FUTURTASTIC!

BMW’s flagship electric SUV makes a solid case for EVs, but is it BMW enough?

- Anubhav Sharma

Electrification seems unavoidable, and while I am hopeful ICE engines will survive — in larger capacities than water bottles — almost every manufacturer is bringing out cars for the future. BMW probably jumped the gun with i3 in 2013, but there is a new range of i cars that are now ready. Everything is new — the platform, the battery pack, the motor, and the design language. Any new BMW is exciting, but when it is an all-new BMW, the stakes are higher.

BMW calls the iX their flagship SUV and it is much better looking in person than in photos. I may not call it an SUV, but it certainly has presence. The grille, which divides opinion, definitely attracts attention. Most people on the road turn around for a second look, and it is usually one of appreciation. Like most new EVs, the iX looks like a normal car and not a concept car. The iX is big and once you go past the grille, the sculpted bonnet and the headlights look good. That the 22-inch wheels do not seem out of place says something. The rear is a little simple, compared to the front, but nothing to complain about.