BMW’s Flagship Electric SUV Arrives In India At Rs 1.16 Crore

• Powered by a 330PS dual-motor all-wheel drive electric powertrain, with a 6.1-second 0-100kmph sprint time.

• A 76.6kWh battery helps it achieve a WTLP-claimed 425km, with charging speeds compatible of up to 150kW.  

• Features include the iDrive 8 infotainment technology, an 18-speaker premium sound system, wireless charging, and wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

• Safety kit includes multiple airbags, attentive assist, blind spot monitoring, as well as a 360 degree camera.

• Rivals the Mercedes-Benz EQC, Audi e-tron, and the Jaguar I-Pace.

BMW begins its electric journey in India with the launch of the iX flagship electric SUV at a price tag of Rs 1.16 crore (ex-showroom, India). Coming in as a CBU (completely-built-up) import, the iX in India is offered in a sole xDrive40 trim.

The party trick in the iX lies under the skin as it’s based on a dedicated CLAR platform. It comes with a dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric powertrain giving it 330PS of grunt and 630Nm of twist. It's enough to propel the SUV from 0-100kmph in 6.1 seconds. In markets abroad, there’s a higher xDrive50 trim that puts out 530PS and 765Nm using the same dual-motor setup. 

Power ain’t everything, with a 76.6kWh battery pack helping the iX achieve a WLTP-claimed range of up to 425km on a single charge. Speaking of charging, the iX supports charging speeds of up to 150kW, which does a 0-80 percent charge in just 30 minutes. BMW India is also offering an 11kW wall box charger as complimentary, which gives a zero to 100 percent charge in 7 hours. 

Mechanicals aside, the iX stands out with BMW’s latest design language and an upright stance, as well as prominent arches above the wheels to give it a muscular look. Aside from the abnormally large kidney grille up front, and the swanky 21-inch wheels, there are blue accents on the body to denote its green credentials. It can be specced in five body shades-- Mineral White, Phytonic Blue, Black Sapphire, Sophisto Grey and Aventurine Red. 

Despite India not getting the top-spec xDrive50, the BMW xDrive40 is still decently specced with top-of-the line bits. It's the first BMW in India to get the iDrive 8 infotainment technology which is a curved dual-screen display comprising a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and a 14.9-inch touchscreen infotainment system. It’s got Artificial Intelligence (AI) with voice commands and gesture control. 

Other notable features include a panoramic glass roof, multi-colour ambient lighting, an 18-speaker Harman Kardon sound system, wireless charging, as well as wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Safety is covered by multiple airbags, a 360-degree camera, ABS with dynamic stability control, ISOFIX child mounts, as well as a tyre pressure monitoring system. It's also got a raft of assists such as parking and reverse assist, brake assist, blind spot detection, front collision warning, lane departure/change warning, and attentive assist. The iX recently scored a 5-star Euro NCAP safety rating.

 

Even though you’ve booked your BMW iX, you’ll have to wait a little while to get your hands on it, as BMW will commence deliveries from April 2022. It takes on other luxury electric SUVs such as the Mercedes-Benz EQC, Audi e-tron, and Jaguar I-Pace.