Wednesday, August 14, 2019

BMW Vision iNext Teased With Gigantic Grille

And we mocked the iX3 Concept for having a rodent-like grille.

After showing a few vague sketches, BMW has released a couple of revealing teaser videos for the Vision iNext Concept, which will preview BMW’s answer to the Jaguar I-Pace. We still know very little about the electric crossover concept, but these latest videos give us a better look at the electric crossover before its debut.

The most striking feature is an illuminated version of BMW’s signature kidney grille, which makes the iX3 Concept’s rat-toothed grille look small by comparison. It’s gigantic and doesn’t look very flattering, to put it kindly. The chances of the production model getting the same grille are slim, however, as the design will likely be toned down by the time the electric crossover enters production. Above the grille is a slim pair of headlights that appear to blend into the side windows.

At the back, the concept features extremely thin taillights and what looks like faux diffusers. Previous sketches have shown the concept sporting square wheel arches, a sloping roofline and a short rear end. Overall, the design seems to be inspired by the Vision Dynamics concept unveiled at Frankfurt last year. Slated to go into production in 2021, the production iNext will be fully electric and serve as BMW’s technological flagship. It will be one of 12 electric cars BMW will launch by 2025.

Level 3 self-driving technology will feature, meaning that drivers will be able to take their hands off the steering wheel for extended periods but will still need to be attentive and take over if required. The iNext will also be capable of Level 4 self-driving, but the technology may not be available to the public at first.

It will ride on BMW’s all-new modular architecture, which supports a range of battery sizes. A 60-kWh battery would provide a 280-mile range, while a 120-kWh model would have a 435-mile range. With two electric motors, the BMW iNext will develop 443 hp, but as much as 800 hp could be possible with a third motor. BMW will reveal the Vision iNext concept on September 9.

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