Photo: CarPix
Announced with great pomp and circumstance in March 2016, the iNEXT will be unveiled in the flesh in a few days’ time. #NEXTGen 2020 is the name of the online platform that will host the premiere, and the electric SUV dares to tread where the iX3 couldn’t in terms of autonomous driving and battery technologies.
Spied by the carparazzi as close to production specification as you would expect, the iNEXT is close to the footprint of the mid-size X5 if not a bit longer. Tall but narrow kidney grilles dominate the front fascia, flanked by slim headlights. Black plastic on the front lip spoiler, Goodyear low-resistance tires wrapped around five-spoke wheels with a two-tone machined finish, recessed door handles, an expansive glass roof, and a roof spoiler are also featured.
“Electric Test Vehicle” stickers leave little to the imagination of those who are curious about the powertrain, which has been previewed by a concept in 2018. Scheduled to enter production in Germany rather than China as it’s the case with the iX3, the all-new model is expected to feature three options in total.
Rumored to be marketed as the iX, the iNEXT is believed to kick off with 230 kW or 308 horsepower. Right in the middle of the lineup, you can look forward to 390 kW or 522 horsepower, mirroring the output of the Concept i4. As for the highest end of the spectrum, 455 kW or 610 horsepower should be more than adequate for a dual-motor crossover that feels more at home on the road than off it.
Two-axle air suspension, soft-close doors, laser lights instead of LEDs, and Level 4 autonomous driving capability are in the pipeline as well. L4 is described by the Society of Automotive Engineers as high driving autonomy in the sense that cars with this technological suite don’t require human interaction in most circumstances. The only level up from here is L5 which eliminates the human’s input from the driving altogether, but we’re still a few years off from mass adoption.
July 2021 is when the iX will enter production at the BMW plant in Dingolfing, which received €400 million to gear up for this model. At most, the production version of the iNEXT promises 600 kilometers (372 miles) of range.
“Electric Test Vehicle” stickers leave little to the imagination of those who are curious about the powertrain, which has been previewed by a concept in 2018. Scheduled to enter production in Germany rather than China as it’s the case with the iX3, the all-new model is expected to feature three options in total.
Rumored to be marketed as the iX, the iNEXT is believed to kick off with 230 kW or 308 horsepower. Right in the middle of the lineup, you can look forward to 390 kW or 522 horsepower, mirroring the output of the Concept i4. As for the highest end of the spectrum, 455 kW or 610 horsepower should be more than adequate for a dual-motor crossover that feels more at home on the road than off it.
Two-axle air suspension, soft-close doors, laser lights instead of LEDs, and Level 4 autonomous driving capability are in the pipeline as well. L4 is described by the Society of Automotive Engineers as high driving autonomy in the sense that cars with this technological suite don’t require human interaction in most circumstances. The only level up from here is L5 which eliminates the human’s input from the driving altogether, but we’re still a few years off from mass adoption.
July 2021 is when the iX will enter production at the BMW plant in Dingolfing, which received €400 million to gear up for this model. At most, the production version of the iNEXT promises 600 kilometers (372 miles) of range.
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