When BMW first rolled out press images of the all-new iX3, eagle-eyed observers noticed something odd: a bright white steering wheel that, inconveniently, didn’t exist in the configurator. Six months later, BMW has finally decided to make good on its own marketing photos.
The German iX3 configurator has been quietly updated to include the long-teased white steering wheel, priced at a surprisingly reasonable €250. It’s a small change, but one that highlights how seriously BMW is leaning into personalization with its next-generation electric SUV.
Of course, BMW being BMW, the white wheel doesn’t come without strings attached.
To get it, buyers must also opt for the Digital White interior package, a €1,080 upgrade in Germany. This wraps the seats in BMW’s Veganza material—marketing speak for artificial leather—which is also used on the steering wheel itself. The rest of the cabin avoids looking like a hospital waiting room thanks to Atlas Gray fabric trim, a black Veganza finish on the door armrests, and an Anthracite headliner. In other words, it’s more “modern gallery” than “stormtrooper.”
Interestingly, BMW doesn’t force customers into an M Sport package to get the white wheel. Even base-model iX3 buyers can order it, which is refreshingly democratic for a brand that often hides the good stuff behind pricey trim levels. The updated BMW roundel sits in the middle of the wheel, though the change is subtle enough that most people won’t notice unless they’re staring at it in a showroom.
If white isn’t your thing—or if you’d rather not worry about blue-jean dye slowly staining your steering wheel—BMW still offers the familiar black version. That one gets a small M badge on the lower spoke, and aside from color, it appears to be identical in shape and design to the white wheel. How well the pale version will survive years of sweaty palms and coffee spills remains an open question.
More Colors, More Power, More BMW Being BMW
The steering wheel isn’t the only new addition. BMW has also expanded the iX3’s paint palette with three new shades: Fire Red, Eucalyptus Green, and Individual Frozen Space Silver. It’s a welcome move for a model that’s supposed to look as forward-thinking as its Neue Klasse underpinnings.
There’s also a new AC Charging Professional option, which boosts AC charging to 22 kW and adds Vehicle-to-Load capability. With up to 3.7 kW available, the iX3 can now power tools, appliances, or even a small campsite, turning the SUV into a rolling power bank.
BMW has also thrown in a stainless-steel loading sill for iX3s ordered with the Contemporary, M, or Individual interior themes. Meanwhile, buyers who go for the M Sport Package or M Sport Package Pro get a special key finished with BMW’s signature blue, violet, and red M stripes—because if you’re paying extra, you should at least get a fancier key.
Not everything is available just yet. Heated rear seats still don’t show up in the German configurator, as BMW plans to roll that feature out first in South Korea and Japan starting with March production. Ventilated front seats are also missing for now, though BMW says they’ll arrive later in the model’s life cycle.
The iX3’s Story Is Just Getting Started
Deliveries of the new iX3 haven’t even begun, which means this steady drip of new options is only the beginning. More BMW Individual colors are scheduled to arrive later this year, along with additional versions of the SUV, including the iX3 40 and the hotter iX3 M60 xDrive.
And looming over everything is the real performance flagship: the X3 M “ZA5,” due in 2027. If BMW’s electric future follows the same formula as its gasoline past, that’s where things are going to get very interesting.
For now, though, the biggest headline might just be a steering wheel that finally matches the pictures.
Source: BMW
