BMW iX
BMW iX – A Flagship German EV That Dares To Be Different
The BMW iX is an interesting creature and another outstanding addition to our electric car hire fleet. As one of the most desirable German brands, BMW are keenly aware of who their main customer base are and what they want. BMW are particularly good at fulfilling those wants too, something that keeps their fanbase loyal and buying Beemers.
But things move on and big brands don’t get to stay big brands without moving with the times. The times say that the era of exquisitely engineered internal combustion is currently belting out its swansong, so does Munich’s Motoring Mega Corp’ prepare to hang up its propeller badge? No, it moves with the times and gets ready to bring decades of knowhow to the electric age.
The Jaguar i-Pace in 2019 was a wake up call. Out of the blue, here was a mainstream electric car that was super fast, luxurious, with a decent range and (unusually for the time) not a regular car that had been turned electric by having the engine removed and a battery bolted in, it was built from the ground up to be electric only. Not only all of that, but it had an electric range that made it real world usable. Nothing from Germany (or anywhere else) came close and it took a while for others to catch up.
The BMW iX then was always going to happen at some point. It’s built from the ground up as an electric vehicle, it takes lessons from that groundbreaking Jag, it also adds everything people love about those upstart Teslas’s, but avoids a lot of what’s frivolous and annoying. All this is done with BMW’s typical attention to detail and design language, but with some new ideas thrown in too. Whether this is currently the most exciting electric cars on the road is a matter of opinion, however it’s a distinctly avant-garde step for BMW and we think their approach is a winner. The number of BMW iX already on the road (particularly in the fancy parts of Town) shows how well this new model is resonating.
Who is The BMW iX For?
BMW knows how to do branding like few others. There will always be those who’d take an iX simply because it’s a BMW without caring a jot for any other factor. As stated above though, the iX isn’t simply an electric X5, it’s a large luxury SUV, but other than that (and the badge of course) they don’t really share all that much else. There are many reasons to choose a BMW iX
For The Sustainable Savvy Drivers
For a start, the green crowd will be happy that you’re swapping a ‘gas guzzler’ for a zero emission machine and they might give BMW extra marks for packing the iX full of recycled and sustainable materials. Even the environmentally less sound rare minerals found in most electric motors aren’t needed in the iX thanks to the magnet free motors. The materials are lighter and greener, even the power used to make the car is sustainable, making the BMW iX 45% greener than the X5.
Fine, if you want your commute to be FULLY sustainable, then feel free to break out the bicycle, but if you were deciding between getting an X5, or calling your first born Greta, the iX is a viable option that’s less likely to see you accused of stealing anyone’s future. Motoring might never be fully green, but it’s a powerful statement and a step in the right direction from BMW. Of course, the fact that, like all electric cars, the BMW iX is exempt from every known congestion and emission charge, as well as being liable for only 2% company car tax (Benefit in kind tax), it’s as financially sound as it is environmentally aware.
For Those Who Want To Make A Statement
If your current Tesla is getting a bit too accessible for the masses now that the prices have dropped and you want something a bit more exclusive, but want a car retaining a lot of that hi tech ‘feel’, then the iX is an excellent choice. You’ll find some of the more useful ‘Musk-esque’ flourishes, but without the irritations. (No ‘low emissions mode’ – if you know, you know).
Thankfully, like many other marques, BMW have also learnt that navigating everything on a touchscreen is annoying as hell, so the ever logical Germans have left plenty of physical buttons where it makes sense for them to be left in. The switchgear, as you’d expect, feels exactly as it should – nothing plasticky or vague. Otherwise, it’s filled with the very latest in automotive technology, but delivered in a classy and understated way. It IS a BMW after all.
Not just ANY BMW either, it’s a big, stylish, classy and super advanced BMW with that air of desirabilty and exclusivity. You neighbours and colleagues will know it’s expensive, so we won’t tell them you saved a fortune by hiring yours from us!
For Drivers Who Appreciate Quality
When it comes to refinement, electric cars are always super quiet, however the BMW iX takes this a step beyond. When the growl of an engine is replaced with the subtle whine of a set of motors, you normally start to hear other car noises you wouldn’t have picked up otherwise – the creak of brakes as well as road noise and wind noise being the more obvious. in the BMW iX, it’s no exaggeration to say that even these sounds are reduced to the point of being practically inaudible. It’s the quietest car we’ve ever driven. Having a 0-60 speed of around 6 seconds, achieved in near silence feels very odd, but surprisingly exciting!
The curve of the superwide screen, the panoramic, reactive sunroof, the Harmon Kardon sound system, wonderfully sculpted steering wheel and understated interior designwork all work together to give a superbly high-end, upmarket feel to the cabin. This is a luxury lounge on wheels… or it least it would be if your settee can give you a massage at the touch of a button like the iX can!
For The Gadgeteers
When we said that the BMW iX is brimming with tech’ we really meant it. But like all the best implementations, it’s intuitive. seamless and just works. Like most German marques, the voice control does a great job of undertanding and responding to natural speech and through which you’re able to control a variety of the cars functions. If you’d still like to use your familiar voice assistant via your phone, you can just as easily use Apple Carplay or Android Auto etc, however, you don’t need to worry about plugging your phone in like some of the older versions of these systems, once set up, just leave your phone in your pocket and the iX will connect wirelessly.
We already meantioned the panoramic sunroof, but it’s worth a second mention under the gadgets heading just thanks to the ability to hit a button and watch the glass instantly change from clear to ‘frosted’ at the touch of a button, that’s a hard to find feature on any car at the moment. Similarly, slightly less uncommon is the 360 degree repositionable virtual parking camera and the fabulous heads up display. Both of these are generally only found on the very highest spec’ cars and even then fairly rarely at the moment.
We could spend ages going through all the gadgets one by one, but the best way to truly appreciate them all and to see just how beautifully thei\re integrated is to come and sit in one of our high tech Beemers! Even before it’s switched on, it looks and feels like something out of science fiction and it’s totally wonderful. When you DO fire it up though, the feeling of your seat electrically moving into your preferred position and the steering wheel extending to where you want it automatically are a joy to behold.
Can I Hire a BMW iX?
At the time of typing, we still have a few of these fantastic, head-turning all electric mobile sculptures in stock and ready to rent. Being the latest high tech vehicles from a desirable German brand, you can guess just how long they’ll last though.
As company vehicles they represent an absolute bargain thanks to rental being a deductible expense (as opposed to buying where the same car would be a depreciating asset weighing down your balance sheet). Obviously, the inherent tax advantages of all electric vehicles, the low running costs and the exemptions from congention and emissions charges all add up as well to make this a surprisingly cheap car and perfect for long term car hire.
if you’d like to hire a BMW iX, get in touch today and book. Don’t forget, we can also deliver to any address in mainland UK, so there’s no reason to delay. Drive one away today, or maybe we can drop it off tomorrow – don’t put it off when the car of the future could be yours right now!
