The automobile industry is moving towards electrification at a very fast pace. Almost all brands have readied an electric line up. Even luxury car makers like Audi and Jaguar have released electric vehicles in the Indian market. So far, BMW had taken things slow and was at the last position in the Indian EV industry. However, that is about to change. The company has finally announced its plans to release three EVs for the Indian car market, the first of which will be BMW’s flagship EV, the iX SUV, and is supposed to launch on the 11th of December. Let’s take a closer look at this upcoming Electric SUV.
Design
The iX carries the same design elements as the iNext Concept. It is a rather small car that fits into the 5-seater compact SUV segment. Upfront, it features a larger and more vertical chrome grille surrounded in gloss black. The bigger grille is neatly contrasted by the slim LED headlight. Over to the side, the look is simple with flat wheel arches, door handles flush with the body of the car, and chrome inserts running at the bottom of the windows. This car gets a dual-tone finish with thick lines of black on the bumper, along the side, and also on the roof. The car runs on low-profile tires, and the rims also carry the black theme. It gets a sloping headline and the rear spoiler extends farther back. At the rear, the taillights are ultra-slim and run deep into the boot lid. The rear bumper also features a black scuff plate.
Interior
On the inside, this car feels like a step into the future. It gets a very sophisticated and clean-looking dashboard. The main highlight is the twin-spoke flat-bottom steering. The steering is also flattened at the ten and two positions, making it a hexagon. The dash also gets a single curved screen that features a 12.3-inch virtual cockpit and a 14.9-inch touchscreen infotainment system. The center console gets a wooden finish, with a glass dial and touch capacitive buttons. The seats are made stitched in microfiber fabric made from recycled plastic.
Also read: BMW India Plans For An EV Onslaught!
Performance
This car is offered in two trim levels; xDrive40 and xDrive50. The xDrive40 has a 71kWh battery and a dual motor set up that pumps out 326HP of power and 630Nm of torque. It sprints from 0-100kmph in just 6.1 seconds. It gets a fast-charging architecture that gets the battery from 10 percent to 80 percent in just 31 minutes. It offers a range of 414Km (WLTP). The xDrive50 has a bigger 105kWh battery, that is coupled with an all-wheel-drive powertrain and puts out 523PS of power and 765Nm of torque. It sprints from 0-100kmph in just 4.6 seconds. It also comes with DC fast-charging that gets the battery from 10 percent to 80 percent in just 35 minutes. It offers a range of 613 (WLTP).