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Forget the 7 Series – BMW has brand new flagship technology. It is large, fully electric, fully connected and semi-autonomous. So far we’ve known it as iNext, but the transition from a prototype to a production model has formed the most memorable iX name. While still in its “mass production development phase,” the all-electric utility has revealed (almost) all of its secrets.
The bulky SUV you see in the gallery below is based on a new architecture developed by the Bavarian manufacturer specifically for battery-electric vehicles. It has many advantages over its predecessor, but BMW seems to be most proud of the advancements in automated driving and digital service technologies. For example, the level of computing power was developed to process 20 times the volume of data of previous models.
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In terms of exterior dimensions, the iX is very close to the high-performance combustion BMW models, with the same length as the X5, the same height as the X6 and the same wheel size as the X7. It doesn’t exactly turn into a sleek SUV, but the Munich-based brand stresses that the minimalist design “expresses a futuristic form of driving pleasure”.
The oversized grille up front doesn’t help either, but we’re assuming the overall design concept here takes after the form-suit-function mantra – the grille itself incorporates sensors, a camera, and radar technology to advanced driver assistance systems. But we let Adrian van Hooydonk, senior vice president of design at BMW, explain more to us:
“The BMW iX shows how we can give new technologies a very modern and emotional design. The car is technologically complex, but it looks very clear and simple. The BMW iX offers a mobile living space in which people will feel right at home, where the intelligence of the car is only there when you need it.
The iX is BMW’s first production vehicle with a hexagonal steering wheel for which the automaker says it “improves ease of access and gives the driver a better view of the information screen”. Another feature of the cabin that caught our attention is the power seat button console that now sits on the door panels, similar to what a certain Stuttgart-based company has been doing for years. It’s also worth mentioning that the EV features the largest window area ever fitted to a BMW model.
The fifth-generation all-electric powertrain powers the large SUV. In this case, it relies on two electric motors for a combined power of “more than 500 horsepower” or 375 kilowatts. That should be enough to propel the iX from standstill to 62 miles per hour (0-100 kilometers per hour) in under 5.0 seconds.
Thanks to its massive 100 kWh battery, the family carrier is expected to be able to cover up to 300 miles measured by the EPA’s FTP-75 test procedure and 600 kilometers measured by the European WLTP. Keep in mind that not all figures are final and are “based on the current stage of development of the car”.
Even more impressive is the charging capabilities of the iX. DC fast charging up to 200 kilowatts is expected to allow the large electric vehicle to recharge up to 70% of its battery capacity in 40 minutes. Plus, a 10-minute quick charge should add 120 kilometers to range.
There is no word on exactly when the iX will hit assembly lines, but BMW says production is expected to begin in the second half of 2021 at the company’s Dingolfing plant. The market launch is scheduled for the end of 2021.
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