BMW expands its electric lineup with new gran coupe and sports activity vehicle models, with just enough naming nomenclature to make sure only the truest Bimmer fans understand what's what.
The new SAV is the 2022 BMW iX xDrive50, which will wrap together 516 hp, a range of around 300 miles (482 km) and 200-kW DC fast charging in a CUV-like performance vehicle that will sprint to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 4.6 seconds.
If that's not quick enough, BMW also announced – but didn't yet provide details for – the first all-electric SAV from BMW M, the iX M60. The iX M60 will arrive with more than 600 hp.
Back to the iX xDrive50, it was developed as an all-electric model – the first BMW capable of 200-kW DC fast charging for its 111.5-kWh battery (106.3 kWh usable).
When plugged into a 200-kW station, the iX xDrive50's pack will recharge from 10% to 80% full in under 40 minutes. On a Level 2 charger, going from 0 to 100% takes less than 11 hours.
The iX's powertrain features two motors (one on each axle), a single-speed transmission and an electronic all-wheel-drive system that can, when needed, shift all power to the rear axle.
There's a double-wishbone suspension in front and a five-link setup for the rear, and an optional adaptive suspension will offer electronically controlled shocks and two-axle air suspension with automatic self-leveling.
Twenty-inch light-alloy wheels will be standard, and 21-in. and 22-in. Air Performance wheels will be available.
Two other BMW firsts in the iX xDrive50 (interior pictured below) will make connecting the vehicle to the outside world easier: It will be the first BMW offering 5G connectivity, and it also has a "Personal eSIM," which – if you have a compatible mobile service provider and decide to opt in – sort of turns the car into a large cell phone that can make calls and texts even without your phone nearby.
The car’s BMW Maps navigation system uses real-time information and forecasting models to predict traffic along the way to your destination.
If you don't input your destination but have regular commuting routes, the car's "Learning Navigation" system will try to guess where you're going and provide traffic and other updates it thinks you'll find useful.
The iX uses the latest, eighth-generation version of BMW iDrive, which is capable of over-the-air updates so the automaker can add features after it leaves the dealer lot.
While the new, larger kidney grille guarantees the iX won't ever be confused with older BMWs, the iX's overall exterior design draws from a number of current models in the corporate stable.
The automaker says the iX (pictured above) combines the "functionality of the X5 with the agility of the X6 and the expressive appearance of the X7." The iX was designed with efficiency in mind, with a drag coefficient (Cd) of just 0.25.
BMW also offers more details about the 2022 i4 eDrive40 and i4 M50 four-door sedans.
The i4 was revealed earlier this year, but now we know these new electric "gran coupes" (as BMW calls them) will offer an estimated range of up to 300 miles for the rear-wheel-drive eDrive40 (interior pictured below) and up to 245 miles (394 km) in the all-wheel-drive M50.
The eDrive40's 83.9-kWh battery (81.5-kWh usable) can be recharged on a 200-kW DC fast charger, just like the iX. The i4 will offer 335 hp in the eDrive40 and 536 hp in the M50.
Those numbers translate to 0-62 mph times of 5.7 and 3.9 seconds, respectively. Top speed is 118 mph (190 km/h) in the eDrive40 and 140 mph (225 km/h) in the M50.
BMW iDrive 8 also will be part of the i4 lineup, again offering Learning Navigation and cloud-based BMW Maps. The i4 has its own connection to the cloud, but does not offer any of the eSIM features from the iX.
All three new BMW EVs will go on sale in the first quarter of 2022. The iX has an MSRP of $83,200, while the i4 eDrive40 starts at $55,400 and the i4 M50 (pictured below) at $65,900. None of those prices include BMW's $995 destination fee.
