The battery-electric BMW iX made its official debut today ahead of a planned market launch in late 2021.
This new electric luxury crossover will serve as a direct rival to the Cadillac Lyriq and will also beat the General Motors offering to market, with the Lyriq set to enter production in late 2022.
The BMW iX will arrive with a dual-motor powertrain producing roughly 500 horsepower, enabling it to sprint from 0 to 60 mph in roughly five seconds. Power comes from a 100 kWh lithium-ion battery, which will give it an estimated 300 miles of range based on the EPA test cycle. The battery will support DC fast charging at up to 200 kW, allowing it charge from 10 percent to 80 percent capacity in about 40 minutes. The German automaker says it will also take “less than eleven hours to charge the high-voltage battery from 0 to 100 percent at 11 kW,” from a wall charger.
Like many other new BMW vehicles, the iX has an expressive exterior experience that is sure to be polarizing. While an EV like this does not require much cooling, the automaker still integrated its new vertical kidney grille into the iX. BMW says the faux grille mainly serves as an “intelligence panel,” for the vehicle, incorporating the front-facing camera, radar sensors and parking sensors behind a panel.
Inside, the BMW iX stays true to its quirky character with an intricately designed dashboard and door panels, a curved widescreen display and a strange hexagonally shaped steering wheel. A standard head-up display joins the widescreen infotainment display and features a compact projector that BMW says is “almost invisible.”
BMW also confirmed the crossover will be 5G capable and will come with “new and improved automated driving and parking functions.” It didn’t provide much detail on the crossover’s available tech, apart from brief descriptions of the above technologies, but the brand promises it will set “new industry standards with the technology in the BMW iX.”
The Cadillac Lyriq is a similar size to the BMW iX and will have similar technology and features, too. For example, the Lyriq show car was also presented with a 100 kWh battery and 300 miles of an estimated range, although it only supports DC fast charging at rates of up to 150 Kw. GM has not said how much power the production Cadillac Lyriq will produce, but like the iX, it is also expected to feature a powerful dual-motor setup with all-wheel-drive.
Pricing for the BMW iX has not yet been announced. As for the Lyriq, only the show car version has been shown so far, so we’re still awaiting confirmation of the specifications for the production model.
Subscribe to GM Authority for more Cadillac Lyriq news, Cadillac news, and 24/7 GM news coverage.
Comments
somebody forgot to remove the painters tape.
the grill looks like kim kardashian’s ass.
I’ll take the BMW all day long. Cadillac with that goofy tail light on the side, no thank you.
Dear JackP, I agree with you that the red “L” tail light on the side toward the rear of the Lyriq looks goofy. But I do love the interior of the Lyriq a lot better than the interior of the BMW iX. I thought about it and it’s really the interior that I’m going to see the most, so that is more important me.
The BMW is not a rival to Cadillac, it’s a rival to Tesla. The Cadillac, won’t even be close. GMauthority is delusional with their headline.
Dear Steve, That gave me a chuckle. After looking at it again, you’re right! But other than that, how does it look? 😉
This not nearly on the same level as the Lyriq, in terms of design.
Also,
B I G S N I F F
Agreed. The Lyriq is much better looking
Totally agree
I totally agree, as well. The Lyriq is much better looking !!!!
Dear Geoff, I partially agree. I love the Lyriq’s interior much better, but the exterior of the BMW is a little better. What I don’t like about the Lyriq exterior is that side rear red tail light. It just seems out of place. But I’m going to see the interior a lot more, so that is more important to me, so the Lyriq wins.
As usual Cadillac and Lincoln will be play catch up with the Import Luxury Brand it was a good move to add a grill EV without one looks odd. BMW EVs have the blue stripe on body hopefully Cadillac will come to market with the Lyriq name
The grill on the BMW is a BIG SNIFF, looks ugly!
Lyriq will outclass this bs.
BMW always ahead of Cadillac.
Very true but as I have been stating for a year now, the shift to BEV’s if done correctly will springboard Cadillac above the German Big Three. I cannot wait until Cadillac will become a Tier One Luxury Brand again
Undeniable. Cadillac will never outclass or outperform BMW. BMW is a purpose driven manufacturer, Cadillac is a GM brand driven by GM failed marketing. The GM diehards have never even driven a BMW, much less own one.
Dear JamesT, I’ve driven a friend’s BMW and it’s no better than a Chevy. Also, they break down a lot more often than GM cars. Thirdly, repairs cost a lot more on a BMW. And finally, if they don’t have the part in stock, one has to wait a long time for it to come in. My freind’s BMW was a disaster. He then switched to a Cadillac and loved it.
Also, I have a friend from Germany who worked at BMW in Germany and even he said they break down very often and he no longer owns a BMW.
I’ve owned Chevy Equinoxes and a Buick Encore with no problems other than the usual battery replacement and tire replacements. Now, I’ve owned a Bolt for over 3 years now and it has not broken down once either. I love it.
JamesT half of what you said is right.. BMW is a purpose driven company that knows its place in the word. GM/Cadillac sadly is a cost cut driven company that refuses to acknowledge there shrinking place in the world… GM cant tell the diffidence between greatness and mediocrity…. Its all the same to them… Only cutting costs mean anything to GM, the consequences mean nothing to them. Pretty much every thing else you said is fanboy drivel.
The BMW Beaver has given Caddy an opportunity. Hopefully they don’t squander it.
@Keith Thompson
“Beaver” !!! Perfect !!
It’s a good day for Lyric. The design team at BMW should be fired. The backlash on the 4 Series for that grill is polarizing and largely negative. This overall vehicle is frumpy and minivan-esque. And the interior? Is this a concept? It just does not look like it would make it in this market. Cadillac and Jaguar have the best EV SUV designs so far in my opinion.
I personaly think the 4 series looks awsome as an M4 (the sharper creases complement the big grill), but this new iX is horrible.
Is this a joke? Are you sure somebody not trolling you. Forget beaver teeth, that thing can’t be a production version with that tacky bungle up interior , doglegged steering wheel, a crystal ball on fake wood, in the middle of flamboyant unnecessary toggles that would appeal to Libarace or a pimp’s eye.
God that is Fuuuuuuugly and I am usually a BMW fan.
Wow nobody is catching Tesla any time soon. What were they thinking.
porsche already caught up. i’d take the taycan over whatever tesla has to offer. same thing with the jaguar i-pace.
Dear Steve, the Porsche Taycan only gets 250 miles of range and it’s starting price is a whopping $103,800. The Cadillac Lyriq will start in the $50,000 to $59,999 range with 300 miles of range. And the Tesla Model Y is from $49,990 to $59,990 with a 300+ mile range. The BMW iX is estimated to start at around $75,000 with a 300+ mile range. So, the Lyriq, Model Y and the iX all have more range and cost a lot less than the Taycan.
Tesla> You mean the wonderful design of a triangle truck?
No, their SUV. Tesla is off to the races. Cadillac has been lapped many times over. They own the branding and market. Convincing that market to buy a Cadillac is a giant hurdle. BMW and Porsche will catch up because they have brand capitol. Cadillac has none.
Looks like BMW rushed it to beat / meet Tesla, MB, Audi and GM.
So, based on what I’m looking at through the profile, this thing is FWD? BMW is lost.
it’s AWD
It has a frumpy looking profile of FWD. So, therefore, it is FWD regardless this vehicle have AWD.
The way the front wheels are so close to the leading edge of the door, and the A pillar perched over the wheel opening certainly make it look like they at least started with a FWD platform.
I would have expected something better from BMW.
The interior is interesting enough. But this is a show car so the production version will be at least somewhat different.
But the exterior, with the “floating roof” D pillar and that grille makes it look like a Nissan with a bloody nose.
It’s like they wake up from decade old sleep, blue tapes galore! what’s this, 2010 Prius? They think you have to put blue on a electric car! Also what’s going on with those 1992 Crown Victoria plush seats?
“curved widescreen display” i’m sorry but where is the curve? I don’t see any curve. OK maybe 2 degree and that’s only at the left edge, but is that enough the call this thing with the look of 20 bucks Chinese android tablet as a curved display especially after seeing Escalade’s work of art display.
Award for worst front end goes to……….
The lyric looks much better inside and out. Sadly 2022 is a long way off. Factor in GM postponements and delays and it becomes 2023 2024 and the current 2020 tec will be behind the times. Remember to ALWAYS include the GM FACTOR when you start to get exited about something……
Dear Cadriver, That is incorrect. GM was right on time with the Chevy Volt. The production design model came out in September 2008 and the first production car came off the line two years later on November 30, 2010. The Chevy Bolt was to come out at the end of 2016 and they did it. Since GM has made a big media effort with high quality presentation for the Lyriq, I have faith that GM will keep it’s time-line with the Lyriq based on the time-lines of the Volt and Bolt. However, you do have a point that by 2022 when it does come out, some advancements would have been made in charging speed , range, and driving assistance technology. However, GM will keep updating the Lyriq as it comes along. They know advancements are continuous and are going to happen and are taking those into account.
I hope you are right. Many years with GM and many decades of observing GM has taught me different. Faith only lives so long when it is so often proven wrong….
Dear Cadriver, After reveiwing GM’s history and remembering one recent incident, I understand your loss of faith. I for one, was counting on the Buick Enspire EV which was suppose to come out the end of this year. It was the talk of the car magazines with a claimed range of 370 miles and a 0-60 time of 4 seconds in April of 2018. Since then there has been almost no news on it at all. It never reached the production design point, like the Lyriq has now reached. Who knows, maybe they will resurrect the Buick Enspire in the next 2 years, esoecially because it will be more affordable than the Cadillac Lyriq.
I remembered that one as well. Handsome vehicle (as so many Buick concepts are). Instead we get the Hummer reveal. That Buick would sell if the range was right.
Hi there Im curious if I can use this post in one of my blogs if I link back to you? Thanks