?
The iX3 range starts at around £53,000 for the rear-wheel-drive iX3 40, while the xDrive50 comes in at just over £60,000. The Volvo EX60 starts at £56,860 for the P6 Plus, rising to £59,860 for the P10 AWD and £64,860 for the range-topping P12.
The iX3 offers a longer range lower down in the price bracket – you have to splash the cash on the P12 to get the 503-mile range in the Volvo. But the EX60 is slightly better equipped as standard. Plus trim gets luxuries such as a Bose sound system, matrix LED headlights, a heated steering wheel, heated front and rear seats, power adjustable front seats, and a panoramic glass roof; the base-spec iX3 only has electrically-adjustable heated front seats to match the Volvo.
Of course, list prices only tell you so much. PCP and lease deals are currently in favour with the Volvo, but these change all of the time. But based on the numbers as they stand, the Volvo gives an excellent range of standard equipment and technology for the price, while the BMW gives a longer driving range for the money.
Which one is better, then – the BMW iX3 or the Volvo EX60?
This is really close. The iX3 is our Car of the Year. It has already seen off the excellent Mercedes GLC Electric in one of our twin tests, and before driving these cars back-to-back we wondered whether Volvo could really knock it off its perch.
There are plenty of reasons why you might prefer the Volvo. It has the more beautiful interior. It's more comfortable, quieter and feels more relaxing to drive. There are loads of clever practical touches, it's superbly spacious and the safety technology is exactly the sort of thoughtful innovation that Volvo does so very well.
The iX3, however, charges faster. It's more engaging to drive, and it offers significantly more range for your money.
It really does come down to what you prioritise when choosing a premium electric SUV. Both cars are outstandingly good, and very much feel like a step-change in the world of EVs.
