BMW iX unveiled

BMW iX

BMW iXThe vision becomes reality, as the BMW Vision iNEXT becomes the BMW iX. A year before its market launch at the end of 2021, the BMW Group is providing a first look ahead to the future BMW iX, which is currently still in the series development phase.

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. With its completely newly developed, precise and minimalist design, the BMW iX is the first representative of a trailblazing generation of cars poised to redefine the driving experience, the feeling of interior space and the relationship between a vehicle and those on board.

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 clear and minimalist exterior design showcases a new form of mobility geared squarely to the needs of the vehicle’s occupants. Its interior offers those on board innovative options for using the time during a journey – and enjoying relaxation, safety, security, and a new form of luxury in the process.

The fifth generation of BMW eDrive technology – which encompasses the two electric motors, the power electronics, the charging technology and the high-voltage battery – guarantees exceptional efficiency. 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 500 hp. That will be enough to power the BMW iX from 0 to 62 mph in under 5.0 seconds.

A clear development aim was for the BMW iX to post an exceptionally low combined 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 over 600 kilometres in the WLTP cycle. That equates to more than 300 miles according to the EPA’s FTP-75 test procedure. (All figures relating to performance, energy consumption and range are provisional values based on the car’s current stage of development.)

BMW iX BMW iX BMW iX BMW iX BMW iX

 

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 per cent of its full capacity in under 40 minutes. Added to which, within ten minutes enough energy can be fed into the battery to increase the car’s range by more than 75 miles. It takes less than eleven hours to charge the high-voltage battery from 0 to 100 per cent at 11 kW from a Wallbox.

The batteries fitted in the BMW iX are designed as part of a long-term resource cycle and enable an exceptionally high recycling rate. The power used to produce the battery cells and the high-voltage battery as a whole come exclusively from renewable sources.

 The first ever BMW iX – Sports package The first ever BMW iX – Sports package The first ever BMW iX – Sports package The first ever BMW iX – Sports package The first ever BMW iX – Sports package

 

 

The BMW iX is leading the way for a future generation of cars with which the company is redefining sustainability, driving pleasure and what it means to be premium. This trailblazing character is clearly expressed in the car’s design. It provides the basis for a new kind of driving experience in which familiarity, relaxation and self-determination are the dominant themes.

The exterior of the BMW iX represents a distinctive re-imagining of the powerful proportions of a large BMW SAV. 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 minimalist use of character lines and generously shaped surfaces conjure a sense of supreme assurance. The crisp lines, clear structure and almost rectangular contours around the wheel arches contribute to an imposing body design. And the reduced design language steers the eye onto precisely constructed details which accentuate the sophisticated character, brand identity and optimised aerodynamics of the BMW iX.

At the front stands the prominent, vertically emphasised kidney grille. Since the electric drive system of the BMW iX requires only a small amount of cooling air, the kidney grille is completely blanked off. Its role has duly turned digital and it functions as an intelligence panel. Camera technology, radar functions and other sensors are integrated seamlessly into the grille behind a transparent surface.

Developed and produced at the BMW Group’s lightweight design and technology centre (LuTZ) in Landshut, the kidney grille for the BMW iX presents a technologically lavish advertisement for intelligent mobility. The grille has reinvented itself as an innovative and multifunctional high-tech interface for the advanced driver assistance systems with which the BMW iX paves the way for automated driving.

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.

A high level of spaciousness, a mixture of high-quality materials, newly developed seats with integral head restraints and an exceptionally large panoramic glass roof immerse all five seats of the BMW iX cabin in a luxurious, lounge-like ambience. The all-new architecture of the BMW iX cabin underpins a perfectly clear and straightforward functionality that revolves entirely around the needs and emotions of the driver and their fellow occupants. The drive concept means there is no centre tunnel, adding to the open, airy feel while also allowing extra legroom in the front and rear, sufficient space for storage facilities, and a centre console crafted to look like a high-quality piece of furniture. The minimalistic design language and clearly structured surfaces shine an even brighter spotlight on the feeling of spaciousness inside the car.

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 interior design conveys a sense of safety and familiarity, engendering a new type of bond between occupants and vehicle. The shy tech approach for the interior can be seen in a number of features, including speakers integrated out of sight, intricately styled air vents, heated surfaces and the discreet recessing of the BMW Head-Up Display’s projector into the instrument panel so it is almost invisible. The hexagonally shaped steering wheel, a rocker switch for gear selection and the BMW Curved Display – which forms part of the next-generation BMW Operating System – clearly signal the futuristic form of driving pleasure on offer.

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