The iNext electric SUV is one of BMW’s most important models in recent memory and was recently spied testing in the streets of Budapest by a CarScoops reader. Andras Deak sent us these photos of a camouflaged prototype being tested in the city. Like other prototypes spied in recent months, the SUV, which could also be called the iX or iX5, lacks any body cladding and just has some skin-tight black and white film across the exterior, thus providing us with a good look at its overall shape and size.
At the front, the iX will feature advanced
headlights with small LED daytime running lights, as well as faux kidney
grilles that house all of the SUV’s advanced driver assistance systems. This
prototype has a set of gloss black wheels that have more aggressively shaped
spokes than we’ve seen on the wheels of other iX test vehicles. Spin around to
the rear and Deak’s photos also gives us a glimpse of the taillights.
It is reported that the iX will be
available with three different powertrain configurations. Sitting at the base
of the range will be a variant with a single electric motor delivering 308 hp.
Slotting right above it will be a dual-motor version with 522 hp, while the range
will be topped out by an iX with 610 hp. All three will use an 80 kWh battery
pack.
BMW should unveil the iX before the end of
the year. It has previously confirmed that production will start in July 2021,
which means that the electric SUV will probably reach North America as a 2022
model.
