BMW has added a single-motor, front-wheel-drive version of the iX1 to its ranks. It's called the eDrive20, it'll go up to 477km on one charge of its battery pack, and it'll cost from €50,520 when it goes on sale in BMW Ireland showrooms.
Fewer motors, more range
The model which arrived first in the BMW iX1 line-up is the xDrive30, a twin-motor, all-wheel-drive version of the compact electric SUV with 313hp, 494Nm and a maximum theoretical range of 438km. Powered by a 64.7kWh lithium-ion battery pack, the iX1 xDrive30 costs from €63,995. It, therefore, makes sense to add a more affordable model, which sacrifices a bit of power and performance in the name of greater one-shot driving range.
That honour falls on the iX1 eDrive20's shoulders. The change of one letter and number in the new iX1's model badge accounts for the fact that, as an eDrive, it has a solitary motor integrated into the front axle, while the '20' relates to the fact that power is down to 204hp (available in a temporary boost mode) and maximum torque is pegged at 247Nm. So whereas the xDrive30 will do 0-100km/h in 5.7 seconds and go on to a top speed of 180km/h, the eDrive20 records metrics of 8.6 seconds and 170km/h accordingly.
However, the payoff is greater range. The iX1 eDrive20 is fitted with the same battery pack as its big brother, and as a result of efficiency of up to 15.4kWh/100km, that means a maximum range of 477km. It's also privy to the same charging speeds as the xDrive30, which means the onboard charging unit allows for up to 11kW AC connections as standard, resulting in a 0-100 per cent re-juice of the battery in 6.5 hours. An option to uprate that to three-phase 22kW AC reduces this time to three hours 45 minutes, while the maximum DC rate of 130kW will see the battery's state of charge go from 10-80 per cent in just 29 minutes at the right rapid connection.
Priced from €50,520
BMW Ireland has confirmed it will sell the iX1 eDrive20 in three main specifications, which are Sport, xLine and then M Sport. The prices for these kick-off at €50,520 for the Sport, with the xLine commanding €52,980 and the M Sport €56,360. That last price is still a good €7,500-ish shy of the cheapest xDrive30, so the new model makes the iX1 that tiny bit more accessible to customers here.