BMW iX Tech Flagship EV Electrifies Shanghai, Will Launch In China This Year

BMW has made its presence felt at the 2021 Shanghai Auto Show with a selection of rides, including the new iX.

Built around the Group’s new modular scalable toolkit, it will launch in China and other markets before the end of 2021, and will be offered in two specifications, the xDrive40 and xDrive50.

The lesser variant comes with a total output of 327 PS (322 HP / 240 kW), takes over 6 seconds to sprint from 0 to 100 km/h (0-62 mph) and can travel for 400+ km (249 miles) on a single charge. The iX xDrive50 has a combined 503 PS (496 HP / 370 kW), dropping the acceleration time to under 5 seconds and increasing the range to more than 600 km (373 miles) on the WLTP test cycle.

Comparison: BMW iX Vs. Audi E-Tron Vs. Mercedes-Benz EQC

A rival to the likes of the Mercedes-Benz EQC and Audi E-Tron, the iX is the brand’s tech flagship model, boasting the new generation iDrive that combines the infotainment system and digital instrument dials into a wide screen. Besides the usual offerings from Google and Apple, it will feature apps that are relevant to the Chinese market, such as the ones from Tencent that are extremely popular in the People’s Republic. The iDrive will also integrate the digital communication service WeChat, supporting phone calls, voice messaging and sharing of location data.

The iX will arrive in the United States in early 2022, in the xDrive50 variant, with an estimated MSRP of around $85,000. Europeans will also get the xDrive40 model when it goes on sale before the end of 2021, and pricing will kick off from €77,300 (equal to $92,831) in Germany.