Jokes regarding the massive grille up front aside, the BMW iX is a very promising electric vehicle. With 523hp and a 0-100kph time of just 4.6 seconds, it’s hardly a slouch anywhere you drive it. A maximum range of about 611km means it’s pretty practical as well.
Now, we know it’s a pretty safe thing, too. The European New Car Assessment Program (Euro NCAP) has just finished testing the EV, and the organization saw fit to give the vehicle a five-star safety rating.
The brand credits a big part of the iX’s success during Euro NCAP testing to its build, which features an aluminum Fram equipped with a carbon cage for front occupants, carbon fiber-reinforced polymers in the roof and rear, and a new “interactive” airbag placed between the driver and front passenger. The latter is designed to provide additional protection in the event of impacts coming from the side.
The iX isn’t designed to just keep its passengers safe, though. BMW also equipped the model with an active hood that creates a deformation zone in case the vehicle hits a pedestrian or cyclist head-on.
And as with many BMWs, the brand spared no expense when it comes to other advanced safety tech. Standard in the iX is an attention assistant feature, lane departure warning, and speed limit recognition.
“The BMW iX sets new standards in sustainability, and its top rating of five stars in the Euro NCAP underlines the vehicle’s comprehensive sustainability concept,” Dominik Schuster, BMW’s head of vehicle safety, said in a statement.
“The extremely stable body structure and the extended range of restraint systems ensure an outstanding level of occupant protection. In addition, the BMW iX scores highly both in the test program and in everyday driving with innovative driver assistance systems that significantly reduce the risk of accidents in a wide array of situations.”
All the right boxes are ticked here, then. Now, about that grille…
