It’s now BMW’s smallest electric car since the i3 was discontinued. Still, it’s a big SUV, even if it’s smaller than the iX3.
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Although there is still a drive by many manufacturers to create a proprietary platform for electric vehicles (this is what the Volkswagen Group does), the majority of models sit on a floorboard where conventional and electric drivetrains fit side by side. This is what Mercedes does, this is the case with the Stellantis group (Fiat, Peugeot, Citroen, Open, Jeep), BMW also got rid of the i3 basics and all its current cars starting with the i are available with hybrid and conventional engines. This obviously has the advantage that if they can solve it well, it will be more cost-effective, moreover, they can make an electric version of the cars with the traditional look and design, which is appreciated by more conservative customers.
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On the other hand, platforms specifically designed for an electric motor could be better in terms of efficiency and space utilization (at the very least, the front trunk is usually on these cars), but until the volume of e-cars approaches the sales figures of the in-brand internal combustion versions, even Then, they prefer not to buy the two types of drivetrains separately, but to design a model so that it is available in all versions with as few compromises as possible. The iX1 is a good example of this, with the internal combustion engine starting at 18m, the electric version at 23, and the test car scratching at 30m. Whichever car I look at, it’s much more expensive (and bigger) than the i3, and it’s now BMW’s cheapest electric car. If we don’t count the mini, of course.
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It’s also a little surprising how the Bavarian brand has moved towards SUVs, when I went to the site to pick up the car, 80% of them were SUVs in the city lined up next to each other, you could hardly notice an i4 among them, but if this class You give the bulk of the sales, and if that’s what customers are looking for, that’s what they’ll produce. In ultra-fashionable places, the iX1 is mom’s shopping car, but in our area almost anyone would be happy if it was the first car in the family, it is also quite suitable for this, on the one hand, it is more than enough in size, on the other hand, it is full of extras Electronic, and though it doesn’t start out like the iX, even this can display all the charm of a soundless gnawing wild boar. But elegance and sportiness are rarely what buyers are looking for in an SUV, even if this concept got an M package with some visuals and one or two completely decadent extras.
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