We had our first good overview of BMW's new electric iNext, on sale in 2021

NEW YORK – You have to give it to BMW. Our first look at its new concept Vision iNext, whose production version arrives in 2021, was certainly memorable. I've seen concepts unveiled at car shows and design studios, but it was certainly the first time I saw one presented in the belly of a Boeing 777F parked under a cover at Kennedy Airport in New York. Ars was invited to familiarize himself with the iNext, an important vehicle for BMW. When the production version goes on sale in 2021, it will be the first use of the company's new vehicle architecture and its first long-range battery electric vehicle.

BMW says that we can consider the iNext as "Project i 2.0", the project i being the sub-brand that gave us the very good i3 and the sublime i8. But let's be honest: these two EV served niche rather limited; a crossover is always going to have a mass appeal. And so a crossover is what we have; The one with a bold style and thoughtful ideas for the future of the user interface, the UX and the interior cabin design that BMW hopes to introduce into production.

But let's be clear: the iNext Vision is always a concept because you just have to go through the BMW museum to find that many cute concept details are found on the floor of the cutting room between the design studio and the room. ;exposure.

He looks dramatic

The forehead of vision is dominated by a kidney wire covered with a massive "butterfly". EVs do not need large air intakes at the front, but these stylistic clues of enterprise now turn out to be a great place to conceal the sensors needed for autonomous driving, and BMW works with. The headlamps are an extremely stylized version of the brand's traditional four-eyed look and are integrated into a waistband that separates the hood from the wings.

The Vision has the most beautiful profile, with a two-box outline reminiscent of the new Volvo XC40. Sensitive suicide doors make access to the interior a charm; The fact that we still call them suicide doors can be a marketing challenge, but that's an issue that BMW has already addressed with the i3. As the doors open – and as in previous cars – you can see parts of iNext's bare carbon fiber passenger cell.

Some of the most spectacular elements of exterior design however seem to have to change before 2021. The cameras instead of the exterior mirrors are a good idea, as they greatly reduce the wind noise, especially in the case of a battery with a propulsion almost silent, but require regulatory changes in the United States and abroad. And the prominent rear diffuser – with blue electroluminescent reflections on the trailing edge – looks great in a lighted cargo hold, but it also looks like the first point of contact for a rear seatback.

Inside makes a statement

If you look inside and you think "boutique hotel", congratulations: such was the vision of BMW's interior design team. Both screens are proud of the dashboard, like expensive flat-screen TVs. The center console takes this idea even further. its surface is a mix of wood and a turquoise jacquard rug that also serves to upholster the backseat. On the underside, a crystal bowl plays in the storage.

User interfaces are hidden under fabrics or surface treatments in what BMW calls "shy tech". Touch sensors located just under the fabric of the back seat detect the entrance of your finger and leave traces of light; BMW uses user-defined gesture commands, such as keys, sweeps and drawing shapes or glyphs to interact with the infotainment system. (BMW demonstrated this with a book.) In addition to this tactile interaction, iNext has an integrated AI personal assistant, which, according to BMW, should be able to anticipate what you want before you even ask.

We first heard about a new BMW called iNext in 2016. The company announced its partnership with Intel and Mobileye to work on such a vehicle, which would be self-contained and put up for sale in 2021. That still seems to be the plan . ; If the hidden sensors were not a clue, the steering wheel and the retractable pedals should be it. BMW said it was planning to launch the iNext with a level 3 autonomy. It's worth noting that this tends to thwart the industry's tendency to skip this type of driving conditional autonomous because it runs the greatest risk of mode confusion. And even when Level 4 systems become practical, the idea is always to sell them as options on customers' cars, not to manage a fleet of robo-taxis.

As with the Volvo 360c we reviewed earlier this week, it's hard to judge what I've seen. UX's demos were definitely stimulating, but none seemed mature enough to be on sale in the next three years. Likewise, there is still a lot of work to be done before it can be deployed. And we are still too far from production for BMW to comment on what I want to know, such as batteries, engine output and range.

Picture of the list by BMW