BMW iX xDrive50: Bye bye 7er

The BMW iX xDrive50 is replete with the latest technical achievements from the Munich-based car manufacturer. The test drive with the electric SUV shows, however, that the Bavarians also score points in very classic disciplines.

At BMW, they ostentatiously demonstrate a sense of proportion. The customer decides which type of drive will be the right one in the future. And once the agreement has been made in the dealership’s showrooms, the Munich-based company always wants to have the right offer ready. But that doesn’t change the fact that battery-electric vehicles are an important pillar of the mobility of the future. So BMW also wants to be prepared for this case. But that’s not all: The E-SUV BMI iX is the new technological flagship and with its broad shoulders pushes the previous alpha animal BMW 7 Series aside.

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So the BMW iX is the first model from the Munich-based company based on the new modular technology for assistance systems. After all, in the not too distant future, cars with ever larger kidneys should be able to master level 3 autonomous driving. The BMW iX will offer a foretaste of robotic driving from March next year. The driver can record a parking maneuver and then call it up at the push of a button, the iX then automatically positions itself in this position. In order for such stunts to work, highly developed sensors and cameras are necessary. That is why an eight megapixel camera is housed in the striking front with which the E-SUV can see up to 300 meters. A total of five cameras, five radar and twelve ultrasonic sensors are housed in the mighty body of the Stromer.

Such a guard armada conveys security. In fact, the BMW iX xDrive50 does well in traffic jams and handles stop-and-go traffic without any problems. But we want to take our luck into our own hands. After all, we are sitting in the current top version of the Munich BEV Kraxler with all-wheel drive, which is made up of two electric motors: 190 kW / 258 PS at the front and 230 kW / 313 PS at the rear. This results in a system output of 385 kW / 523 PS and a torque of 765 Newton meters. Quite neat, albeit not unusual for electric vehicles, and still leaves room for improvement with a model that bears the letter M in the name.

That we don’t misunderstand each other. The power of the BMW iX xDrive50 is easily enough. The acceleration in particular is more impressive than the 4.6 seconds from zero to 100 m / h stated in the data sheet. You are even pushed a little into the comfortable seats, which, however, offer little lateral support, which is atypical for BMW. This is particularly noticeable in the corners, which the BMW iX hurries through quickly. To ensure that the dynamics also meet in-house requirements, the technicians have used the actuator-related wheel slip limitation known from the BMW i3s and the BMW 1 Series for the first time on two axles. The trick delivers the desired result. However, you can feel the weight of 2,510 kilograms and the lack of active roll stabilization when the SUV leans into the curve. But that never gets uncomfortable, especially since the air suspension of the BMW iX is trimmed for comfort anyway, which has a positive effect on bumps and bad roads. Such imponderables do not disturb the E-Crossover, which can handle such obstacles with impressive ease. Thanks to the stiff body, the low drag coefficient of 0.25, the performance of electric motors and the tires with noise-absorbing foam absorbers, the interior is also very quiet.

Another delicacy are the two fifth-generation electric machines that do not require raw materials from rare earths. “The engines are on par with those from Tesla and even better in some details,” says Johann Kistler. What the project manager means by this can be seen in intermediate sprints up to a maximum speed of 200 km / h, at which the energized synchronous machines do not run out of air at higher speeds or speeds despite the input gear. For this reason, a two-speed automatic transmission is built into the Porsche Taycan. The energy comes from a 111.5 kilowatt hour battery, of which 105.2 kWh can be used net. That’s good for a maximum range of 630 kilometers. With us, the on-board computer spat out 444 kilometers and a consumption of 26.9 kWh. That is 3.9 kWh more than the WLTP consumption in the data sheet. Whereby we were traveling at higher speeds on motorways. The energy storage is filled again in less than eleven hours with 11 kW alternating current charging power. Later BMW wants to push a 22 kW version. With direct current quick chargers it takes around 35 minutes with a maximum of 195 kW before the batteries are filled from 10 percent to 80 percent.

In the interior, the two 12.3-inch and 14.9-inch curved monitors, which are celebrated as “curved displays” in marketing talk, are impressive. For the operation of the eighth generation of the operating system, BMW relies on the familiar rectangular apps that are activated via touchscreen or the tried-and-tested rotary push button. It has a fine glass surface and the wooden deck of the center console is also pleasing, the lower hard plastic element less so. After all, the BMW iX xDrive50 will cost at least 98,000 euros from November. There is also enough space in the interior and a trunk with a capacity of 500 liters, which increases to 1,750 liters as soon as you fold down the backrests of the back seat. Anyone looking forward to augmented reality with its flying arrows in the head-up display will be disappointed. It is only available in the large center display. “Our investigations have shown that this display distracts the driver more,” explains Johann Kistler. Many roads lead to Rome, even with navigation systems.