Relative to radicalism, stability may lack some exciting elements on the surface, but the ambition and ambition hidden deep inside may be more deterrent. Just like the iX3, BMW's first domestically produced pure electric SUV model, it may seem low-key or even ordinary compared with those dazzling new forces making cars, but the strength contained inside it is really impressive when you first come into contact with it.
BMW iX3 and X3*** share the CLAR modular platform. The visible parts are almost 99% similar to the naked eye. Even the official guide price of 469,900 yuan to 509,900 yuan is in the same range as the X3 xDrive30i . It is precisely this high similarity that makes iX3 inevitably fall into the controversy of "changing oil to electric power". However, after two days of in-depth test drive experience, I found that under the "lack of innovation" skin, hidden is a An electric vehicle with great sincerity and innovative spirit.
In fact, BMW’s CLAR modular platform considered the compatibility of fuel vehicles/plug-in hybrid vehicles and pure electric vehicles at the beginning of its development. Keeping the upper body unchanged can reduce the cost of the new model. Research and development costs, while also giving customers the most familiar and relaxing first impression.
But the other side of this familiarity is that the innovative areas of iX3 are concentrated in the lower body and chassis that most people will not see, and even if they want to, most of the highlights of this pure electric car are hidden. Very deep. As mentioned before, iX3 has faced controversy among public opinion since its release.
Given the lackluster appearance, there really isn’t much to say about the design. There are only a few detailed modifications, which are nothing more than the semi-closed air intake grille, the blue sky and white clouds LOGO with blue decorative strips, and some blue decorative parts. Compared with the pure electric cars of the other two German luxury brands, the iX3 spends the least effort on appearance. I don’t know whether BMW is too honest or the other two are too smart.
The appearance is worthy of a detailed introduction. It is the unique aerodynamic wheel rim. Its shape can reduce the air resistance of wheel rotation. According to the official introduction, it can reduce the air resistance by 5%; in addition, the aerodynamics of the entire vehicle have been optimized. The wind resistance coefficient of Cd0.29 is much lower than that of X3, which can effectively improve the range and energy consumption efficiency of electric vehicles.
Compared with the pure electric BMW i3 released earlier, the BMW iX3 has concealed the radical, avant-garde, and cyberpunk attitude of electric vehicles, and instead presents the mainstream aesthetic of the public lover: it It is not too fashionable, nor is it conservative and boring. It has the sophistication and maturity of a mainstay model of mid-size luxury SUV, and the freshness and uniqueness of a new generation electric car.
The interior layout of the car is also copied from the X3, except that the instrument interface is changed to an electrified blue theme. Sky blue elements also appear on the start button and "big chicken leg" gear knob, as well as the door pedals and center console. The iX3 trim engraved on it is otherwise the same as the BMW X3.
Thanks to the compatibility of CLAR modular architecture with pure electric vehicles, iX3 adopts an integrated architecture of power battery and chassis, so the floor height and interior space are almost the same as those of X3. The iX3 model I tested this time is equipped with front sports seats and adjustable rear seat backrests with comfortable headrests. In addition to being quieter to drive, the riding experience is almost the same as the X3.
In fact, not only the design look and ride experience, but also the driving quality have a familiar BMW? , as well as the driving pleasure and handling performance that BMW has always been good at.
The integrated design of the battery pack and chassis allows the center of gravity of the iX3 to be lowered by 75mm compared to the X3. Although the curb weight has increased to 2.2 tons, the compliance and overall feel when cornering are still excellent. Thanks to the battery pack-reinforced chassis, which greatly improves the torsional rigidity of the body-in-white, the iX3 not only has excellent handling quality, but also has excellent ride quality and acoustic comfort.
In order to prevent the electric car from being too quiet, BMW also hired Hollywood soundtrack master Hans Zimmer to customize the start-up effect for iX3, as well as electric car sound simulation, and the tone increases with the depth of the accelerator pedal and the vehicle speed. , a bit like a spaceship that travels through time and space in a science fiction movie. Feel the smooth and powerful traction of an electric vehicle in an extremely quiet compartment, coupled with the sound simulation of science fiction. Who says that electric vehicles cannot be fun to drive?
iX3 adopts a single-motor, rear-wheel drive power layout scheme. It uses the BMW Group’s most advanced fifth-generation eDrive electric drive assembly. The electric motor is compact and lightweight and is arranged on the rear axle subframe. It does not take up extra space, and at the same time has very good power indicators and energy consumption efficiency.
The maximum power of the electric motor is 210kW and the maximum torque is 400N·m. The parameters are slightly stronger than the X3 with the high-power version of the 2.0T engine. The official acceleration time from 0 to 100 seconds is 6.8 seconds, which is also the same as the X3 xDrive30i They are at the same level, but the characteristics of electric vehicles that require no gear shifting and continuous power generation will make the actual driving feel faster, smoother and more comfortable at the same time.
Slightly regrettable, the iX3 currently does not have a dual-motor/four-wheel drive model to choose from, so its acceleration performance is slightly disadvantaged compared to its peers that can easily break 100 km/h in 4 seconds. But the good thing is that after the drive structure is simplified, the iX3 can achieve a NEDC range of 500km, which is farther than pure electric SUVs such as Mercedes-Benz EQC and Audi e-tron.
The iX3’s power battery has a usable capacity of 74kWh, and another 6kWh is reserved for protecting battery life. The batteries come from CATL, which has cooperated with BMW for many years. A total of 188 811 lithium-ion batteries are arranged in 10 battery modules.
The energy density of the iX3 power battery is only 154Wh/kg, which is not particularly outstanding for a new electric vehicle in 2020. But when you see the internal structure of the battery pack, you can instantly understand the reason: BMW attaches great importance to safety. , iX3’s battery pack has a safety design redundancy that far exceeds that of its peers. It has made crazy efforts in physical protection to create what may be the strongest battery pack in the industry.
There is a considerable buffer space between the battery module and the battery pack. The module has a horizontally and vertically intertwined aluminum alloy reinforced structure; the liquid cooling system at the bottom of the battery cell also remains in contact with the bottom plate of the battery pack. There is buffer space, which means that ordinary supports or side impacts will not damage the lithium battery body.
The battery pack uses a steel-aluminum hybrid structure, relying on a large number of aluminum alloy extruded parts to provide very high stiffness. In addition, there is a tic-tac-shape reinforcement structure between the 10 battery modules. There is also a patented thermal insulation coating between the cells to ensure that the battery is foolproof in terms of physical safety and thermal management safety.
Due to the reinforcement of this powerful battery pack, the iX3’s overall vehicle stiffness is far higher than that of the fuel version. The driving texture is as heavy as an armored vehicle, and the low center of gravity allows it to still have the control feel of a BMW. It is also quite confident when driving intensely. In addition to slowing down in advance to take care of the heavier body, it does not require much adaptation to drive, and it still has a very familiar BMW texture.
When braking suddenly or changing direction rapidly, you will feel the presence of 2.2 tons of physical inertia, but under normal circumstances, you will not feel the increased weight. In fact, through the kinetic energy recovery system, iX3 can follow cars and decelerate even more easily than a fuel vehicle in daily commuting driving scenarios.
Kinetic energy recovery has three levels of adjustment, allowing the iX3 to glide comfortably like a fuel vehicle, or to achieve single-pedal driving with the strongest kinetic energy recovery, using only the accelerator pedal when stopping and going. The vehicle can be controlled to move forward and slow down.
In addition, iX3 is also equipped with an Adaptive adaptive mode, which can determine the vehicle's driving mode according to road conditions and driving style, and can also intelligently determine the intensity of energy recovery based on the distance to the vehicle in front, allowing it to work with the automatic driving assistance system PRO Cooperation and matching not only bring the most worry-free driving experience, but also achieve the best level of comfort and energy consumption performance.
It is particularly worth mentioning that Adaptive adaptive mode and automatic driving assistance system PRO are standard configurations on iX3. In addition, other technology configurations are also fully equipped. In the X3 family, iX3 plays the role of The cutting edge pioneer.
The latest version of iDrive? 7.0 human-computer interaction system can accurately understand voice commands. Just say "Hello BMW" and summon the BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant to control the car without using your hands.
In addition, iX3 also has near-field communication technology, which can replace the car key with an authorized smartphone and enable remote control of unlocking and starting the vehicle by mobile phone.
These cutting-edge technologies make the use experience of iX3 not inferior to those seemingly avant-garde and radical electric vehicles. Although the solid styling scheme of iX3 is not as "unconventional" as other i-series models, it is easy to get started. The sense of familiarity and the same internal and external design as the X3 are more attractive to consumers who "seek stability".
Not all electric car users like cyberpunk. I believe that the market is not repelled by traditional-style luxury electric cars, but pure electric models from other traditional luxury brands are either too expensive or have poor products. Cross-over, in the final analysis, is the lack of products that can impress consumers.
BMW iX3 has hope to reverse this situation. It has reasonable price, qualified battery life, excellent driving experience, advanced technological configuration, and safe battery. It is a rare balanced performance among luxury pure electric SUVs produced by traditional car brands. Products, and this is the advantage that traditional car manufacturers still retain when they switch to the pure electric track.
This article comes from the author of Autohome Chejiahao and does not represent the views and positions of Autohome.