- Debuts alongside the i4 sedan
- Will go on sale later this year
BMW is expanding its electric vehicle line-up and has introduced not one but two all-new EVs on the same day. One is the i4 electric sedan (you can read about it over here), and the other one is this – the iX electric crossover. The production version of the Vision iNext Concept from a few years back, the iX is the electric equivalent of the X5, to an extent.
Based on the new aluminium spaceframe construction and the ‘Carbon Cage’ use of CFRP, the iX claims to have a drag coefficient of just 0.25. Like the i4, it will initially be available in two trims powered by the fifth-generation BMW eDrive powertrain. But it has a different battery and motor output compared to the sedan. The iX xDrive50 is fitted with a high-voltage battery pack of 105.2kWh, while the xDrive40 has a net energy content of 71kWh.
Both variants use the same twin-motor, four-wheel-drive configuration but where the xDrive50 has 516bhp/765Nm at disposal with 630kilometres range, the xDrive40 puts out 321bhp/630Nm and has a driving range of 425 kilometres.
BMW claims a 0-100kmph time of 4.6 seconds for the xDrive50, while the xDrive40 can hit the same mark from rest in 6.1 seconds. Like the i4, the iX also benefits from a near-actuator wheel slip limiter incorporated in its AWD setup – no RWD iX yet.
Another similarity with the i4 is the 200kW charging capacity that allows a 10-80 per cent charge in around 35 minutes in the xDrive40 while the xDrive50 will take lesser, around 31 minutes for the same. In Europe, the iX will be supplied with a BMW Charging Card, the Flexible Fast Charger offering a charging rate of up to 11kW and a mode-three charging cable for public charging stations. Also part of the package is the adaptive and individually regulated brake energy recuperation.
In terms of drivetrain, the iX is suspended on a double-wishbone front axle, five-link rear axle, with lift-related dampers and an electric steering system. But two-axle air suspension with electronically-controlled dampers and active steering can be found on the options list. The SAV (as BMW likes to call it) sits on the standard 20-inch light-alloy wheels but there’s a choice of 21- and 22-inch Air Performance heels as well with noise-reduced tyres.
Appearance-wise, the iX appears to be the same size as the X5 with its cues from the erstwhile i3 that’s stretched beyond measure. Sleek headlamps are flanking the upright Kidney grille panel with triangular elements on either side of the lower bumper.
In profile, the floating roof on the D-pillar is the only talking point with nothing else striking any special mention. The rear too isn’t something to write home about with a thin strip of LEDs for taillamps and narrow windscreen along with beefed-up rear bumpers.
On the inside, there’s a similar setup of wide-screen ‘Curved Display’ as the i4, but it looks much better integrated on the iX owing to the larger dash. It comes with OS 8 and gets all the new-age connectivity and ‘personal assistant’ support that you can ask for.
Most importantly, BMW has prepped the iX for Level 3 functionality providing it with all the necessary sensors, five cameras, five radars and no less than 12 ultrasonic sensors. Moreover, a gamut of driver-assist hardware is present as well.
What’s more, after these two variants go on sale in November this year, another range-topper iX M60 will join the line-up with 440kW (close to 600bhp) of output. India-debut of the BMW iX is expected alongside the i4 sedan but we'll have to wait a couple of years for that.
