First Look: 2022 BMW iX xDrive50

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And then there were three. With the world premieres of the 2022 iX and the 2022 i4 today, BMW has tripled its all-electric fleet. The two all-new EVs join the i3 in the i sub-brand stable.

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The iX xDrive50 is a crossover based on the German automakers Sports Activity Vehicle concept, and will retail for $89,990 when it comes to Canada in the first quarter of next year. Pre-ordering opens June 2.

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Here’s what we know about the all-wheel drive iX:

According to BMW, it will produce 516 horsepower, has a full-charge range of 475 kilometres, and has DC fast charging capable up to 200 kW. Other technology highlights include a single-piece panoramic glass roof with electrochromic shading, a curved digital display, the debut of BMW Digital Key Plus, and iDrive 8, the newest generation of the automaker’s display and operating system. And yes, an M model will be coming soon, with BMW hinting that the iX M60 model will boast more than 600 horsepower.

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That’s a crossover-load of new tech, but at the heart of the iX is the all-electric powertrain, which the automaker says will spirit the five-seater from zero to 100 km/h in 4.6 seconds. The technology represents the fifth generation of BMW’s eDrive system.

Power is supplied from a 111.5 kWh battery pack (106.3 kWh net capacity), with charging times ranging from 11 hours on a single-phase system from 0 to 100 per cent, and 31 minutes to go from 10 to 80 per cent using a DC fast charger. Put another way, a fast-charger enables range to be increased by up to 150 kilometres in 10 minutes. That aforementioned horsepower output is joined by a 564 lb-ft of torque rating, and the power output from the front electric motor is 268 hp/260 lb-ft, while the rear puts out 335 hp/295 lb-ft.

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The all-new electric motors driving all four wheels were developed in-house and according to BMW have an efficiency factor of 93 percent, compared to less than 40 percent efficiency found in current combustion engines. And unlike so many EV motors, these use no rare earth components at all, as the excitation of the rotor is not induced by fixed permanent magnets, but rather the feed-in of electric energy. That power is channeled by a single-speed transmission—installed in the same housing—to the front and rear wheels along the shortest possible path. The electric all-wheel-drive system is fully variable and can split torque as needed from pure rear-wheel drive to an all-wheel-drive set-up for maximum traction.

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In terms of regenerative braking, the iX’s adaptive system is activated when the vehicle is in drive, but there are three manual settings—high, medium, and low—found using the iDrive menu. And if you select driving position ‘B’—as opposed to ‘D’—the regen engages so that the vehicle is in one-pedal driving mode.

Speaking of interaction between driver and machine, the new BMW iDrive 8 is a new generation of displays, controls and software designed with a focus on dialogue-based interaction using natural language and on touch operation. The system works with the all-new fully digital curved display, which features a magnesium housing and a frameless, single-piece glass surface. The curved, one-piece display combines a 12.3-inch information display and a 14.9-inch control display to form a single unit angled towards the driver.

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There’s also an interior camera that can be used to take snapshots of driver and passengers, and then send them on a smartphone using the My BMW App’s remote function. You can also use the camera and app to take a glance inside the car to check whether bags or other items have been left there.

And the BMW Digital Key Plus makes its debut on the iX. Using an iPhone outfitted with the U1 chip and ultra-wideband (UWB) technology integrated into the vehicle, as you approach the vehicle you are welcomed by a staged lighting effect using the exterior lights, and the vehicle unlocks just before they reach the door. Once in, the Apple iPhone can be simply left in the user’s pocket or placed in the smartphone tray for wireless charging; nothing else is required to start the vehicle.

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State-of-art technology is also all around you in the iX. The body structure’s aluminum spaceframe construction increases rigidity and minimizes weight, and has a beneficial effect on passive safety, driving dynamics and electric power consumption. The mix of materials for the body shell includes lightweight carbon fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) and high-performance thermoplastics, along with high-strength steels and aluminum. CFRP components for the side frame, rain channels, roof frame, cowl panel and rear window frame form what BMW calls a ‘Carbon Cage,’ which evolved from the Carbon Core used in the 7 Series.