The battery SUV emerged as a concept car in 2018 and should hit the showrooms in 2021; in the meantime, we are invited to have a closer look at its bleeding-edge tech.
Designed by Continental, the feature is called Intelligent Glass Control and has been around for three years already, mainly found in panoramic glass roofs. A thin see-through film coating the glass surface can almost instantly switch to opaque or semi-translucent, guaranteeing privacy or shielding the occupants of the car from the sun. Climate control works more efficiently when used in conjunction with this window-dimming tech, and the ‘intelligent’ part means the car can be configured to decide automatically when to dim the glass and where for maximum efficiency.
Some industry observers claim BMW might even turn some of the glass into actual displays, but this remains pure guesswork.
The iNext will be the first BMW vehicle to combine electric powertrain with self-driving tech and permanent Internet link in one body. Drivers will benefit from a curved screen facing them and an ergonomically shaped steering wheel that notably does not obstruct the dashboard and does not get in the way when getting in and out of the car. Switching between manual and automatic driving modes promises to be fast and responsive. Finally, the Live Cockpit Professional interface will be getting a substantial usability makeover for the iNext.
The powertrain specs remain the biggest mystery so far. The car will most likely get AWD in one form or another and have a range of at least 600 kilometers (373 miles). The production will take place in Dingolfing, Germany.
