This is the BMW Vision iNEXT concept, which will morph into a new all-electric BMW SUV intended to headline the firm’s i range from 2021 onwards.
BMW’s head of development Klaus Fröhlich explains that the Vision iNEXT will be the firm's technology flagship, describing it to Auto Express as an “identification car” for a string of next-generation BMW i models. They’ll be joined by wholly electric versions of core BMWs, with the firm promising 12 battery electric vehicles on sale by 2025.
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At just over five metres long the Vision iNEXT is a large two-box SUV in profile, riding on 24-inch wheels and boasting no B-pillar thanks to a set of suicide style rear hinged rear doors.
Though it won’t be a regular member of the BMW line-up, X7 cues are seen in the form of the tall, upright gills placed at each corner of the front apron. The new ‘streamflow’ style window line employed on the iVision Dynamics concept – which will become the i4 – makes it clear that this is an i car.
At the front end, extremely slim four-piece headlights sit either side of a huge interlinked kidney grille, blanked off to signify the car’s electric powertrain. Behind the translucent panel sits a glut of sensors necessary to enable level 3 autonomous driving features, the technology for which BMW believes will be ready for 2021.
The windscreen sweeps upwards into the car’s roof to create a seamless panoramic panel, while the boxier proportions at the rear of car are a little more conventional, completed with a set of horizontal LED taillights.
The cabin is strictly concept and does not preview the interior layout of the production car. As such, it’s loaded with stargazing features that won’t be seen in the finished item three years from now.
Created from a combination of open-pore wood, illuminated crystal glass and textile cloth, the front compartment features a steering wheel that collapses into the dashboard when the concept is toggled into autonomous mode.
Though a huge touchscreen display sits atop the dashboard, BMW says that the Vision iNEXT’s interior has been designed to showcase how smart materials, not screens, may be used to control in-car functions in the future.
Hidden underneath a veneer of wood on the centre console and embedded in the fabric used on the vast rear bench is a combination of sensors and micro LEDs, which respond to the touch. Pinching and swiping like you would on a smartphone draws illuminated patterns on the surfaces, and allows those on board to control minor features such as music volume.
Similarly, there are no screens in the back of the concept. Instead, BMW showcases what it calls Intelligent Beam, which uses interactive projectors capable of tracking blank books and projecting information and entertainment straight onto the pages as an alternative to displays and tablets.
No specific powertrain details have been outlined, but BMW has discussed its next-generation electric drivetrain and platform plans before. When the iNEXT launches in 2021 it’ll be one of the first vehicles on BMW’s common platform capable of supporting petrol, diesel, plug-in hybrid and fully electric powertrains.
Looking to the upcoming i4, also set to use the platform, a maximum battery size of 120kWh will be supported, claimed to enable an official range of 435 miles on a single charge in that particular model.
Take a look at BMW's Vision Next 100 concept car right here...
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