BMW Vision iNEXT autonomous Electric SUV – “The Ultimate RELAXING Machine”

The BMW Vision iNEXT Concept has been revealed as a large autonomous electric SUV, previewing a production model expected in 2021.

BMW has started flying the Vision iNEXT Concept round the world to present it to the chosen few, and with images starting to pop up in the interwebs they’ve decided to reveal a bit more of the iNext for those who weren’t important enough to get in the hold of a Boeing 777 to see for themselves.

The iNext Vison is an autonomous electric SUV – about the size of an X5 – which points at where BMW is going in the future, especially in terms of autonomous driving. The iNext Vision seems to be more about  “The Ultimate Relaxing Machine” rather than the “Ultimate Driving Machine”.

The iNext has hints of the upcoming X7 in its blunt face, with a new take on the Kidney Grille, slim headlights, glass roof and suicide doors. It’s certainly not mainstream BMW, but then the iNext is about a ‘new’ mainstream.

Inside there’s a very minimalist look – seating just four – with wood, glass and tech-heavy cloth, with wide screens, but a lack of buttons or obvious ways to interact thanks to something BMW are calling ‘Shy Tech’, which responds to touch thanks to sensors and micro LEDs, as well as ‘Intelligent Beam’ which uses projectors which ‘create’ information on a blank canvas. Wouldn’t an iPad be simpler?

Although the iNEXT is previewing a production car for 2021, it does look like a lot of what’s on offer is designer dreaming, and although BMW appear to be pitching the iNEXT as a mobile living room it’s clear the autonomy they dream of is probably a lot further away than the 2021 launch date for the iNEXT.

BMW hasn’t even bothered to proclaim the iNEXT’s electric powertrain, so the best guess is it will come with a decent 400bhp plus, a battery pack up to 120kWh and a range of around 400 miles. But that’s guesswork.

BMW iNEXT Vision Photos