Automotive journalism can be very tricky. If you say what you really think about a car, the carmaker may put you on a blacklist and cut your access to its vehicles. Luckily, some people are gifted enough to say exactly what they want in a light and fun way that both informs the audience and avoids diplomatic issues. That’s what Jack Scarlett managed to pull off in his BMW iX review. Its title is very fitting: the ugly truth.
In the electric SUV’s case, the ugly truth is that this new BMW is massive without offering a lot of room in the trunk. Another inconvenient truth is that it uses carbon fiber to still be quite a heavy vehicle. Finally, the ugly truth is that the BMW iX is hideous. Scarlett says that by mentioning you will not lose it in a parking lot and with other funny metaphors.
Luckily for BMW, hideous designs can still be brilliant in their own fashion. Take the Pontiac Aztek as an example. I watched the presentation of that monstrosity at the 2000 NAIAS. If the word “cringe” were already in vogue back in the day, it would have been the preferred choice to describe the embarrassing dances GM used to present that thing. After Walter White drove it around in Breaking Bad episodes years later, people started thinking it was cool. Kind of.
That may also eventually happen with the BMW iX, but the shock of the first impression will require years before that is the case. Unless the people who can afford it take the chance to drive it, they will not know it is a fast machine or that it has a very responsive touchscreen, as good as those presented by Apple mobile phones or Tesla vehicles.
Scarlett also praises some other aspects of the car, such as the soft leather. However, that may not be enough to convince people to look at it with forgiving eyes – even if they are also sore. Those who watch the video until the end will get good laughs and a lot of helpful information about BMW’s new electric flagship. Too bad that the design team at the German company did not accomplish its mission as well as Fully Charged did with this video.
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