BMW

Vision iNext, a stand-alone SUV for 2021

Model part of the BMW i brand, Vision iNext is an electric vehicle that offers standalone driving and will be the top of the range of Munich home. But only when the model is released, predicts BMW in 2021. Three years from now!According to BMW, this Vision iNext is the foundation of the future of the BMW Group. The prototype now revealed is an SUV the size of a BMW X5 and works at this time as the preview of what the future will be, but also as an exhibitor of the technology that the Bavarian house has developed, is developing and will present in the future.

About Vision iNext, BMW reminds us that the model was developed to answer a number of questions about the future of mobility, with a clear focus on electrification, connectivity and autonomy. In fact, Harald Kruger, president of the BMW group, said at the time that "the iNext project offers us the foundation to build the future of which the entire company and all its brands will benefit in the future."

That is, there is no doubt in the minds of BMW's men: the future is electric, autonomous and connected. Whether it's going to be like this or not, we'll see. But we always remember the "Project i" released in 2011 and it did born the BMW i and the two models that compose it, the i3 and the fantastic i8, but later revealed the iPerformance and aimed at a full range. This has not happened, despite the fact that i3 has made its way and has already sold more than 70,000 units and the total ranges of BMW i and iPerformance (hybrid models) have already exceeded 250,000 units.
Klaus Frohlich, head of BMW Research and Development, referred to Vision iNext as "a leader of the brand and it will be at the top of the range i that will be unveiled from 2021 onwards."As we mentioned, the Vision iNext is the size of an X5, but being an electric and stand alone model, it has much more interior space, with the electric motors housed in the front and rear axle and the batteries placed in the bottom of the chassis.As far as style is concerned, it is a prototype, and some things will not necessarily be maintained in the series production model. 





Highlight for the ultra-thin headlights and a reinterpretation of the double kidney grille, traditional in the BMW, of generosíssimas dimensions. However, there is a reason for this: within this true shield are housed all the sensors required by autonomous driving.The panoramic roof helps give more light to the interior, while on the side the car highlights muscle-powered wheel arches with generously sized wheels, a more elaborate design at the bottom and the glazed surface is generous until you reach the rear that rises imitating - with some imagination of ours - the "hoffmeister kick". The color covered by Vision iNext allows you to change the pitch depending on the angle of view or the incidence of lightness.Being a car for autonomous driving, Vision iNext's interior is minimalist, with a dashboard made from wood and natural materials, as for example with i3. 



The two front seats are separated by a coffee table and the rear seat is wide and designed to seat four people. Banks that are coated by an intelligent fabric where are the regulation controls. They are called "Shy Tech".BMW has not given much information on the technical side of Vision iNext, but it is known that it will have a new version of the power unit, the fifth generation, which will be released in iX3, scheduled for 2020. It was Klaus Frolich who let Vision iNext will be able to reach from 0-100 km / h in around the four seconds with an autonomy greater than 600 kilometers. The autonomous driving mode is subdivided into two phases: Boost (which puts the controls, including steering wheel, pedals and information displays, facing the driver) and Ease (which leaves few functions for the driver). In the fully autonomous mode, the steering wheel collects and leaves ample free space for the driver.



José Manuel Costa, de Portugal