Pakistan’s SUV scene is rather colorful. From budget, mostly Chinese made SUVs to expensive, premium, European made SUVs, SUV enthusiasts have a large variety to choose from. Talking of premium SUVs, BMWs iX xDrive50 – electric – has entered the scene with its head-turning looks, masculine dynamics, cutting edge features and an incredible range – much more than what most internal combustion cars with a full tank can offer.
Read more about other variants: BMW iX in Pakistan. Variants | Price | Booking | Specs
Electric SUVs have always been the center of attention. Let’s explore if the BMW iX50 is worth the hype.
Overview
BMW iX xDrive50 is the first purpose built fully electric SUV by BMW. Previously, BMW has done pretty fascinating stuff with fully electric cars like the famous i-series. BMW doubled its all-electric sales in the first quarter of 2022.
Design
BMW iX xDrive50 has a surprisingly unconventional design. But the good thing is it progressively grows on you. If there had to be two words for the design of this SUV – it would be sleek and minimalistic. The front of the car has super sleek and long headlights with laser technology. The famous BMW grille is now more vertical, looking like kidney beans. Beware! It’s not an actual grille; why would an electric car need a grille if there is no engine.
However, a special feature is that the grille has self-healing properties. It can automatically heal scratches when heated.
So there is no engine, which means more storage space? Well No! There isn’t any under the hood. Actually, it’s impossible for you to open the hood as it’s sealed by joining the hood with the fenders. If the hood is sealed, where do you put windscreen washer fluid? The front BMW logo opens up, and this is where you pour the washer fluid.
The air vents on the front bumper are real for perfect aerodynamics, unlike some previous models of BMW M-series that just used fake air vents. This e-SUV has a drag coefficient of 0.25 which means it just cuts through the air.
There aren’t any curves or grooves on the side of the car. Infact, it’s a very simple and clean design with only a mild character line across the lower body. BMW iX50 has 22-inch aerodynamic wheels with hyper finish alloys. You won’t find any door handles; instead, there is a groove where you have to click the electronically powered button to open the door. And the door comes with a soft-close function, which again is a luxury you can afford when paying this much.
Like the front of the car, the tail lights are slim and extend vertically. The reverse camera is integrated directly into the rear BMW logo.
Interior
Sleek on the outside, minimal yet super functional on the inside. The layout and interior design are much similar to the Tesla Model X. The first thing that comes to mind when entering the interior is technology. BMW calls it BMW Live Cockpit Professional, using a combination of a 12.3-inch instrument cluster and14.9-inch central information display. Every control of the BMW iX is accessible through a few clicks.
The fully loaded variant even gets crystal switches for gear dial, seat adjustments, etc. It even has 5G connectivity that’s smart enough to send you text messages ahead of time if there is congestion on your regular route. Or it can also notify the owner if someone is messing with the car. Once again, the AC vents are sleek, and so is the infotainment display sticking out of the dashboard in a premium way.
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The steering wheel is dual D-shaped adding to the futuristic appeal of this car. It’s also electronically adjustable, which is quite a luxury. It has all the frills as you’d expect from a luxury car. Ambient lighting, Harman Kardon surround system, driving assistant, and 360-degree panoramic view are some prominent features.
Being an EV, it’s inherent to have more cabin space. No gear console or center shaft is present; hence there is no hump for the rear passengers. Five people can sit comfortably in this car for short and long journeys.
This car is full of surprises; the extended panoramic sunroof doesn’t have a lid on the inside for you to close it if it gets too sunny. However, BMW has provided an option to fade the panoramic sunroof like frosted glass. We will see how well it can insulate the cabin in a tropical region like Pakistan.
The air conditioning system for the car is phenomenal. It uses digital climate control with 4-zone control. This means all four passengers can set their temperature with just a touch.
As previously mentioned, the hood of this car can’t be opened, so the additional boot space EVs have in the front is lost. So the only storage left is in the trunk. The trunk has a reasonably large 500L of boot capacity. However, when compared to its competitors like e-Tron, it lacks functionality.
Performance and Range
EV manufacturers often struggle with the balance between power and range. It seems like BMW has tailored an excellent balance between power and range. BMW iX has an outstanding range of 600km as per the company. It packs a punch with a power output of 516hp, powering all four wheels of the car. Being an EV, there is no lag in the power delivery, and it can go from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.5 seconds. In comparison, Audi e-Tron 55 Quattro takes around 6 seconds to reach 100km/h.
BMW iX50 is packing a 102.5kWh battery that can be charged in 7 hours with a standard 11kWh charger. However, a 200kWh industrial fast charger only takes about 35 min to gain 80% of the charge. According to BMW, you can charge the battery in 10 minutes with a fast charger to travel 150km.
However, we might get slightly different results in the hot weather of Pakistan. As battery efficiency drops at extreme temperatures.
Suspension and Handling
BMW iX50 uses advanced air suspension that can vary the suspension according to the road conditions. It’s super luxurious and quite inside the cabin; you won’t miss a beat driving this car. The driving experience is multiplied by the Harman Kardon surround speaker system located in the doors and the headrests.
This car weighs a whopping 2.5 tonnes, and it may sound too heavy to handle. However, the BMW iX50 disguises its weight pretty well, and it’s actually easy to handle. BMW has an augmented satellite and navigation system which projects the car direction upon steering movement.
Brakes are also an excellent feature of the car. Unlike other regenerative braking systems, this one is actually smooth. Not only that but the crystal clear 360-degree camera system and a handy virtual module enable you to hover at any angle making for a delightful driving experience.
Features
This car is loaded with features:
- Acoustic protection for pedestrians
- Ambient light
- 4-zone digital climate control
- BMW Iconic Sounds Electric
- BMW Live Cockpit Professional
- BMW Natural Integration
- Charging cable (Mode 2)
- Comfort access system
- Adaptive Cruise Control
- Driving Assistant
- Expanded exterior mirror package
- Harman Kardon surround sound
- Headliner anthracite
- High beam assistant
- Panorama glass roof Sky Lounge
- Parking Assistant plus
- Heated seats
- Shadow Line
- Soft-close function for doors
- Sun protection glazing
BMW iX xDrive50 Price in Pakistan
The price for the fully-loaded version of the BMW iX50 is around Rs.33,000,000 in Pakistan. It’s more expensive than the Audi e-Tron, which is arguably justified due to its long range.
In our opinion, BMW iX 50 is a perfect reply to exotic electric SUVs like Audi e-Tron, Mercedes-Benz EQC, Tesla Model X and Jaguar I-Pace.
Do you think the price is justified? Let us know in the comments below.
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