MUNICH -- BMW on Wednesday unveiled the iX, a full-electric car that will be the automaker's new technology flagship.
The 500-hp SUV is powered by two electric motors that drive all four wheels.
It uses the new fifth-generation version of BMW’s electric drive system and can accelerate from 0 to 100 kph (62 mph) in under 5 seconds, BMW said.
The SUV is due to go on sale in Europe at the end of 2021 and in the U.S. in early 2022.
The iX will have a driving range of more than 600 km (373 miles) in Europe's WLTP cycle and more than 300 miles according to the EPA test procedure used in the U.S. That's less than the estimated driving range of the Tesla Model X Long Range, which is rated at 371 miles in the U.S.
The battery can be charged to 80 percent of its full capacity in under 40 minutes.
The dimensions of the iX are roughly similar to those of the BMW X5 and BMW X6
The iX will compete against the Tesla Model X, Ford Mach-E, Audi e-tron quattro and Mercedes-Benz EQC. It will go into production at BMW's plant in Dingolfing, Germany, from the second half of 2021.