BMW will officially unveil the production version of its BMW iNext next week. The German luxury automaker has taken its time in regards to all-electric vehicles since the launch of its i3 but will soon add the iNext to its roster. Although it did recently launch the Mini Cooper SE Electric, it did without BMW’s latest electric powertrain technology. The automaker also recently launch the BMW iX3 SUV but we won’t be seeing any of those on sale in the states due to its lack of range.
BMW has hyped the iNext a lot in the past, calling it an electric vehicle that would be a real competitor to the Tesla Model 3. Ian Robertson, BMW’s head of sales and marketing, has been vocal about his doubts in Tesla’s ability to produce Model 3 in volume at $35,000, further suggesting the high chances of success for the iNext in the segment.
But how will it stand up to the likes of the Tesla Model Y? Looking at the photos of the prototypes it looks like it may fall closer to the crossover or small SUV segment:
Regardless, BMW has called the iNext its response to Tesla since unveiling the concept in 2018. The company announced in a press release today, the production version will be unveiled on November 11:
“The #NEXTGen 2020 event is split up into various online formats. It all kicks off with the series “Chasing iNEXT” that has been made in the style of streaming services. The six fun episodes that have been produced by the Cologne-based company btf (bildundtonfabrik, whose work includes “How to sell drugs online (fast)”) are informative, playful, entertaining, ironic and – at many times – surprising. The film crew chase through all sorts of different departments at the BMW Group searching for the BMW iNEXT, whose final design will be revealed for the first time at 2.00 pm (CET) on 11 November at bmw.com/NEXTGen. The series shows the BMW Group, its employees and the technology behind the company’s new flagship from a brand-new perspective. This includes unusual insights into the inner workings of the BMW Group, plus some unexpected moments with international stars. The soundtrack for the series, for example, comes from film score composer and Academy Award winner Hans Zimmer.”
Not a lot of information regarding the capabilities of the iNext have been released, but we should see the final design and specs come November 11. It will be produced at BMW’s Dingolfing plant with production expected to start in 2021.