BMW’s flagship iX electric SUV is to arrive at the end of 2021, offering a choice of two powertrains and priced from €77,300 or £69k in the UK.

The BMW iX, the brand’s new flagship model, arrives at the end of 2021, offering a choice of two powertrains

Billed as the brand’s technology flagship, the iX is the first of the brand’s models to be based on a new, modular, scalable toolkit that will underpin future BMW Group electric models while also introducing technology that BMW says will set new industry standards.

Two model variants will be offered: the xDrive40 and iXDrive50. Both use the fifth generation of BMW’s eDrive technology with two electric motors, one on the front axle and another at the rear axle, giving all-wheel drive but the xDrive 40 gets a 70kWh battery, giving a (400km) 249-mile WLTP range while the xDrive50 has a 100kWh battery, enabling a 600km (373-mile) WLTP range.

The xDrive40 has more than 300hp, allowing it to accelerate from 0 to 100km/h (62mph) in just over 6.0 seconds. The iXDrive50 has over 500hp with 0 to 100km/h (62mph) acceleration in under 5.0 seconds.

Both are capable of DC fast charging at high rates; up to 200kW for the xDrive 50 and 150kW for the xDrive 40. Both can charge from 10 to 80% in under 40 minutes.

The iX also introduces a new approach to sustainability and BMW says the xDrive40 has a 45% lower global warming potential than that a comparable diesel car over 125,000 miles of use.

The iX also brings significant progress in the areas of automated driving and digital services; as an example the level of computing power has been developed to process 20 times the data volume of previous models. This means around double the amount of data from vehicle sensors can be processed than was previously possible.

The BMW i4 electric saloon arrives later this year

BMW also revealed the upcoming i4 electric saloon at its annual conference.

The fully electric four-door Gran Coupé will enter the market during 2021, including a BMW M Performance model. It will be available in different versions covering ranges of up to 366 miles / 590km (WLTP) and with a power output of up to 530hp.

Full details on the BMW i4 will be released in the coming weeks.