The new BMW iX3 has attracted more than 100,000 orders in Europe within a year of launch, making it the fastest-selling model introduction in BMW Group history, the company said in its third-quarter sales report.
The order tally underpins a strong quarter for the group's electric vehicles: BMW delivered 110,257 fully electric cars worldwide between July and the end of September, up 7.2% year on year, and 81,941 of those in Europe, a jump of 37.5%. In Europe, one in three BMW Group vehicles delivered in the quarter was fully electric.
The iX3 order figure was disclosed in a question-and-answer section of the sales release, where BMW said the model had become its most successful market launch to date and a driver of electromobility. Jochen Goller, the board member for Customer, Brands and Sales, credited the car with providing positive impetus for growth in the market.
The result matters because the iX3 is the first vehicle built on BMW's Neue Klasse platform, the architecture the company is betting on to carry its electric lineup through the rest of the decade. A launch this size gives the platform a commercial endorsement before the wider model family has even arrived.
Growth in Europe and the US, decline in China
Across the first nine months of 2026 the BMW Group delivered 1,707,799 vehicles worldwide, a slight decline of 4.9%. The regional picture was split: Europe rose 4.5% and the US 3.4%, while China remained difficult, with BMW brand sales there down 21.2% year to date.
The company attributed the Chinese decline to the performance of the market as a whole, and said the China version of the new iX3 will begin rolling out there in November.
The BMW brand itself delivered around 1.5 million vehicles in the period, down 6.4%, though it grew 1.4% in Europe and 4.3% in the US, the latter driven by higher sales of X models.
Electric sales surge in Europe and Germany
The electric quarter was strongest in Europe, where BEV sales grew disproportionately to 81,941 units, up 37.5%. Germany mirrored the trend with 38.5% growth for fully electric models.
Goller said continued strength in new orders for fully electric vehicles confirmed the company's course, alongside strong customer interest in the new 3 Series and X5.
MINI grows while Rolls-Royce slips
MINI was the group's bright spot, with 220,247 vehicles sold in the first nine months, up 6.8%, of which 37.2% were fully electric. The brand credited John Cooper Works models and the Paul Smith Edition, with further impetus expected from a new Countryman Untamed Edition.
Rolls-Royce delivered 3,592 cars, down 12.4%, and BMW Motorrad sold 149,452 motorcycles and scooters, 6.1% fewer than a year earlier. BMW M delivered 148,510 vehicles, down 6.1%, with sales stable in a declining Chinese market.
The iX3's numbers behind the order book
The iX3 50 xDrive carries a combined energy consumption figure of 19.4 to 16.1 kWh per 100 km and an electric range of 666 to 806 km, per BMW's technical data.
For buyers weighing the order book against the product, the range figure is the headline attraction: at up to 806 km it sits at the top of the mainstream electric market, and the 100,000-order milestone suggests European buyers agree the wait was worthwhile. The group's quarterly numbers add weight to that read, with electric sales growing far faster than the company's total deliveries.
