BMW is set to launch its all-electric iX SUV in India on December 11. The BMW iX will come to our shores via the Completley Built Up (CBU) route and rival the likes of the Mercedes-Benz EQC and Audi e-tron SUVs.
Globally, the iX is available in two variants — as iX xDrive 40 and iX xDrive 50. The former produces 326hp of power and 630Nm of peak torque and has a driving range of up to 414km, as per the Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicles Test Procedure (WLTP) cycle. The latter produces 523hp and 765Nm of peak torque and has a driving range of up to 611km on the WLTP cycle.
Both variants get a dual electric motor set-up with one motor on each axle, effectively giving it an all-wheel drive (AWD). The AWD system distributes torque variably between the front and rear axles, depending on driving conditions, even allowing the iX to run in a pure rear-wheel-drive set-up and switch to all-wheel drive when needed.
ADVERTISEMENT
Coming to the battery packs, the iX xDrive 50 uses a 71kWh pack with the xDrive 50 equipped with a larger 105.2kWh unit. The charging system employed by the iX enables optional DC fast charging at up to 195kW, allowing the battery to be charged from 10 to 80 % in 35 minutes for the xDrive 50 variant. The iX xDrive 40 takes just 31 minutes for the same using a DC charger.
BMW also provides an 11kW AC wallbox fast charger with the iX, using which the batteries can be topped up from 0 % to 100 % in less than 11 hours for the xDrive 50 variant and about 7.5 hours for the xDrive 40. It, however, remains to be seen if BMW provides the AC wallbox charger as standard with the iX, like its rivals.
In terms of design, the iX is a futuristic and a fresh take on the BMW look, with several EV-specific bits that set it apart from the brand’s ICE-powered models. The face is characterised by BMW’s unmistakable and rather large kidney grille flanked by sleek headlamps that feature a quartet of light bands in place of BMW’s traditional corona light graphic. The tail lamps, too, have a similar sleek design. Other design highlights of the iX include frameless doors, a fixed clamshell-style bonnet and tapered glasshouse. The iX can ride on up to 22-inch aerodynamically optimised rims.
ADVERTISEMENT
While the iX is sized similarly to a BMW X5, its interior space is more comparable to that of the X7, thanks to the dedicated electric architecture. The real highlight of the interior is, however, the hexagonal steering wheel and the massive curved display that doubles up as an instrument cluster and infotainment unit. The single-piece curved glass groups a 12.3-inch instrument cluster and a 14.9-inch infotainment display, both of which are angled towards the driver.
It is expected the BMW iX will be priced north of the ₹1 crore mark, similar to its rivals.