Now, here it comes. Bmw's large SUV has a synchronous electric motor with more than 500 horsepower, a WLTP range of more than 500 kilometers, and a very designed appearance. Let's hit the road with the iX xDrive 50.
After travelling about 350 kilometers from Berchtesgaden via Dingolfing to Munich Airport, the BMW iX xDrive50's range indicator shows a battery capacity of around 40% and a remaining mileage of about 200 kilometers. This may explain all the problems that need to be explained about the endurance of electric vehicles.
The average energy consumption is about 23 kWh/100 km, which is roughly equivalent to the energy of 2.5 liters of diesel. This figure is indeed worth mentioning, because it is not an economy car that crosses Bavaria to the airport with the energy consumption of a two-stroke moped, but a 385 kW mature SUV. You can certainly calculate the energy consumption "from the wellhead to the wheel", but, to be honest, with the current level of technology, it is not realistic to achieve the above individual mobility with lower energy consumption.
The new iDrive
The day begins with plenty of sunshine in Berchtesgaden and an Alpine white iX xDrive50, which, as mentioned above, has 523 horsepower or 385 kilowatts. At first glance, this electric SUV seems smaller than its actual data. A glance at the datasheet reveals that it is an X5-like car, almost 5 meters long and nearly 1.70 meters high. The designers paid homage to the i3 on the rear roof pillars. Paying homage to a "v"? Yes, not a typo, but Latin, meaning reverence.
After all, the iX has BMW's fifth-generation electric drivetrain, whose current-stirring rotor bottom design can also be traced back to the i3 and its predecessors, the Mini E and BMW Active E. In the iX, the motor has two representative figures, one is the peak power of the front axle of 190 kW, and the other is the peak power of the rear axle of up to 230 kW, with slightly different configurations.
Together, these two electric motors provide a system torque of 765 Nm. Between the two axes and the motor is the battery cell, 14 cm high, consisting of 11 modules with 500 batteries. Therefore, the net energy storage of the battery pack reaches 105.2 kilowatts. According to the WLTP standard, this is enough to support the car to travel 630 kilometers, and if the car is driven economically and rationally, this value is by no means a fantasy.
When you first enter iX, you don't need to know all this. It surrounds you with a stylish casual atmosphere, a far cry from the simplicity that the i3 emphasizes. A combination of instrument display and centre display dominates here, unfolding in front of the driver's seat in a wide arc; the centre console has been reduced to a handrail with an integrated control island. It features a start button, a driver switch and an iDrive controller. In other words, you can find everything you need to start this BMW iX.
Level 3 autonomous driving
The new OS 8 features a transparent rotary button that not only improves in terms of feel and intuitiveness, but also makes the operating logic more concise. The iX's operating system tries its best to hide many different technical processes in the vehicle. For example, a mobile phone can be connected quickly and simply.
When you're ready, let's go. Hanging up block D, the winding route to the stopover destination of Dingolfing is displayed on the monitor, and we pass the Eagle's Nest (Kehlsteinhaus, the Alps near Berchtesgaden, 1834 meters above sea level) in the morning fog. The interior of the car is spacious and bright, with a wide view, so the traffic jams on holidays on the German-Austrian border are also more acceptable.
iX itself has done most of the work. After all, Level 3 autonomous driving has been achieved. Adaptive energy recovery allows it to slow down appropriately at intersections or behind vehicles in front. This feature is quite believable when you're grinding through traffic like this. 5 cameras, 5 radar sensors and 12 ultrasonic sensors continuously monitor the surrounding environment and support the driver to a greater or lesser extent when driving, energy recovery, lane holding or stopping.
One of the driving-supporting systems is the Professional Driver Assistance System (€1700), which combines the functions of active cruise control, steering assist, lane assist and even emergency lane assist, which can be activated via a button on the left side of the steering wheel.
The congested traffic gave us enough time to play around with the various systems. But then on the motorway, traffic became sparse – mainly because there were few cars on the A8 road to Munich that could keep up with the 765 Nm. The speed of the vehicle reaches 200 km / h and it will not continue to increase speed, although the iX can run faster.
On the way to Dingefing
Typical BMW features: Torque does not rush towards the vehicle and occupants like a giant wave, but increases in a stable way through the acceleration pedal, but almost imperceptibly, and it wants to achieve a power output like a very powerful internal combustion engine.
Then, to the north is a country road, on the right is Austria, and in the middle are fields, hills and small towns. With the help of the iX 50's standard active steering system, the iX proves its surprising agility. The front and rear air suspensions showcase their talents on less than ideal sections and show very good travel comfort.
The speed of reaching the mid-way destination of Dingefing was too fast. With iX, you'll want to travel even more. After all, when I walked here, the battery was still 60% charged.
summary
Meet these to travel with an electric car: the iX's spaciousness, suspension comfort, luxurious atmosphere and range range are convincing, but these are also the reasons for the high price.
BMW iX xDrive50
Body: Five-seat SUV, length 4953mm, width 1967mm, height 1696 mm, wheelbase 3000mm, luggage compartment volume 500 ~ 1750L, curb weight / loading mass 2585/560 kg
Chassis suspension: front transverse double arms suspension/air spring, rear multi-link suspension/air spring, front and rear disc brakes, tires 235/60 R 20
Drivetrain: all-wheel drive, fixed gear ratio gearbox
Engine: a single-excitation synchronous motor on the front and rear axles, with a maximum power of 190/230 kW for the front/rear, 365/400 Nm for the front/rear torque, 385 kW (523 PS) for the system power, and 765 Nm for the system torque. Lithium-ion battery with a total/net battery capacity of 111.5/105.2 kWh and a charging power DC (CCS) of 195 kW
Driving performance: 0 ~ 100km/h acceleration time of 4.6s, maximum speed of 200 km/h, comprehensive energy consumption (WLTP) 19.8kWh/100km, endurance (WLTP) 630km
Base price: BMW iX xDrive50 98 000 euros