In other news, I popped in and had to book a test drive for the iX3 this week, but did sit in the showroom one for a little while and it was a mixed bag:
1. The standard black on black on black colour way for the interior is so drab, I've never sat in a car with a Pan Roof that felt so depressing
2. The interior quality/design is really disappointing, the steering wheel 'buttons' are horrendous, both in looks and operation, not to mention, the clear plastic/piano black is so Temu these days, the door mounted seat controls are out of a christmas cracker and the area of the seat the seat controls would normally be located felt weirdly and awkwardly designed, like it cost too much for a proper piece of trim down there. The centre console is not made from nice materials and the angular design elements are not that ergonomically friendly,.
3. The steering wheel does not adjust high enough, even with the seat on its lowest setting, getting in had my legs brush the bottom of the wheel in a way that is more saloon than SUV.
4. As with other BMWs, the rear ingress is ridiculous awkward if you are a normalish height adult, the door aperture sweeps forwards above the seats rather than follow the seat line as per most cars.
5. The fit/finish seems a step back in someways, they had the current iX3 on the other side of the showroom and that felt more premium inside.
6. The UI is so cluttered and IMO poorly designed, it's trying way too hard and falling a bit short.
However
1. The vision panel is nice, I prefer it to having a second screen above the steering wheel.
2. The looks are OK, I think they'll grow on most people and it looks fresh
3. The seats are comfy enough
Overall, the test drive is going to be interesting, I am led to believe its slightly more supple and the steering much more precise than the Model Y and I'll love to see how refined it is vs the Juniper Y, which I've just booked 30 mins after I should be finished with the iX3..