BMW has released yet another BEV iX1 in Taiwan, which brings the company’s EV fleet to three models now. iX1 is now officially opened for preorders, and how is it different compared to iX?
BMW currently has two available BEVs in Taiwan, which are the i4 battery-electric sedan and the iX battery electric SUV, and the iX1 that is available for preorders this week is also a SUV, but it comes with a more refined design and a slightly different power system.
BMW iX1 is configured with a 64.7kWh battery unit, consuming 17.3kWh of energy for every 100km, and has a WLTP driving range of 438km that conforms to the threshold of new-gen BEVs. The model adopts front and rear dual motors that are capable of 313 horsepower, and takes 5.7 seconds in 0-100 acceleration.
Despite being a more entry BEV, iX1 has a faster 0-100 acceleration compared to iX xDrive40, as well as 13km of additional driving range. Due to a small battery unit, iX1 only takes 29 minutes to charge from 10% to 80%, which is 2 minutes faster than that of iX.
The difference comes from the extra 45cm length and the 2.3 tons of iX, which would obviously affect its energy consumption and acceleration. Such market positioning is quite distinctive since not everyone is a fan of the 4,963mm car length.
BMW iX1 has a length of 4,500mm and a width of 1,845mm, and is categorized more towards a SUV. iX1 and the fossil-fuel X1 adopt the same chassis architecture, and the former comes with three power systems this time, including the 1.5L turbo engine fuel version that has a smaller horsepower, as well as the PHEV version that is not introduced in Taiwan.
The official price in Taiwan has yet to be announced, though the battery electric iX1 is likely to be priced below NT$2.5 million according to the price tag of iX. With this estimated price level, owners will enjoy a fully automatic seat for both the driver’s seat and the front passenger’s seat, and the BMW Copilot smart ADAS function, as well as a suspended curved central control display and a panoramic sunroof, which are quite competitive in the market.
It is noteworthy that the gigantic kidney-shape grilles of iX and i4 are kept at a more modest dimension on iX1, and the “self-healing” function is obviously not adopted. One can tell the difference between iX1 and X1 by the blue trim located at the bottom of the vehicle.
Preorders are now available at BMW Taiwan with a deposit of NT$100K, which grants eligibility of prioritized purchases. The company is expected to officially launch the vehicle during the first quarter of 2023.
(Cover photo source: BMW)