BMW used to the be the trailblazer when it came to electric cars, with cars like the i3 and i8. Especially the i3 was very successful worldwide.
It's in the top 10 of best selling electric cars ever. However, since then, it went kind of quiet. Tesla came, Audi came with a lot of...
electric cars, so where was BMW? Well, after a short while, this is the result of the big advantage BMW used to have.
Not only in the shape of this BMW iX, but in the shape of the new iX3 and the coming EV, which can be introduced at any moment.
This iX will be the new flagship car. It's based on the BMW iVision, we showed you before already, and it's supposed to show you where...
BMW stands. Not only when it comes to electric driving, but also when it comes to luxury, gadgets and new technology.
Before we start things off, this is only a short introductory video. We won't be testing it thoroughly, that has to wait until we're allowed...
to drive it for longer. Also, I'd advise you to watch the video from my colleague Joas, who has done a static introduction already.
A few things that stand out to me, is that the design is pretty controversial. Judging on the comments, that is.
In the real world, it looks better than on photographs. Also, it's clear that this is the base version instead of the Sport-version.
When you would have the latter, the front would be different. What is the same however, is the grille, which hides all kinds of...
sensors.
If I look at the profile of the car, it kind of reminds me of an Audi Q7. In its lowest setting, it almost looks like an MPV rather than an SUV.
That's a popular trend these days. It has to be raised, but it doesn't need to be all the way up. Usability is the most important factor here,
and having said that, it's a very large car. It's even longer than the BMW X5.
It's available in two versions. A 40 and a 50, and I'm driving the latter. They don't only differ in power output, but in battery capacity as well.
This 50 has a 115 kWh-battery pack, which can take you a whopping 500 kilometres far on a single charge. The WLTP-range even indicates...
more than 600 km. Also, I've got a tad over 500 horsepower. The 40 'only' has a 75 kWh-battery pack and 380 horsepower.
Quickcharging can be done up to 200 kW, which is remarkable, because it's not really groundbreaking or anything.
Especially if you look at what Tesla, Porsche and Audi are doing. Despite all that, it's still an improvement compared to four years ago.
Right, we're underway. The first thing that stands out to me in here is the interior. I really didn't think they would take the iVision-interior...
into production. Look at the special upholstery, the specials seats, the way the screen is shaped. It's entirely different than...
we're used to from BMW. They've even kept the hexagonal steering wheel, which you can pull incredibly close to you.
I can't remember the last time I was able to pull a steering wheel this far towards me. At first, I had to push it back again.
However, when I tilt the seat, it makes more sense. Almost like I'm in a Formula 1-car. With a bit of imagination, that is.
I would've liked it if I were lower in the car though. I feel like I'm a bit on top here. Unlike an X5, which places you in the middle of the car.
That makes it such a good drivers car. Because of that, it's clear that this is bigger and more of an MPV than the X5, which is a sporty SUV.
Anyway. Like I said, it has over 500 horsepower which makes it nice and quick. Electric motors on both axles mean there's always traction.
It really shoots off the line. Less than five seconds to reach 100 km/h, which isn't too shabby for a huge car like this.
I did notice the electric motor slips a little, so there's no permanent magnet. On the other hand, it's not a sports car, so it's not annoying.
The handling then. They were clearly aiming at comfort, as opposed to the X5. This is meant to be like the 7-series I think.
It's incredibly quiet as well. If you want to, you can have some sort of spaceship-sound, or even a sportier sound.
You can also turn all of the sounds off, like in a Tesla.
For a BMW, it's a surprisingly comfortable car. That's because they weren't aiming for the X5, but for the 7-series when it came to comfort.
That says more than enough. Despite all that, it still has all kinds of chassis technologies which keep it incredibly tight if you want it to be.
And it comes to life the best when you're driving on beautiful German backroads, although it doesn't butcher motorways either.
I was able to reach 205 km/h, before the electric motor reached the maximum revs. If it had a proper gearbox, it could've gone faster.
but why would go any faster. Also, despite the speed, it's still incredibly quiet in here.
Then, the ergonomics. It stands out that both of the screens offer a lot of information. In front of me, I've got a head-up display as well.
And, most importantly, BMW still has iDrive. And I'm going to say it again. You've got a touchscreen, you've got voice control,
but iDrive is still the best system to use. That's just the way it is. And that's great.
When it comes electric driving, I think it could dose the power in a better way.
It sometimes feels a tad nervous now, even in Comfort-mode. That's because if you even go near the throttle,
it releases all of the power. They could spread that in a better way, to get a wider range of comfort.
I already mentioned the range. If you're able to go further than 500 km on a single charge, or if you have a WLTP-range of more than...
600 kilometres, you can take it for quite the ride. Quickcharging up to 200 kW is still quick enough, although it isn't the benchmark anymore.
The 40 is only able to quickcharge up to 150 kW, and when the Audi e-tron first came around, we were really impressed by that.
Other than that, it's a very luxurious and hightech vehicle. If you compare this to a Tesla Model X, this looks so much better.
However, the Model X has been around for a while already, so it's a matter of time to see what they'll be releasing in the future.
But it's clear that BMW wanted to be innovative, and they're hitting back with this car in the world of electric driving.
On the other hand, Audi and Mercedes are doing their own thing when it comes to electrifying.
Mercedes clearly isn't as far as Audi and BMW. I didn't really like their EQC.
The Audi e-tron SUV was much better, but this BMW iX clearly takes the lead. Also when it comes to infotainment and connectivity.
It's just a very remarkable car. Even the seating position is better than in the Tesla Model X. On the other hand, Tesla has such a wide...
range of charging stations, that's a big advantage. On the other hand, they don't win on range anymore.
In this 50, I don't know the average energy consumption yet, but we've been throwing it around and it's been 25 kWh per 100 km.
We'll find that out later. I don't really like the nose, but I do like the rear, and I think it's a big step into the electric future for BMW.
And it's coming quickly.