In the past, there was Zeng Xiaoxian competing for the Spring Festival Gala ratings. Today, BMW challenges Chinese people’s enthusiasm for Singles’ Day.
Last night, after Weiya had been live for more than an hour, the production model of BMW’s innovative all-electric SUV, the iX, also known as the Vision iNEXT, had its global premiere with the documentary “iNEXT Discovery Tour” lasting about half an hour. To be honest, after watching the press conference, my impression was that the iX is impressive and BMW’s NEXTGen concept is worth paying attention to.
iX
There is little information about the BMW iX that has been revealed, such as the software core of intelligent cockpit and how intelligent the automatic driving is. These kinds of technological advancements that can whet people’s appetites were not mentioned in this press conference.
In BMW’s press release, there are only five specific product data for the iX: 600, 370, 5, 0.25 and 21. They are respectively the range of the iX under WLTP standard, the maximum output power, the acceleration from zero to one hundred kilometers per hour, the drag coefficient and the energy consumption per one hundred kilometers.
Regarding charging, we found some data on BMW’s official website. It is reported that the iX can support a maximum charging power of up to 200 kW. It can increase the range by 120 kilometers in ten minutes of charging, and the battery can be charged from 10% to 80% within 40 minutes.
However, it should be noted that there are brackets after these data, indicating that all the numbers related to performance, energy consumption and range are based on predicted values at the current development stage of the car. So, to put it in plain terms, we can infer that the iX battery pack is over 100 kWh from the range, but these data are not final answers.
Of course, we don’t need to dwell on these data, because for BMW, an early pioneer in electrification after the i3, i8 period, and now the fifth-generation eDrive electric drive system, even though the iX won’t be officially released until later next year, both the range and charging regeneration will definitely be impeccable.
Therefore, we should pay more attention to the design philosophy of future electric cars that BMW wants to convey through the iX.
According to BMW’s official term, “Shy Tech” refers to invisible innovative technology. In the documentary, BMW described the iX’s exterior design and said it is not a monster composed of elements such as a leopard’s eyes and a lion’s fangs. On the contrary, iX is “shy” because it hides some functionality invisibly.Translation:
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As a translator in the automotive industry, my role is to provide English translation, spell check, and edit the wording to make sure it conveys the same meaning in a more elegant and refined manner. Therefore, I will only answer the corrected and improved parts, without providing an explanation.
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In simpler terms, BMW is not blindly following the trend of electric vehicles by incorporating closed front faces and hidden door handles similar to Tesla, without assigning any soul to the design. BMW hopes that iX can retain the BMW design style while also connecting to this world of electrification.
Therefore, the traditional BMW kidney-shaped grille has evolved into a large intelligent panel. You can still tell at first glance that it is a BMW, but the fully enclosed design gives it a more electric and technological look.
In addition to that, this panel also integrates a large number of cameras, radars, and various sensors. As we know, with the continuous development of autonomous driving technology, intelligent cars are being equipped with more and more cameras and sensors. Although cars are becoming smarter, to some extent these hardware components do affect the overall design aesthetics.
Hammer T1, in order to maintain the overall industrial design aesthetics, integrated the SD card slot and volume button to avoid having an extra opening on the side of the phone. This innovative design can be described as revolutionary at the time. Coincidentally, the iX intelligent panel also provides a new way of thinking for the design of future intelligent cars.
Moreover, the iX's intelligent cockpit also adheres to the concept of hidden design. On the one hand, BMW cleverly hides the speaker of the audio equipment under the seat and behind the door fabric decoration. On the other hand, the central seat armrest also integrates a control panel with hidden functions, somewhat similar to the form of an intelligent surface.
It is worth mentioning that the iX is minimalist but not shabby, and is even a bit too luxurious. From the diamond-cut crystal buttons, the panoramic sunroof to the large integrated curved screen, and the combination of fabric and wood to create a high-quality home atmosphere, iX highlights luxury and comfort.
### Conclusion
Perhaps you may feel like you know very little about iX after finishing the launch event. I don’t even know how its operating system performs or whether its autonomous driving capabilities can reach L3. Though the appearance design and interior cabin concepts were presented, it wasn’t until the traditional rearview mirror and B-pillar were mentioned that I felt the iX was moving towards mass production.
So, my thoughts began to wander. I noticed the CE 04 electric scooter concept, the “smart clothing” that can light up and charge your phone, and the electric flying wing suit. To be honest, BMW’s “electric peripherals” even seemed to overshadow the main event.
I am looking forward to seeing more short-distance travel tools with great design like the CE 04 on the road in the future, as well as the enriching of our lives with more electric, intelligent, and technological products – not just from BMW, but also from other automakers. Starting from just one vehicle, developing into an entire ecosystem.
This article is a translation by ChatGPT of a Chinese report from 42HOW. If you have any questions about it, please email bd@42how.com.