BMW teases Vision Vehicle Concept for the 2021 iNEXT

-    The Vision Vehicle Concept will be revealed later this year previewing the first iNEXT product due in 2021.

-    The teaser shows a quirky silhouette presumably of an SUV.

-    The Vision iNEXT will be a pure-electric, autonomous flagship from BMW.

BMW revealed the first official teaser for the Vision Vehicle Concept at their annual general meeting. The Vision Concept will be revealed later this year as a preview to the first product under the iNEXT. The iNEXT will be the flagship electric vehicle from BMW fitted with all the autonomous and safety technology.

The vague teaser image reveals the Concept’s silhouette which carries a quirky window line. The roofline extends all the way back and we can even see boxy wheel arches along with floating D-pillar. The notches between the doors are akin to the new kidney grille design seen on BMW’s recent concept cars like the i Vision Dynamics concept and the iX3 Concept.  We assume the production vehicle will be a five-seater with a size similar to the X5.

The iNEXT will be manufactured at BMW’s Dingolfing facility from 2021. The flagship product of the BMW’s electric and autonomous division will incorporate all the latest technology available in three years time, claims the carmaker. This would include Level 3 or 4 autonomous driving, a new generation of electric powertrains along with safety and connected technology. 

BMW is working on many tech firms for the development of self-driving and new battery technologies for quite some time now. However, the Bavarian carmaker remained tight-lipped about any technical details on the upcoming iNEXT. 

Harald Krüger, chairman of the BMW AG, commenting on the iNEXT Vision, said: “The iNEXT project will benefit the entire company and all our brands. For the first time, we are combining all key technologies for future mobility in one vehicle. The iNEXT is fully electric, fully connected and also offers highly automated driving. Later this year, we will be presenting the BMW iNEXT as a Vision Vehicle.”

The competition in the “electric-SUV” segment is going to get fiercer now that BMW will be joining the party. BMW will be revealing the i5 as a family car in 2021 while the all-electric X3 is coming in 2019. Jaguar already has the I-Pace and Tesla is well established with the Model X. Other upcoming competitions include the Audi e-Tron and Mercedes-Benz EQC, both due in next two years.