BMW iX (i20), EXPERIENCES after the first contact. A piece of amazing car that likes the i3 will love the iX [video]

The Polish branch of BMW invited us to a static presentation of the BMW iX xDrive40, during which we had the opportunity to get to know the car. First impressions? It looks better than in the photos, the silhouette is avant-garde, it is impossible not to notice it on the street - although not everyone will like it - and the interior trim is absolute premium. At a premium price.

BMW iX specification:

segment: E

drive: both axles only (AWD, 1 + 1),

power:

240 kW (326 HP) for xDrive40, 385 kW (523 HP) for xDrive50,

acceleration: 6,1 seconds or 4,6 seconds at 100 km / h

setting: 400 V,

battery: 71 kWh with xDrive40, 105 kWh with xDrive50,

reception: 372-425 WLTP units for xDrive40, up to 549-630 WLTP units for xDrive50; in kilometers, respectively, 318-363 and 469-538 km,

PRICE: from PLN 368 for xDrive799,97, from PLN 40 for xDrive440,

configurator:

HERE,

competition: Tesla Model X, Audi e-tron Quattro, Audi e-tron Quattro Sportback, Mercedes EQE SUV.

The following text contains a record of our impressions after the first contact with the car, as well as the views that we asked other participants in the presentation, as well as the views of our readers: Mr. e-Jacek, [former] BMW fan, and Mr. Wojciech, Tesla user. We were not able to drive the car, we can only calculate its mileage. 

BMW iX. If you want to drive an electric Rolls-Royce, this is it. Glamor and luxury

Time to market is extremely important: the Nissan Leaf was one of the first, so it could have a passively cooled battery, and for years no one even stumbled, which would be wise to actively cool it. BMW is late, so it needs to stand out from the competition. And it stands out. Compare these two photos and you will see how similar the BMW iX is to the Rolls-Royce Cullinan. Yeah The radiator grille in BMW should have been exactly like this.... Attracts attention:

Before BMW iX looks unusual with pointers split in two (they are not sequential) and laser lights, behind Combines well with the design of modern BMWs with a large surface area and narrow headlights. On the side... the sideline is the hardest thing for us to define, the easiest way would be to use the word "crossover" and translate it into Polish: a hatchback, swollen to the size of an SUV, without the characteristic blockiness of a typical BMW SUV. The manufacturer notes that the car has a larger interior than the X5 and wheels larger than X7:

Let's pay attention to the front: laser lights these are those in which the phosphorus vapor is stimulated to radiance by high-power blue laser light-emitting diodes. They are more compact than LED headlamps or provide higher light intensity for the same volume of headlamps. The daytime running lights are the white areas on top. They can be indicators too, we didn't see them working consistently:

The radiator grille itself has a characteristic structure consisting of triangles and pyramids embedded in a transparent material. This was one of our surprises: the surface, which seemed uneven to the eye, was flat and cool. Also, heating circuits are built into the plastic, which are probably responsible for removing a layer of snow and ice. These are those thin vertical threads, it was not easy to see them, let alone grasp them - but something happened there:

The hood is closed at the front. On the one hand, I want to look there, maybe there is a place for a down jacket, on the other hand, fantastic minimalism. Only the BMW badge opens, under which we find the filler neck of the washer fluid:

BMW iX salon. Marian, it's kind of luxurious here

When we open any door, we are greeted by the characteristic black material that some BMW i3 owners may know. Carbon fiber-reinforced composites increase vehicle rigidity while reducing vehicle weight. The glass in the door is not glued, Mr. Wojtek said that "maybe not necessary, because it is just quiet inside."

We sat in this model with pleasure, it was completely covered in soft materials and fragrant leather (natural). BMW has apparently decided that not everyone wants to wear "vegan leather" or oilcloth. The seats were comfortable and shaped to hold the body in tight turns. The headrests were immobilized and connected to the rest of the chair as the speakers were installed inside. The front seat could be folded into a prone position, therefore, with a prolonged load ...:

The steering wheel was characteristic, hexagonal. Although BMW showed it before Tesla did with its shuttlecock, everyone noticed its unusual shape only after the presentation of the Model S after the facelift. Media representatives, who were asked about the angular wheel, expressed different opinions - some liked the unusual shapes, others liked the traditional steering wheel. There was no consensus.

The gauges, although clearly protruding from the cockpit, seemed to fit perfectly into it. In the display on the left, we noticed three groups of LEDs illuminating the driver's face so that the cameras can tell if he is paying attention to the road. The round buttons on the steering wheel looked cheap, but that's probably the only dissonance:

IDrive knob, volume knob, travel direction switch and seat controls are all glass cut into crystal... There was plenty of room inside the car, both in the front and in the back. Unlike many other models, the floor of the car at the rear was completely flat, and given the sidewalks, one could even say that it had a slight slope on the inside:

As we mentioned there was a lot of space inside... I think this is best seen in the second photo: the backs of the front seats seem distant, and the cockpit is chicken, chicken in the front. There is no reason for my knees, feet, or hips to complain, and my height is 1,9 meters (in the evening, probably closer to 189 centimeters). The large space experience can be expected to be even more stunning when the sky, clouds, treetops and sun shine through the glass roof. In this version of the equipment, the air conditioning was four-zone:

The key is lightweight and you will not need to use it in the future. Starting with iOS 15.0, which was released today, new iPhones will be able to open the car at the app level. However, to use this function in a vehicle, a software update must be downloaded:

The luggage compartment volume is 500 liters according to VDA. This means that there is no underfloor compartment in this space. There is no trunk in front.

360 degree recording from the inside. It doesn't have any particularly engaging stories, but it allows you to inspect the car and see when it starts (approximately 1:17). At the very bottom of the text, we also present a 2D movie that represents the car from the outside:

Technologies

The car is built on a platform specially designed for it. Judging by the announcements of Neue Klasse, this will be the first and one of the last representatives of cars on this basis. The car will be available in BMW iX xDrive40 and xDrive50 versions. The difference in numbers is small, the difference in batteries is significant - the capacity is 71 (76,6) or 105 (111,5) kWh.

Opinions

Everyone we stopped by to ask for a rating emphasized that the car looks better live than in the photos... We've also heard it might polarize recipients in terms of design, but that's something BMW shouldn't have a problem with. The BMW i3 was also considered a design nightmare, and it was only when its silhouette was dressed that it became noticeable that the car was ahead of its time and looked timeless. Because it looks like: even today, after several years of presence on the market, the BMW i3 ranges are interesting and unusual. The same could be true of the BMW iX, although the silhouette of the latter is clearly heavier than that of the BMW i3.

Mr. Wojtek, who drives a car in particular With the Model X – and the Porsche Cayenne in the past – he approached the car pragmatically. When he set it up as a Tesla Model X, it turned out that the car would be a bit more expensive. Appearance and HUD could be BMW iX's advantage over Teslabut there is no door closing mechanism, autopilot, and it is not known how to judge the audio system.

Mr Jacek, who until recently was a fan of the brand, he wouldn't trade the S Long Range for this BMWbut consider whether to choose a Model X or a BMW iX for the wife. The problem is that Tesla may be cheaper, and it will be more practical in terms of the size of the trunk or the space inside. Nevertheless, he was pleased that BMW is accelerating and believes that if not now, then it can return to the brand after 2025.

From our editorial point of view, the most important thing is that BMW finally has a competitor to the Tesla Model X and Audi e-tron. Tesla is Tesla, the technology leader, but not everyone likes it. Audi shines stylistically, it's superbly modern, though it doesn't try to scare away potential customers - In our opinion, there is no electrician on the market with a more beautiful line than the Audi e-tron Sportback..

Beer Audi also has an Achilles heel: range... The BMW iX is more modern, sophisticated on the inside, and in the xDrive50 version it has a 105 kWh battery, while Audi will only offer 86,5 kWh. Thus, the BMW iX will travel about 80-100 kilometers further from the battery and, in addition, will be charged with 200 instead of 150 kW. In the city it will be completely irrelevant, on the route the difference can be significant.

More details about the car can be found in the manufacturer's materials (PDF, 7,42 MB). Here is the promised 2D movie. Background conversations are random and interrupted, I was not rude enough to leave after the video ended:

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