More about the iX, a good look at the i4 and the lowdown on iDrive … it’s a busy week for BMW.

 ANOTHER electric moment from BMW, with delivery of local distributor information about incoming versions of the iX electric crossover synching with the parent in Germany revealing its next wholly battery car, the i4 four-door coupe.

Germany’s images of the i4 show a production-ready car, unveiled a year after the namesake original design study was shown.

The big difference? The one signed-off for NZ driveways will have four doors, not two, and so sit and badge as an alternate to the combustion engine-wed 4-Series Gran Coupe, with which it shares a platform and significant styling detail. 

A lot of technical detail remains withheld, but BMW says the model will deliver up to 590km of range from a single charge on the WLTP cycle and will offer a maximum of 390kW.

Earlier reports suggest this will only be available in short bursts from the performance-focused, range-topping variant, expected to be named the i4 M50. An entry-level eDrive35 and a mid-spec eDrive40 are also rumoured.

The maker says that power will allow the flagship car to hit 100kmh from a standstill in ‘around’ four seconds, likely with the help of all-wheel drive. That sprint time, and the range, are equivalent to figures claimed for Tesla’s Model 3 Long Range.

Game on? Well, presumably yes, though BMW seems dead set on teaching the American make a thing or two about dynamics. Though detail about the chassis tuning is being held back, it is on record as saying that 'simply going fast in a straight line is not enough'.

Pieter Nota, member of the board of management of BMW AG responsible for Customer, Brands and Sales, has also since commented: "With its sporty looks, best in class driving dynamics and zero local emissions, the BMW i4 is a true BMW. It makes the heart of the BMW brand now beat fully electric."

BMW's policy of making its full electric vehicles (EVs) appear as conventional as possible is strongly evidenced by i4. Blue accents and aero wheels separate it from the upcoming 4 Series GC, as do the redesigned bumpers and the lack of exhaust tips at the back. Both the EV and ICE editions seem destined to have a common frontal styling, including that oversized kidney grille.

By the time i4 shows, BMW should have iX well settled into the market – it’s set to launch in the fourth quarter of 2021, after all. 

BMW NZ has settled on choice of two battery and electric motor options: the entry-level xDrive40, and the flagship (at launch, at least) xDrive50.

The first mates two electric motors with a lithium-ion battery offering ‘over’ 70kWh of gross energy capacity, good for a power output of 240kW, and a sub-6.0-second 0-100kmh sprint time. 

Maximum driving range according to Europe's WLTP test cycle sits at more than 400km, according to BMW, with a combined energy consumption rating of less than 20kWh per 100 kilometres claimed.

The iX xDrive50, meantime, brings more than 370kW from a larger 100kWh-plus battery pack, enabling a sub-5.0-second dash from zero to 100kmh, a WLTP range of above 600km, and combined energy consumption of under 21kWh/100km.

DC fast charging is standard on both variants, at a rate of up to 150kW in the xDrive40, or 200kW in the xDrive50. A 10-minute stint on a DC charger is said to add up to 90km and 120km of range to the 40 and 50's batteries respectively, with both models capable of a 10 to 80 percent charge in 40 minutes, according to the BMW information sheet.

There’s talk overseas that the iX lineup will eventually be headed by an M60 model, set to enter production in March 2022 with a 418kW version of the xDrive50's powertrain.

BMW confirmed the new iX would employ a number of sustainable materials through its construction, including up to 60kg of recycled plastic.

Recovered fishing nets will be used in the floor mats, rare-earth materials have been omitted from the electric motors, cobalt and lithium for the batteries are sourced ethically from ‘controlled’ mines in Australia and Morocco, while the interior features FSC-certified wood, olive leaf extract-tanned leather, and other naturally-sourced materials.

The iX also debuts (with i4 being the second recipient) the eight generation of the iDrive infotainment system, which combine a 12.3-inch instrument display and a 14.9-inch central touchscreen into a single curved panel and is now technically known as BMW Operating System 8.

BMW says that iDrive 8 will be able to: "adjust to the driver's individual needs and routines, as well as the situation at hand" and will be: "a central operating channel of human-machine interaction."

Even though the familiar iDrive controller click-wheel is retained – and is now made from glass and with a gold bronze bezel – the big idea for iDrive 8 is to move beyond the traditional twist-and-click rotary controller and move more and more into direct speech control, with you being able to chat to your BMW's dashboard and interact with it using natural language, rather than pre-set commands.

There is, of course, a digital voice assistant in the dash, called the BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant, and you can, by voice, interact with it, and it will get to learn your daily routine and regular needs and wants. There's also a new BMW ID, in which you can store various personal preferences and easily transfer them from one BMW to another.

There's also a new 'My Modes' setting, which allows you to customise and personalise different operating modes for the car, including Efficient, Sport and Personal Modes. The activated configuration is indicated by variations in the artwork specially developed for My Modes, the style and layout of the displays, and a change in the display colour, which adapts to the experience setting in the same way as the ambient lighting. Switching between My Modes produces acoustic changes, too, including adjustment of the engine or motor sound.

A few years back, BMW joined a car brand cabal that bought mapping and navigation company HERE from Nokia. That spend is going to pay off in iDrive 8, with a new BMW Maps function. Just like Google Maps and Apple Maps, BMW Maps will gradually learn your regular destinations, and will present them to you as options, rather than you having to regularly enter them. The system will be able to direct you around traffic hold-ups and will guide you to charging points if you need to top-up the battery.