CARS OF THE WORLD

BMW i4 2022.

BMW showed the production i4 liftback and shared details about the iX crossover.
BMW is preparing to launch a new generation of electric vehicles on the global market. The iX crossover will appear at Russian dealers in 2022.

Today it is customary to call models of the new generation electric vehicles that were developed on the original platform and have a power reserve on one charge at the level of Tesla, that is, about 500 km.

Whether the BMW i4 and BMW iX meet this definition is up to you. At the heart of both new products is the deeply redesigned CLAR platform common to all BMW models with a longitudinally mounted combustion engine.

The unification allows the new electric trains to be produced at the Dingolfing plant, Germany, side by side with traditional gasoline and diesel models, with much more design changes compared to the BMW iX3 purely conversion rear-wheel drive electric crossover, which debuted last year and is made in China.

BMW will not have an electric vehicle platform created from scratch until 2025.

The premiere of the BMW iX took place in November last year, but then the company said practically nothing about the crossover device, and today prices for the European market and more detailed characteristics have been published, although the press release is still replete with the words «about», «more», » less ”,“ over ”and“ approximately ”- this is a typical PR technique, which should induce the media to write about the new product again immediately before the start of sales, already with precise characteristics.

So, it is known that BMW iX will enter the European market before the end of this year in two versions: xDrive40 (price in Germany from 77,300 euros) and xDrive50 (from 98,000 euros). Both, as you might guess from the designation, imply two electric motors (one for each axle) and four-wheel drive.

The BMW iX xDrive40 has a combined output of over 300 hp. and can dial the first «hundred» in about 6 seconds. A battery with a capacity of 70 kWh located in the floor allows you to travel more than 400 km on a single charge in the WLTP cycle.

The maximum charging power is 150 kW, it allows you to «feed» the battery from 10 to 80% in 40 minutes.

On the BMW iX xDrive50, electric motors deliver over 500 hp, acceleration to 100 km / h takes less than 5 seconds. The battery capacity is 100 kW • h, the power reserve on one charge is more than 600 km. The maximum charging power is 200 kW.

The exact dimensions of the body of the BMW iX are not available, but it is known that it is slightly larger than the BMW iX3.

The side doors have frameless glass. The drag coefficient cx is only 0.25.

BMW claims that only due to the aerodynamic qualities of the body, it was able to increase the crossover mileage on a single charge by 65 km, but some tricks will have to pay extra: for example, for «streamlined» 21/22-inch Air Performance wheels or Air Curtains air dampers that let air along the wheels and reduce turbulence in the arches.

The body structure is full of vinaigrette: steel, aluminum, plastic, carbon fiber and even carbon-fiber-reinforced thermoplastic, from which the hood panel and rear window frame are made.

The hood, by the way, does not open, there is no front trunk (conversion platform costs), and to top up the washer, you need to open the hatch emblem on the front end.

Inside — a hexagonal steering wheel, a wide-angle curved frameless two-screen display with the proprietary BMW 8 operating system and a transparent iDrive washer with a touch panel and backlight.

The drive mode selector located next to it, the volume control drum and the parking brake button for an extra charge can also be «crystal».

Bowers & Wilkins’ top 1600-watt audio system has a whopping 30 loudspeakers. At the same time, regardless of your desire, there will be a lot of recyclable materials in the finish — the mass of only recycled plastic in each BMW iX is about 60 kg.

Front seats — with integral headrests, on their back side there are USB ports for rear passengers and a universal socket for attachments — «TV», table or clothes hanger.

It is gratifying that the Russian representative office of BMW announced the entry of the iX into our market in 2022, but the prices, of course, have not yet been announced.

It is not yet clear whether the BMW i4 liftback will appear in Russia. Today, BMW has completely declassified the appearance of the production version of this model and announced that the top version of the i4 will have a capacity of 530 hp, will be able to travel up to 590 km on a single charge and accelerate to 100 km / h in about 4 seconds.

More details were promised in the coming weeks. There are no photos of the interior yet, but it is unlikely that it will differ much from that of the BMW iX.

Sales in Europe will start before the end of this year.

According to the magazine auto motor und sport, the basic version of the BMW i440 will have rear-wheel drive and a power of about 330 hp, and prices will start at 48 thousand euros.

Meanwhile, the base Tesla Model 3 (448 km on a single charge, 5.6 s to 100 km / h) now costs from 39 990 euros in Germany, and the Tesla Model Y crossover (505 km on a single charge, 5.1 s to 100 km / h) — from 58 620 euros.