The BMW Vision iNEXT has moved on to be the iNEARLY with the first looks at the new BMW iX scheduled for launch at the end of next year.
The BMW iX is the first model based on a new, modular, scalable future toolkit developed by the BMW Group; its focus is a fresh interpretation of design, sustainability, driving pleasure, versatility and luxury.
Conceived from the outset for purely electric mobility, the iX sees BMW redefining the successful Sports Activity Vehicle (SAV) concept.
The BMW iX harnesses the latest innovations in the fields of electrification, automated driving and connectivity to deliver a mobility experience which has a greater focus than ever on people. This is why the iX has been developed from the inside out, with a clear emphasis on quality of life and wellbeing for drivers and passengers.
“The BMW Group is constantly striving to re-invent itself. That is a central element of our corporate strategy,” says Oliver Zipse, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG. “The BMW iX expresses this approach in an extremely concentrated form.”
The BMW iX, the BMW Group’s new technology flagship, will go into production at BMW Plant Dingolfing from the second half of 2021. It brings together the company’s latest developments in the strategically important fields of Design, Automated Driving, Connectivity, Electrification and Services.
Added to which, the vehicle concept and design of the BMW iX are rooted in an all-embracing approach to sustainability. This is reflected in areas of the car such as its optimised aerodynamics, lightweight design and extensive use of natural and recycled materials, which help to create a cutting-edge sense of luxury and comprehensive feeling of wellbeing on board.
It uses the fifth generation of BMW eDrive technology – which encompasses the two electric motors, the power electronics, the charging technology and the high-voltage battery.
The power unit developed by the BMW Group is manufactured sustainably, without the use of critical raw materials known as rare earths and will, according to the most recent calculations, develop maximum output of more than 372 kW.
A clear development aim was for an electric power consumption figure for its segment of less than 21 kWh per 100 kilometres in the WLTP test cycle. A gross energy content of more than 100 kWh should enable the latest-generation high-voltage battery to record a range of more than 600 kilometres in the WLTP cycle.
The new charging technology of the BMW iX enables DC fast charging at up to 200 kW. This means the battery can be charged from 10% to 80% of its full capacity in under 40 minutes. It takes less than 11 hours to charge the high-voltage battery from 0 to 100 per cent at 11 kW from a Wallbox.
“We are setting new industry standards with the technology in the BMW iX. The iX has more computing power for data processing and more powerful sensor technology than the newest vehicles in our current line-up, is 5G-capable, will be given new and improved automated driving and parking functions and uses the high-performing fifth generation of our electric drive system,” says Frank Weber, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, Development.
The BMW iX is comparable with the BMW X5 in length and width, and is almost the same height as the BMW X6 on account of its flowing roofline. The size of its wheels, meanwhile, brings to mind the BMW X7.
The exterior design highlights of the BMW iX also include the slimmest headlight units ever to feature on a series-produced model from BMW, the flush-fitted door openers (operated at the press of a button), the frameless side windows, the tailgate – which has no separation joints and extends across the whole of the rear – and the likewise extremely slim rear lights.
The BMW kidney grille is not the only example of how the principle of shy tech has been integrated into the design of the BMW iX: an array of other cameras and sensors are positioned discreetly, the door openers are flush, the windscreen washer-fluid cap is concealed under the BMW logo on the bonnet and the rear-view camera has been integrated into the BMW logo on the tailgate. In each case, the technology stays in the background and only becomes apparent as and when the relevant functions are called into action.
“The BMW iX shows how we can give new technologies a very modern and emotionally engaging design. The car is technologically highly complex, but it feels very clear and uncomplicated,” says Adrian van Hooydonk, Senior Vice President BMW Group Design. “The BMW iX offers a mobile living space in which people will feel at ease and the car’s intelligence is always available without becoming obtrusive.”
The displays and controls are all stripped down to the essentials, further reinforcing the impression of an uncluttered cabin offering a place of relaxation. Technology inside BMW iX is intelligent and only becomes visible when it is needed. This makes it intuitive to use rather than seeming overly complex.
The BMW iX boasts outstanding aerodynamics for its class, with a drag coefficient (Cd) of just 0,25.
