The unique thing about the 2023 BMW iX electric car is that the engine hood cannot be opened
The 2023 BMW iX has officially entered Indonesia since last year, to be precise, it was introduced at the 2022 Gaikindo Indonesia International Auto Show (GIIAS) exhibition at ICE BSD City, Tangerang.
This SUV seems to have really attracted the attention of BMW fans and other consumers in general, so that demand is increasing.
Several times this electric car has also been used to pick up VVIP state guests, such as during the 42nd ASEAN Summit which will be held in Labuan Bajo, East Nusa Tenggara.
Even the Bluebird Group, as a company providing taxi services in Indonesia, also uses iX as an E-Goldenbird fleet to transport customers staying at luxury hotels in Jakarta.
It is not surprising that BMW Tunas, the official BMW dealer network, claims to have succeeded in sending at least 200 iX units since March 2023.
"That's only for Tunas, not other BMW dealers, and the units will only be ready in March 2023 while the release will be from GIIAS 2022," said Ichsan Effendi, BMW Tunas Product Genius, when met in Jakarta, Saturday (09/12/2023) .
Apart from the attractive design, according to Ichsan there are several special things about the BMW iX.
"This iX has the SHY Tech Concept, shy means shy, so this is not new technology, but adding existing technology with new things through tools that cannot just be seen from the outside," said Ichsan .
Are you curious about what is hidden in the BMW iX electric car? Below we explain everything.
1. The 2023 BMW iX engine hood must not be opened!
This is not a joke but is an important warning from BMW, that do not try to open the hood of the iX carelessly, or order other people to force the front of this car's bonnet.
"Behind the hood of this engine there are various very important electrical components, so those who are allowed to open it must be BMW technicians who already have official certification from BMW, so don't be forced to open this engine hood," explained Ichsan.
2. The BMW logo becomes a wiper water hole
Another unique thing that can be found on the electric car worth IDR 2.4 billion on the road is the blue and white airplane propeller logo which is BMW's trademark.
The logo which is located at the end of the hood, if pressed, can open, and from there there is a channel to add wiper water if it feels like it has decreased or even run out.
3. Large Grill Filled with Radar and Sensors
If you look at the front of this car you will certainly find a Kidney Grille which is quite large in size but uniquely it is not shaped like vertical lines like the Kidney Grille on other BMW models.
The front grille has a unique motif with gold and black accents, but apparently behind the grille there are several sensors and radar to help the performance of the ADAS system in the car.
4. The BMW logo on the back is used to clean sensors and cameras
So, if the logo on the front hood functions as a water filler channel for the front wipers, then this is different from the BMW logo which is at the back, precisely under the glass.
At the bottom of the logo, it turns out there is a flusher which can function to clean the camera or rear sensor if it is dirty or detects moisture.
5. The glass roof can darken and light automatically
Apart from the outside, the unique technology that BMW "shyly" applied to the iX is the roof, which is mostly made of glass.
BMW calls this part the Electrochromic Panorama Roof, this roof can automatically darken or light according to the sensor on the glass which detects whether the conditions outside the car are sweltering or already starting to get dark.
So when the sun is hot, this glass roof will automatically darken to prevent the cabin from being exposed to excessive UV rays. However, drivers can also adjust the darkness level of the glass roof according to their wishes.
6. Inside the seat there is a speaker
In the cabin of this car, 18 Harman Kardon speakers are provided, but what's unique is that these speakers are placed in hidden locations.
If you look closely, the speakers are found on the door trim, which consists of a mid range speaker and tweeter, as well as on the rear passenger door.
In fact, there are also speakers placed inside all the seats in this car, as well as a subwoofer component which is located under the seat.
7. Use Swarovski Crystals on the Cabin Buttons
In the cabin area of this car, several buttons have been embedded that use Swarovski crystals to add a luxurious impression to users.
These crystals are used, among other things, for the buttons on the center console, as well as for the seat position and seat memory adjustment buttons.
8. Can still make a sound like a petrol car
If in general electric cars are dumb because they don't make any sound and don't have an exhaust like ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) cars, then not the iX.
Through the Hans Zimmer Sounds mode, the driver and passengers can determine what sounds can be heard when the electric car is moving.
The options include Personal Mode, Efficient Mode, or Sport Mode, these sounds will get louder as the car's speed increases.
"But if the driver doesn't like sound and prefers to listen to audio during the trip, this sound can be disabled," said Ichsan.
9. The power is similar to a 4,000 cc petrol car
The 2023 BMW iX entering Indonesia has the full name iX xDrive 40, this series is used because the power of the battery and electric motor in the car is apparently equivalent to a BMW car with a 4,000 cc petrol engine.
How could it not be, the electric motor in this car is capable of producing peak power of 240 kW or approximately 326 PS with a torque of 630 Nm.
To accelerate from a standstill to a speed of 100 km/hour, this BMW electric car only takes 6.1 seconds, even though looking at its body it looks like a BMW X7 (Specifications | News).
10. Charging for 100 km takes just 8 minutes
The iX xDrive 40 is equipped with a battery with a capacity of up to 76.6 kWh, which, when fully charged in stable driving mode, can reach a distance of up to 425 km.
This distance actually allows the car to be taken on a road trip from Jakarta to Cirebon via the toll road without having to charge it.
But if you need to charge the battery, the iX doesn't take too long either.
If you use a BMW Wall Charger at home to charge from 0-100% it will take up to 8 hours, but if the battery is still above 20% it can certainly be faster.
Then, if on the way you find a SPKLU or charging station with 50 kW DC charging, then just to charge it for 21 minutes, the battery can cover an additional distance of around 100 km from the remaining battery.
So, if you find a DC charging station with a capacity of 150 kW, then in just 8 minutes the car will get an additional 100 km of range from the remaining battery.
"So you don't need to worry if you want to go on a road trip using this car, when you go to a rest area or stop in a big city where there is 150 kW DC charging, you just have to rest or eat briefly in just 15 minutes, the car can continue the journey for almost another 200 km ," said Ichsan.
