BMW continues the development of the iNext
electric SUV close to the Arctic Circle, where a test car was spotted covered
in heavy camouflage. The 2021 iNext SUV, which will most probably adopt the iX5
nameplate, will become the brand’s technological flagship as it’ll offer a
Level 3 automated driving system among other.
The cabin of the upcoming iNext SUV will
be one of its most impressive features. The dashboard will host one giant
curved display that’s highly customizable and there’s also a new polygonal
steering wheel with flat upper and lower sections for easier transitions
between automated and regular driving.
The exterior design will be completely
different to that of BMW’s ICE-powered SUVs, featuring a pair of slim
headlights along with a fake kidney grille that houses all the sensors and
cameras for the automated driving tech. Suffice to say that the ‘grille’ is
most likely to adopt the same kidney style with the concept.
The electric BMW SUV also promises to
offer an impressive driving range of up to 600 km and a 0-100 km/h in around 4 seconds. Base models will get a rear-mounted electric
motor, while the battery pack will obviously live within the floor of BMW’s
flexible architecture.
The powertrain technology will be shared
with BMW’s other upcoming EVs, including the i4 and the iX3 models. Back in
November, BMW said that the i4 will be powered by an electric motor with 523 HP
and a 80 kWh battery pack. The iNext is expected to feature a bigger battery as
well as a dual-motor variant among a wide range of different power outputs and
battery capacities.
The new BMW iNext is similarly sized to
the X5 and is set to go against models like the Audi E-Tron, the Mercedes EQC,
the Tesla Model X and perhaps even the Ford Mustang Mach-E. We expect BMW to
reveal the iNext sometime towards the end of the year, with sales to begin
early in 2021.
