The luxury electric SUV segment in India is currently dominated by Mercedes-Benz, Audi, and Jaguar, and it seemed there was a BMW-shaped hole missing from the puzzle. This is all set to change soon with the arrival of the BMW iX on December 13. The iX will be the first all-electric product in India from BMW as the brand is now coming down hard and heavy on the competition with as many as six products planned for India!
BMW iX Design
We all know that the BMW iX was first seen as the Vision iNext concept back in 2018, and the production model has managed to retain some of the lines of the original concept. The iX receives the vertical kidney grille seen on the 4 Series coupe, which gets integrated sensors, camera, and radar for the driver assistance systems. The overall silhouette will remind you of current ICE-powered Bimmer SUVs like the X3, X5, and X7, while also retaining its own, futuristic vibe aided by the extremely sleek headlights and tail lights. An interesting bit — the BMW logo on the bonnet hides the filler for the windscreen washer fluid.
The iX will consistently remind you of its theme of electric mobility with blue tinges on certain elements of the body, and the charging socket which is placed where you’d usually fill fuel in your combustion-powered cars.
BMW iX Powertrain, Range and Charging
The BMW iX is offered internationally in two variants — the xDrive 40 and xDrive 50. The iX is powered by two electric motors, one placed on each axle, sending power across to all four wheels. Let’s start with the xDrive 40, which produces 321.8bhp and 630Nm of torque. The xDrive 40 receives a 71kWh battery with a WLTP-claimed range of 372 to 425km.
The xDrive 50 is the more powerful out of the two variants, putting out 516.2bhp and 765Nm of torque. A larger 105.2kWh battery with a WLTP-claimed range of 550 to 631km provides the iX with more range at hand.
In terms of charging, the xDrive 40 supports 150kW of DC fast charging, with a 10-80 per cent charge taking up to a claimed 31 minutes. On the other hand, an 11kW AC wallbox charger will take up to 8 hours for a 0-100 per cent charge.
Coming to the xDrive 50, which supports 200kW of DC fast charging, with a 10-80 per cent charge taking up to 35 minutes, while a 11kW AC wallbox charger will take up to 11 hours for a full charge. We don’t know what variant BMW will bring to India, but it is likely the xDrive 40 will make it here so BMW can price it competitiely against other luxury SUV rivals.
BMW iX Interiors and Features
Following the theme of sustainable mobility and showcasing future-readiness, the BMW iX makes use of recycled materials in its interiors, such as FSC-certified wood, leather tanned with olive leaf extracts and fishing nets used for the floor mats. In terms of the features and equipment list, the BMW iX packs a heavy one with things that are hard to miss, like the hexagonal steering wheel, the 12.3-inch infotainment screen and 14.9-inch instrument cluster made out of a singular curved glass. The iX is equipped with advanced driver assistance systems, BMW Operating System 8 with iDrive, along with personal assistance systems, 5G connectivity, a 2.5-zone automatic climate control, Bowers & Wilkins Surround Sound system with 4D audio function, parking assist, regenerative braking, and a panoramic sunroof among many others. We missed one thing — the hexagonal steering wheel comes with three-stage heating!
BMW iX Prices and Rivals
We know about the variants of the BMW iX, but let’s talk about prices and rivals. The most obvious rivals of the BMW iX are the Audi e-tron, Mercedes-Benz EQC, and the Jaguar I-Pace. We expect the pricing to be at par with the competition at Rs 1 crore, which should make the electric luxury SUV battle that much more interesting!