It looks like Thailand is going to beat us to getting the new BMW iX – Munich’s flagship electric SUV will be available for pre-orders in the Land of Smiles starting June 21, alongside the iX3. Ahead of the opening of bookings, BMW Thailand has revealed finalised pricing for the car, which will be available in sole range-topping xDrive50 Sport spec.
Just 20 units of the iX will be offered, priced at 5,999,000 baht (RM793,400) with a three-year, unlimited-mileage warranty and a three-year/60,000 km free service package. By comparison, the similarly-sized Audi e-tron 55 quattro retails at 5,099,000 baht (RM674,800).
But the BMW will have more than enough power and range to overcome the significant price difference, with its twin motors pushing out a total of 385 kW (523 PS) and 765 Nm to all four wheels. So equipped, it gets from zero to 100 km/h in just 4.6 seconds, has a top speed of 200 km/h and, with its 105.2 kWh lithium-ion battery, delivers a range of 630 km on the WLTP cycle.
Charging the xDrive50 takes 11 hours using an 11 kW AC wallbox charger; the car also accepts up to 200 kW of DC fast charging, which tops the battery up from 10 to 80% in 35 minutes and adds up to 150 km of range in just ten minutes.
No information on specs and equipment have been released just yet, but expect the iX to arrive pretty well-specced to justify the high pricing. We know that it will come in Sport trim, which adds more aggressive front and rear bumpers – the former with black X-shaped panels that channel air into the front Air Curtain inlets.
Built on a dedicated aluminium spaceframe with carbon fibre panels for increased strength and reduced weight, the iX is an X5-sized SUV with a polarising design, sporting a massive closed-off double kidney grille, slim head- and taillights and blocky front and rear fender flares. The company claims a low drag coefficient of 0.25 and a 65 km improvement in range thanks to various aerodynamic elements.
The minimalist interior, on the other hand, features a distinctive squared-off steering wheel and a curved display panel that runs on the latest BMW Operating System 8. This introduces a new tiled interface and incorporates plenty of vehicle controls – including the climate control – to reduce the number of physical buttons and switches.
As part of the online pre-order campaign, BMW Thailand is offering a number of goodies to entice buyers, including a free BMW wallbox with installation included, one year of free BMW Protect insurance and an upgraded four-year, unlimited-mileage warranty.
GALLERY: BMW iX xDrive50 Sport official press images 
The post BMW iX pricing confirmed in Thailand – xDrive50 Sport at RM793k, 20 units only, pre-orders start June 21 appeared first on Paul Tan's Automotive News.
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