BMW iX1 EV SUV is finally launched and is priced at Rs 66.90 lakh (Ex-showroom). The iX1 is based on the BMW X1, which was the best-selling SUV of the Financial year 2023 and the overall bestseller too.
BMW iX1: Performance
The BMW iX1 has an AWD capacity and thanks to that, it produces a solid 313hp and 494Nm. It’s fast considering it can do 0-100 kph in just 5.6 seconds with a top speed of 180 kph.
Now performance isn’t all about speed. Since the SUV is an EV, it is equipped with a 66.4 kWh battery pack and has a claimed range of an impressive 440 km on a single charge. Also, you can recharge up to 120 km in only 10 minutes and up to 80% of the range in just 29 minutes at high-speed public charging stations.
The charging is also convenient since you charge the EV anywhere from your home to your workspace and can receive detailed information on your charging status with the “My BMW App”.
The EV also uses an 11kW AC charger that can fully charge the battery in 6.3 hours. However, it also supports a 130kW DC fast charger, that takes only 29 minutes to fully charge the battery.
BMW iX1: Design and features
Inside and out, the BMW iX1 is similar to its ICE counterpart, the X1 but with some minor changes. The EV has a similar front grille but with an ‘I’ on it to differentiate it from the X1 and the iX1 also gets some blue elements on the bumpers, grille and side steps.
Other than that, the SUV is equipped with 18-inch alloy wheels with adaptive suspension.
Inside, the SUV gets the slim BMW’s curved touchscreen Display that’s also voice-activated and has the BMW iDrive interface. The 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster is also loaded with BMW maps for navigation. There are also other features including a central console, wireless charging, an optional panoramic sunroof, a parking assistant, Harman Kardon 12-speaker sound system, automatic tailgate operation and more.
The boot space is also good and features like a folding floor insert and reclining angle adjustment for the rear seat backrests provide additional luggage room.
The car is available in 4 monotone colours – grey, silver, white and black.
Safety features in iX1 are similar to the X1 such as ABS, traction control, ESP and ADAS. Also, the vehicle is electric, therefore it has no engine noise. So, the SUV also has a feature that plays an artificial sound to make its presence known on the road, but it works at a speed of 30 kph only. Nice trick to minimize overspeeding.
BMW iX1: Rivals, Siblings and Will the Price Decrease?
Previously we broke the news of the iX1’s upcoming launch in India and now it is available in a single variant.
The BMW iX1 is the most affordable EV from BMW in our country, and it will go on sale alongside the i4 sedan, iX SUV and i7 luxury sedan. At a price tag of Rs 66.90 lakh, The SUV may be the most affordable in the brand’s line-up, but it is not cheap by any means.
However, if there’s a positive response from the market, the brand could start locally assembling the EV in future, the same as the X1 which will lower the price of the iX1.
For now, the BMW iX1 will be sold in India as a CBU unit and sits between the Mercedes EQB (Rs 77.50 lakh) and Volvo XC40 recharge (Rs 56.9 lakh) and also has rivals like the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV 6, both of which are cheaper than the iX1.
