{"id":129714,"date":"2018-09-15T17:59:20","date_gmt":"2018-09-15T21:59:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thedetroitbureau.com\/?p=129714"},"modified":"2021-01-27T14:53:41","modified_gmt":"2021-01-27T19:53:41","slug":"bmws-inext-offers-a-glimpse-at-automakers-autonomous-electrified-future","status":"publish","type":"reviews","link":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/reviews\/bmws-inext-offers-a-glimpse-at-automakers-autonomous-electrified-future\/","title":{"rendered":"BMW\u2019s iNext Offers a Glimpse at Automaker\u2019s Autonomous, Electrified Future"},"content":{"rendered":"
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BMW offered a handful of journalists a sneak peek at the iNext concept during an around-the-world tour.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

BMW was one of the first of the traditional automakers to enter the plug-in vehicle market, well ahead of luxury rivals like Mercedes-Benz, Audi and Lexus. But it has been slow to follow up on its original i3 and i8 models, especially when it comes to all-electric offerings, even as those competitors have laid out aggressive plans to launch literally dozens of their own new products in the coming years.<\/p>\n

BMW has been dropping hints about where it might go next for several years. And the Bavarian automaker is looking to get back in the game with the appropriately named iNext, an all-electric and autonomous crossover set to make its debut in 2021.<\/p>\n

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Tech Talk!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A handful of select media outlets, including TheDetroitBureau.com, got a chance to check out a prototype version of the iNext during an otherwise top-secret, around-the-world series that took the concept vehicles from Germany to New York, then Los Angeles and, finally, Beijing.<\/p>\n

(What happens when you already have an X1 through X7? BMW looks for still more SUV opportunities. <\/em>Click Here<\/span><\/a> for more.)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

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BMW says the production iNext should get nearly 400 miles of range per charge.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In its current form, the iNext concept is meant to push the limits, both in terms of design and technology, but it also offers a very real glimpse of where BMW sees itself heading over the next decade, according to Chairman Harald Krueger. \u201cThe iNEXT project,\u201d he said, ahead of the prototype\u2019s global tour, \u201cwill provide our building blocks for the future, from which the entire company and all of its brands are set to benefit.\u201d<\/p>\n

The iNext we got to look at aboard a specially modified Lufthansa 777F jet at New York\u2019s Kennedy Airport is the spiritual and technological successor to the iVision Dynamics concept BMW unveiled barely a year ago at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show. There are clear similarities, starting with the laser headlights, as well as the narrower take on the brand\u2019s familiar double-kidney grille. That reflects the need for far less air to flow into the engine compartment than you would have with a gas or diesel-powered vehicle, explained corporate design chief Adrian van Hooydonk.<\/p>\n

The biggest change, of course, is that BMW has opted for a more SUV-like body with the iNext, a clear reflection of the massive shift reshaping the global automotive market. About the size of an X5, and significantly taller than the sports sedan-shaped iVision show car, BMW designers have had to put even more emphasis on wind-cheating design details in order to maximize both range and performance. That includes such details as the air curtains around the front wheels and the high spoiler lip atop the rear hatch.<\/p>\n

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The iNext will offer a retractable steering wheel for operating in fully autonomous mode.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As much effort as BMW put into the exterior of the iNext, however, van Hooydonk emphasized that, \u201cThis vehicle was designed from the inside-out.\u201d That should be no surprise, and we\u2019ve already seen Jaguar take a similar approach with its new I-Pace electric SUV. With electric propulsion, you can largely eliminate the engine compartment, mounting your battery and electric motors, instead, under the load floor. In turn, that\u2019s space you can recapture for passengers and cargo,<\/p>\n

In its current form, the iNext has an absolutely cavernous interior \u2013 closer to that of the upcoming X7 Sports-Activity Vehicle — and could readily squeeze in an additional row, offering occupants far more space than with the current, three-row X5. Instead, you get what is essentially a mobile living room \u2013 or, if you prefer, an office on wheels.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want this to be your favorite space on four wheels,\u201d the design chief suggested.<\/p>\n

Occupants get a spectacular view of the outside world, incidentally, the windshield flowing well into the nearly all-glass roof. And there are no B-pillars to obstruct one\u2019s vision.<\/p>\n

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The rear seats have touch sensors built into their fabric to control the infotainment system.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

(Infotainment technology finally getting better, reveals new JD Power report. <\/em>Click Here<\/span><\/a> for more.)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

The technology inside the iNext offers some intriguing ideas, and more than a few surprises. For one thing, where other automakers have loaded up future concept vehicle with all manner of videoscreens, there are none for backseat occupants. They\u2019re expected to connect their own mobile devices to the concept vehicle\u2019s built-in WiFi.<\/p>\n

And while BMW has made much of the gesture control technology built into new production models like the 7- and 8-Series, it\u2019s notably absent from iNext. Instead, the automaker has come up with a way to build touch-sensitive controls into the jacquard fabric used for the rear seat. Trace a circle, for example, and it lights up using fiber optic pipes woven into the fabric, indicating how much you\u2019re raising the volume of the show car\u2019s sound system.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe do things with a fingertip,\u201d explained Dirk Muller-Stolz, one of the lead designers on the iNext project. \u201cIn a word, it magically comes to life.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another intriguing feature built into the iNext is dubbed the \u201cIntelligent Beam.\u201d It can project still or video images onto a sheet of blank paper and you can use the swipe of a finger to change \u201cpages,\u201d or control a video.<\/p>\n

(Hey, BMW! Bavarian maker introduces new AI-enabled in-car assistant.\u00a0<\/em>Click Here<\/a>\u00a0for the story.)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

There are two widescreen monitors in the front seat, both for the driver, replacing essentially all conventional knobs and buttons.<\/p>\n

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BMW isn’t saying much about the underlying electric drive system but there are hints it could deliver M-Class power.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

There\u2019s also a squared-off steering wheel, but it is designed to retract into the instrument panel, the pedals sinking into the floor, when the iNext is switched into autonomous mode.<\/p>\n

According to Klaus Fr\u00f6hlich, the member of the BMW AG board responsible for R&D, \u201cthe car is capable of Level 4\u201d autonomy, meaning it could operate entirely without a driver on many roads and in most weather conditions. The production version, he added, will likely have similar capabilities, though \u201cthe regulators will define\u201d whether BMW might have to pair that back to Level 3 autonomy, where a human \u201coperator\u201d will need be ready to take over at a moment\u2019s notice.<\/p>\n

Either way, Fr\u00f6hlich stressed, the car will retain the ability for manual control and, he promised, will still offer the sort of dynamic driving experience you\u2019d expect from a BMW. But it will do so with an all-electric drivetrain, \u201cbattery-electric vehicles b eing the new normal for us.\u201d<\/p>\n

BMW isn\u2019t offering specific details about that drivetrain, but does hint that it is targeting a range of around 600 kilometers, or nearly 375 miles, range between charges. The system, we were told, uses the fifth-generation BMW lithiumion battery technology. There is, as yet, no timetable for moving even further, to adopt the solid-state batteries that are expected to dramatically improve range, charging speed and pricing.<\/p>\n

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The distinctive nose on iNext reflects the need for less air inside the engine compartment but far better aerodynamics.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

BMW was cagey about several other key details, including the basic material mix it will use to build the production iNext. Van Hooydonk hinted that it will likely be a mix of the carbon-fiber used for the i3 and i8 models, as well as aluminum.<\/p>\n

While we know the autonomous and electric-drive systems will carry over into the production iNext coming in 2021, we\u2019ll have to wait a few more years to learn more details about the rest of the technology that BMW will go with.<\/p>\n

The shift from a sedan body to a crossover makes sense considering current market trends, said Sam Abuelsamid, a lead technology researcher with Navigant. But Abuelsamid said BMW will have to do some catching up as key competitors start rolling out electric vehicles of their own. Mercedes just debuted its new EQC battery crossover this month and will follow next year with the smaller EQA.<\/p>\n

\u201cBMW got in early but seemed to sit on their hands while they tried to figure out what to do next,\u201d said Abuelsamid, though he added that the iNext could help put the Bavarian automaker back into the game.<\/p>\n

(Read our review of the best BMW Extended Warranty options<\/a>)<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

During a top-secret, round-the-world tour, BMW offered a handful of journalists a look at the iNext concept, a potentially breakthrough electric, autonomous crossover. TheDetroitBureau.com was there and files this report.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":129718,"menu_order":0,"template":"","tags":[],"category_reviews":[27,19,30],"make":[35,36,68,75,85],"post-state":[],"category_old":[215,149,150,151,313,205,123,131,318,319,142,155,156,269,152,316,241,258,163,196,137,139,312,128,291,278],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/reviews\/129714"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/reviews"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/reviews"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/129718"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=129714"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=129714"},{"taxonomy":"category_reviews","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/category_reviews?post=129714"},{"taxonomy":"make","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/make?post=129714"},{"taxonomy":"post-state","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/post-state?post=129714"},{"taxonomy":"category_old","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/category_old?post=129714"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}