So far the cars from BMW’s electrified i sub-brand have looked like concept cars set loose from some designer’s studio and inexplicably put on the road. But with the BMW iX3 Concept, unveiled this morning at Auto China 2018 in Beijing, BMW’s taking a much more normal-looking approach to electrics.
This thing is notable for a few reasons. For one, it will be BMW’s first fully electric car with a reasonable amount of range—the i3 city car is pretty limited in what it can do, especially without the gasoline range extender. Second, that grille! That’s a pretty different take on the BMW kidney grille we’ve all come to expect over the years.
The crossover is the opening shot in a push by BMW to catch up with Tesla, who has been threatening BMW’s future (well, “threatening”) for awhile now. You can expect another all-electric crossover and a sedan from BMW as well, the iNext and i4, respectively, though it’s unclear when they will come.
Here’s more about the iX3 from BMW:
The version of the fifth-generation electric motor developed for the SAV generates maximum output of over 200 kW/270 hp. The likewise model-specific high-voltage battery has a net capacity of over 70 kWh, which is enough to give the electric SAV a range of more than 400 kilometres (249 miles) in the WLTP cycle.
That 249-mile range is impressive, in addition to the claimed horsepower numbers. And despite being called a concept, BMW says that the iX3 will go into production, in addition to the iNext and I4.
The future is fast approaching, and it may look pretty... normal.