[Auto] New 2022 BMW iX: high-tech SUV priced from £69,905

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BMW’s new electric flagship, the strikingly styled iX SUV, will launch in the UK in November with a choice of two powertrains and pricing starting from £69,905.

The entry-level iX xDrive40 uses the same twin-motor, four-wheel-drive configuration as the xDrive50 range-topper but with power output reduced from 500bhp to 296bhp. It has been priced to match a “comparable” conventionally fuelled BMW X5. A range-topping iX M60 version will be launched later this year.

The iX xDrive 40 can complete the 0-62mph dash in 6.1 seconds, with a 124mph top speed. The iX xDrive40 offers a claimed range of more than 249 miles per charge from its 70kWh-plus battery pack, which can be charged at up to 150kW.

Meanwhile, the iX xDrive 50 will be priced from £91,905 and will offer 516bhp, a 0-62mph time of 4.6secs and the same limited 124mph top speed. It has a 100kWh-plus pack boosts range to 373 miles, and features 200kW charging. It also features active steering and air suspension.

Both models will be offered in the UK in Sport and M Sport trims. As standard, Sport includes a 12.3in digital instrument display, which links with the 14.9in touchscreen to create a 'curved' display unit, an 18-speaker Harmon/Kardon audio system, 21in wheels and a range of driver assistance systems. 

M Sport trim adds an aerodynamics pack with bespoke front and side aprons, rear diffuser and air curtain, M Sport brakes and an Anthracite roof.

BMW has optimised range by increasing the energy density of the batteries, rather than the size of the units themselves, in an effort to keep weight down. The xDrive40 is capable of charging at speeds of up to 150kW, which, BMW claims, is fast enough to gain more than 56 miles of charge in as little as 10 minutes, whereas the xDrive50 has 200kW charging capability for 75 miles in 10 minutes. Both cars, the company claims, can be charged from 10% to 80% capacity in less than 40 minutes and use less than 21kWh of electricity per 62 miles travelled, on average.

Over the course of 125,000 miles, BMW claims, the iX xDrive40 has a 45%-lower global warming potential than that of a comparable diesel car.

The company is working to improve the sustainability of its supply chain and the increased use of recycled materials for the iX helps to cut production process emissions by 18%.

BMW now also procures the cobalt and lithium used for its EV batteries itself, to ensure that “environmental and sustainability standards are observed”.

Along with the i7 and i5 saloons, the iX1 will arrive as one of nine new electric BMW models by 2025. Under the Power of Choice banner, the firm has committed to selling more than seven million PHEVs and EVs by the end of 2030. 

The iX1 will serve as the entry point into the brand's expanding electric SUV range, sitting underneath the new iX3 and the flagship iX. It will also indirectly replace the i3 supermini, which has been on sale since 2013. 

Technical details remain unconfirmed, but the iX1 can be expected to use a variation of the iX3's fifth-generation eDrive powertrain, which comprises a 282bhp motor driving the rear axle and an 80kWh lithium ion battery pack that offers 285 miles of range in the larger car. 

It will play a central role in BMW's electric offensive, given the popularity of the conventionally fuelled X1. In its first five full years on sale, the crossover has sold more than 500,000 units in Europe alone. 

As well as an electric option, the third-generation X1 will usher in a bold new look inspired by the more style-led X2, while strengthening its ties to its 1 Series hatchback sibling with a larger front grille.

It will sit atop a reworked version of the current car's UKL platform, with modifications to accommodate the electric powertrain option. 

Expect the iX1 to share a cabin design with the other X1 variants, bringing the latest generation of BMW's iDrive infotainment software and a raft of advanced driver aids.