BMW’s 2021 iNext Electric SUV Will Be Its Technology Flagship

Following BMW’s own images of the iNext crossover, our spy photographers caught the camouflaged electric SUV undergoing cold-weather testing.

The production version of the iNext will be an SUV with a similar size to an X5 and BMW’s first model to use the brand new platform, designed to accommodate both conventional ICE vehicles and battery electric cars.

The upcoming BMW iNext will act as the brand’s technology flagship, sitting above the rest of the future ‘i’ models. As for its styling, even with the heavy camouflage on, it’s pretty obvious that BMW isn’t going to transfer the somehow controversial design of the concept to the road, despite the designer giving us a good scare back in December. Some details might find their way on to production but the vehicle itself appears to adopt a much safer -and acceptable- design.

With that said, expect a rather large version of BMW’s kidney grille up front (which will probably be home for various sensors for the Level 3 self-driving system) paired to a set of slim headlights and an overall curvier bodywork than models like the X5 and X7. The exterior door handles will also sit flush with the bodywork, a detail we first saw in the upcoming i4.

Previous reports suggest that production iNext models will have the electric motor mounted on the rear (like Tesla does) as standard, with the battery pack mounted on the floor between the axles. More expensive models will add a second electric motor on the front.

There’s no word on the production version’s driving range yet, with some reports talking about as much as 450 miles (724km) on a full charge. The iNext concept claimed a driving range of 380 miles (611km) and a 0-62mph (100km/h) in around four seconds.

BMW will launch the production iNext SUV in 2021, promising “a new era in driving pleasure”.