18 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 3 1 JULY 2019
Polygonal steering wheel
aids drive mode changes
B
MW’s all-electric iNext,
the long-awaited rivalto the Audi e-tron and
M e r ce d e s EQ C , i s n’ t d u e
in showrooms for another two
years, but new spy photos give
us our best look yet at the car’s
production bodywork.
The disguised mule, snapped
on the back of a trailer outside
the German brand’s research
facilities, features styling that
is distinctly different from
that of the brand’s range of
conventionally powered SUVs.
The car sits lower to the
ground and has a more
streamlined shape than the
similarly sized X5, which can
also be seen being carried
directly above an iNext
prototype on the transporter.
It also appears to be longerthan that car’s 4.92m. The less-
upright design is necessary
to improve the iNext’s
aerodynamic properties and
maximise its range.
BMW recently previewed the
iNext’s new polygonal-shaped
steering wheel, which can now
be seen in this spy photo of the
cabin – although the rest of the
interior is hidden from view.
Described as the first BMW
model in which the driver is no
l o n g e r r e q u i r e d to t a ke c a r e of
the task of driving, the iNext’s
new steering wheel design is
conceived to allow the driver
to easily switch between
highly automated driving
and active driver modes. The
shape is said to make it easier
to immediately recognise the
steering angle when out of thecar’s autonomous mode. The
iNext will also feature a large
curved infotainment screen
in what BMW describes as a
“pioneering interior design”.
The iNext, described as
Low, sleek look for electric iNext
Spy shots reveal BMW’s aerodynamic take on the SUV shape for e-tron and EQ C rival
SPY SHOTS
BMW iNEXT
BMW GEARS UP FOR NEW PLUG-IN X 3 AND X 5 PRODUCTION
BMW HAS ADAPTED its
Spartanburg factory in South
Carolina for production of
the new X3 xDrive 30e and
X5 xDrive 45e plug-in hybrid
SUVs. The firm has doubled
the size of the factory’sbattery assembly facility in
an investment programme
costing £8 million.
No specific powertrain
details have been revealed,
but it is understood that the
X3 PHEV will adopt the same
powertrain as the recently
introduced 330e.
That car combines a 181bhp
turbocharged 2.0-litre four-
cylinder petrol engine with
a 112bhp gearbox-mounted
electric motor, giving total
system outputs of 288bhp
and 310 lb ft. A 12kWh lithium
ion battery is said to provide
the 330e with a pure-electric
range of up to 41 miles,although this figure is likely to
decrease in the X3 given the
SUV’s extra weight.
The larger X5 is expected
to use the turbocharged
3.0-litre six-cylinder petrol-
e l e c tr i c hy b r i d sy ste m of th e
new 745e. In the saloon itmakes a combined 388bhp
and 442 lb ft, with a claimed
e l e c tr i c ra n g e of u p to 3 6
miles on the WLTP cycle.
BMW’s technology flagship,
will use a new platform thatcan spawn EVs, plug-in hybrids
and ICE vehicles with the same
basic architecture, on the same
production line. It will be used
from the 3 Series upwards and
allow both rear and four-wheel
drive to be offered.
Exact powertrain details
are still under wraps, but BMW
promises a range of up to 372
miles on a single charge.
LAWRENCE ALLAN
iNext’s platform can host
a range of powertrains
X5 above gives a
sense of scale
Pl u g - i n X3 sh o u l d g et 330 e’s 288 b h p hy b r i d set- u p