Australian sales have been confirmed of the 2021 BMW iX, with local spec cars due to arrive in the second half of next year. The first purely electric SUV from BMW’s i brand, the iX continues the company’s foray into its futuristic new design language.
Sized like the X5 but with five seats, the iX will be offered with two electric motors, a range of over 600km and a 0-100km/h sprint time of under 5.0 seconds.
“The BMW Group is constantly striving to re-invent itself,” said Oliver Zipse, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG.
“That is a central element of our corporate strategy. The BMW iX expresses this approach in an extremely concentrated form.”
Under the bonnet of the 2021 BMW iX are two electric motors that produce 370kW in total. The power is sent to all four wheels and is drawn from a huge 100kWh battery pack that’s mounted underneath the floor. Because of the large battery pack, the iX can travel over 600km on a single charge, while it can be recharged to 80 per cent in just 40 minutes using a 200kW DC charger.
But while the electrics are impressive, it’s the styling of the 2021 BMW iX that is putting this car on the map. Using the same new kidney grille design as the new 4 Series and M3/4, the iX looks drastically unlike any BMW before it – and drastically unlike any production car before it as well.
Grille aside, the iX’s design is quite simple and minimalist, and it reportedly has a drag co-efficiency of just 0.25. The minimalist design helps extract more range, according to BMW, and the iX also has features such as flush door handles in the pursuit of more driving range.
The interior of the iX is also unlike any BMW that has gone before it. The dashboard (or lack thereof) is dominated by a twin-screen set up – the driver’s display is 12.3-inches and the central touchscreen 14.9-inches. A brand-new infotainment system is fitted, which is the easiest to use at speed, according to BMW.
There’s a new hexagonal steering wheel, while the transmission tunnel has been ditched for a roomier and airier-feeling cabin. The minimalist theme has extended to the cabin too, with a distinct lack of buttons as most functions have been relegated to the centre screen.
Under the skin is the same sort of technology that BMW used in the i3 and i8 with an aluminium chassis with significant amounts of carbon fibre to both strengthen and lighten the chassis.
The 2021 BMW iX has been confirmed for Australian sales and will go on sale locally in the second half of 2021 when local pricing and specs will be announced.
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