- The iX4 will be equipped with the same batteries and motors as the iX3.
- A recent leak indicated 40 xDrive and 50 xDrive will be among the first available.,
- BMW’s Debrecen plant in Hungary will handle production of the iX4.
With the second-generation iX3, BMW has proven it can build an EV that rivals new competitors from China. Sales have been strong, so it comes as no surprise to see the German brand wasting no time in launching a slightly more streamlined iX4 version.
Tipped to hit most markets next year, the iX4 was first snapped during winter testing earlier this year. Now, our photographers have scooped it on the move at the Nurburgring, looking a lot more aerodynamic than the iX3. Thanks to the skin-tight camouflage, we’re provided with an almost unimpeded view of the vehicle’s overall shape.
Read: New BMW iX4 Gets The Coupe Cut, But You’ll Feel The Trim
Up front, expect a close copy of the iX3, with the Neue Klasse era headlights and kidney grilles carried straight over. The differences live above and behind, where the roofline drops well below the iX3’s and slopes into a steeply raked rear window above a stubby decklid. A small lip sits at the tail, which will hand the car a minor aerodynamic gain, while the prototype appears to ride on a fresh set of five-spoke 22-inch wheels styled differently from what we’ve seen so far.
Same Same, But Different
SHProshots
Inside tells much the same story as outside. Just as today’s combustion X4 mirrors the X3, the iX4 will share its cabin with the iX3, parting ways only on minor details. BMW’s Panoramic iDrive display arrives here, close on the heels of the latest X5 that introduced it, bringing a 17.9-inch infotainment touchscreen mounted below a thin driver information display that stretches the full width of the windscreen.
Powertrains And Charging
The iX3 runs an 800V electrical architecture that accepts charging rates as high as 400kW, and the iX4 will almost certainly land on the same number. On a compatible high-power charger, that translates to meaningfully shorter time spent standing around while the battery fills.
Several versions of the iX4 will be offered, with the range expected to mimic the iX3. Recently leaked specifications from BMW’s American website suggest the lineup will launch with the 40 xDrive and 50 xDrive before other variants arrive later. The more powerful of the two, the 50 xDrive, should use the same 108.7 kWh battery pack as its iX3 sibling, running two electric motors with 463 hp and 476 lb-ft (645 Nm) of torque. That should enable the coupe SUV to complete the 0-62mph (100km/h) dash in the same 4.9 seconds the iX3 does.
A hotter quad-motor iX4 M is also expected to join the range later, bringing more power along with dedicated chassis upgrades.
BMW should pull the covers off the iX4 sometime this fall, with production expected to start before the end of the year. It won’t be built in Germany, with assembly instead handled at BMW’s Debrecen plant in Hungary. When it reaches showrooms, the iX4 will square off against the Audi Q6 Sportback e-tron and Tesla Model Y.
