2022 BMW iX – Munich Doubles Down on Gaping Grille
By Edward A. Sanchez – Nov. 17, 2020
I’m just going to cut straight to it. The main reason the BMW iX has gotten so much attention over the last week is the presence of its exaggerated interpretation of BMW’s traditional “twin-kidney” grille. This is not the first appearance of this design motif, having first made its appearance on BMW’s 4 Series “concept,” the i4 concept before that, and prior to that on the i Vision Dynamics concept car in 2017. In each case, it seems the majority of observers openly wished that the styling motif was purely conceptual, and surely production cars wouldn’t be so unfortunate to be festooned with such a prominent proboscis.
Well, with the official unveiling and introduction of the 2021 4 Series, we’ve gotten the official, de facto answer from BMW: Deal with it.
Whew. Now that we have our styling rant out of the way, let’s take a look at some of the other features, specs, and attributes of the iX. BMW quotes a 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) time of “under 5 seconds” and a maximum output of more than 370 kW or 500 hp. Getting a clear view of the iX’s efficiency and range is a little trickier, since BMW quotes the wildly optimistic WLTP estimates of 21 kWh/100 km and a 100 kWh “gross energy content” battery pack enabling a projected range of more than 300 miles.
BMW is claiming DC fast charging capability of up to 200kW, giving it the ability to add as much as 120 km (75 miles) of range in 10 minutes. In this era of the connected car, BMW is promising on-board computing power 20 times that of current models, and promises 5G capability.
In terms of size and positioning, BMW says it will be roughly comparable to the X5, which for reference is 194 inches long, 87.3 inches wide (including mirrors), with a wheelbase of 117.1 inches. Unknown for the time being is pricing, but if we had to armchair quarterback, we would guess a starting price starting in the $65,000-$70,000 range, going beyond $80,000 with all the options.
The iX features a stylish minimalistic interior.
BMW at one point was the undisputable favorite of enthusiasts for its peerless driving dynamics, clean, no-nonsense styling, and its laser-focus on performance. Over the last decade or so, critics have complained BMW has lost focus on its core values and mission. While it still offers pure-play “driving machines” in the form of the 2 Series coupe and Z4, the rest of its lineup has expanded (or diluted, based on your perspective) to include models that are beyond its traditional blueprint of front-engine, rear-wheel-drive performance-focused sedans and coupes. It would be disingenuous to beat up BMW too much for jumping on the SUV bandwagon when everyone from Lamborghini, Porsche, and now even Ferrari are making them.
There is little question that BMW has the engineering talent and capability to make world-class vehicles. But it is a totally valid question to ask if the vision of future performance that the iX represents is what current and future luxury and performance buyers want or will be asking for. As of right now, Tesla has an indisputable head start in the premium EV space in terms of technology and sales volume. The somewhat disappointing initial figures of the Jaguar I-Pace and Audi e-tron may not be indicative of the potential market for non-Tesla luxury EVs. But in terms of which brand will be able to be a true marketplace competitor to Tesla in the space is an open question. Does the iX offer a more compelling vision of future EV luxury crossovers than the Model X/Y, Audi e-tron, or the Cadillac Lyriq? The marketplace will be the judge.
(Images courtesy BMW)
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