BMW has expanded its global electric vehicle line-up with the debut of the all-new iX2. Debuting alongside the second-gen X2, the iX2 trades the standard model’s petrol and diesel engines for an all-electric powertrain along with getting some EV-specific design tweaks to stand out.
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The iX2’s design is identical to the standard X2 with the biggest giveaways as to it being an EV being the grille. While the standard X2 gets slats in the grille, the unit in the iX2 has been closed off owing to the lower need for cooling. Down the sides too the EV is identical to the internal combustion model while some will notice the lack of an exhaust at the rear with the lower bumper getting a partial re-design for the EV.
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Open the doors and here too the differences between the X2 and the iX2 are minimal. The EV also gets the same BMW Curved display housing a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster and a 12.3-inch touchscreen. Optionally owners can spec in sportier bits to the exterior and interior as part of the M Sport package.
The iX2’s main talking point however is its powertrain. The SUV will go on sale globally in March 2024 and will initially only be available in a sole xDrive30-spec. The EV gets a pair of electric motors – one on each axle – pushing out a combined 308 bhp and 494 Nm of torque. If it sounds similar, it is the same output as that of the new iX1 xDrive30 that was recently launched in India. BMW claims the SUV can hit 100 kmph from a standstill in 5.6 seconds and on to a top speed of 180 kmph.
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The electric motors draw power from a 64.8 kWh battery pack that gives the SUV a claimed range of up to 449 km on a single charge. BMW says that the iX2 can be fast-charged at up to 130 kW with it adding up to 120 km of range in just 10 minutes. The company says that the SUV can be charged from 0-100 per cent in 6.5 hours using a 11 kW AC charger while a 130kW DC fast charger can juice up the battery from 10 to 80 per cent in just 29 minutes.
The new iX2 will go up against the likes of the Audi Q4 Sportback e-tron, the Mercedes-Benz EQA and the Volvo C40 Recharge.
