BMW has finally made its foray into the luxury EV space in India with the iX electric SUV. BMW has finally joined the bandwagon of luxury carmakers like Mercedes-Benz, Audi, and Jaguar, which sell fully electric SUVs in India. Quite obviously, just like its rivals even the BMW iX is being offered as as a completely built unit (CBU) and competes with the likes of the Mercedes-Benz EQC, Audi e-tron, and Jaguar i-Pace.
BMW is offering the new BMW iX in just a single xDrive40 variant in our market and the company had already announced that deliveries will being in April 2022. The 2021 BMW iX is built on the brand's new architecture that uses an Aluminium space-frame and innovative carbon cage for high torsional stiffness while minimising weight. In terms of looks, the electric SUV comes with the signature design language of the new BMW models, but with futuristic styling elements to give it the EV persona. The car also comes with the signature kidney grille design, which covers intelligent driver assistance systems including radars, cameras and sensors.
The all-new BMW iX also features the brand's fifth-generation all-electric powertrain that uses two electric motors, one on each axle, to offer electric all-wheel-drive (AWD) function. As for the BMW iX xDrive40, the model comes with a 76.6 kWh battery pack, which powers the electric motors to develop a combined output of 240 kW or 322 bhp and a peak torque of 630 Nm. The SUV is claimed to offer a range of 425 km as per the WLTP cycle on a single charge. Globally BMW also offers a top-end iX xDrive50 trim which offers a combined output of 375 kW or 503 bhp, however, as of now, BMW has no plans to bring it to India.
The cabin of the new BMW iX electric looks futuristic and has a minimalist design, covered in soft-touch material. A rocker switch has been used for gear selection, while the car also features BMW's new operating system. The iX is also the first vehicle from the automaker to feature the new hexagonal steering wheel, which is said to improve ease of access and provide the driver with a better view of the information display. The seat adjustment buttons have now been moved to the door panels on the iX. The SUV also comes with a large display area with split screens for infotainment and instrumentation, acting as the car's main command centre.
