The BMW iX all-electric SUV has been launched in India for a price of Rs 1.16 Crore. Built on an evolved electric-only architecture, the iX sits at the top of BMW’s range serving as the firm’s ‘technology flagship’.

The BMW iX xDrive 40 produces 326hp of power and 630Nm of peak torque.BMW claims that the xDrive 40 can sprint from 0-100kph in 6.1sec and has a top speed of 200kph. The xDrive 40 gets a dual electric motor set-up with one motor on each axle, giving it an all-wheel drive. The AWD controller distributes torque between the front and rear axles, depending on driving conditions. The iX gets double-wishbone suspension at the front, a rigidly located steering column, front and rear roll axles, and uniquely individual damper control. The iX is based on the evolution of BMW’s CLAR platform that uses carbon fiber and aluminum in its construction. Incidentally, the aluminum used on the iX is mostly recycled.

Globally, the iX is also available in a higher-spec xDrive 50 variant that produces 523hp and 765Nm of peak torque, with a driving range of up to 611km on the WLTP cycle. As per BMW, this version of the iX can sprint from 0-100kph in 4.6sec.

The BMW iX xDrive 40 gets a 76.6kWh battery pack. As per the WLTP cycle, the xDrive 40 has a claimed driving range of up to 425km. BMW is providing, as standard, a 2.3kW, single-phase charger for domestic sockets and an 11kW AC wall box charger, as an introductory offer. Using the 2.3kW charger, the battery can be topped up from 0 to 100 percent in 36 hours, while the latter can top it up in just seven hours.

The face of the iX is characterized by BMW’s unmistakable and a rather large kidney grille. However, as there is no need to feed air into the radiator, the grille is sealed off and houses several cameras, radar, and sensors needed for driver assistance systems. In the iX, BMW’s traditional corona light graphic has been replaced by a quartet of light bands in the upper part of the slim headlamp assemblies. The tail lamps, too, have a similarly sleek design.  Other design highlights of the iX include frameless windows, flush-fitting door handles, a fixed clamshell-style bonnet, side skirts, and a tapered glasshouse. The iX rides on 21-inch aerodynamically optimized rims and 255/50 profile rubber. With all the aero bits and basic shape built to reduce wind resistance the coefficient of drag is an impressive 0.25.

BMW says that no rare earth metals were mined as well, and the car has a relatively high level of recycled materials such as plastics and leather. BMW iX SUV comes with features such as a seamlessly integrated curved 14.9-inch infotainment screen and a 12.3-inch driver display. The hexagonal steering wheel gets soft-touch buttons and scroller wheels and there is a center console with a touchpad. For music lovers, there is an 18-speaker Harman Kardon surround audio system with the rear speakers integrated into the back seats. The cabin has a bright airy feel to it, the front seats are large, sporty, and extremely supportive and with several crystal bits scattered around the cabin, this car feels both luxurious and techy.

Safety features onboard include multiple airbags, ABS with brake assist, cruise control with braking function, dynamic stability control (DSC), tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS), and a host of driver assistance features such as lane change warning with the active return, blind-spot detection, and front collision warning. The iX recently also scored a 5-star safety rating at the Euro NCAP crash test.