CES 2022: BMW iX M60 unleashed

The 2022 BMW iX M60 has been revealed at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, emerging with a dual-electric powertrain pumping out 455kW of raw power and a “normal” 1015Nm of torque.

Riding on M-specific suspension developed from the BMW iX 50, the iX M60 – which is confirmed for release in Australia in mid-2022 – will be harder-core in its ride and handling than the donor EV but will also boost the luxury standings of the historically motorsport-oriented M brand.

The BMW iX M60 will have enough power to hurl it from 0-100km/h in 3.8 seconds (though this seems toned down from its potential), and BMW claims it stretches out to 566km of range on the WLTP test cycle.

Capable of a 250km/h top speed, the iX 60 will pair with the BMW i4 M50 as BMW’s performance EVs and will be joined by the M-specific plug-in hybrid V8 XM that was recently shown in near-production guise and is due to arrive later this year.

BMW claims the iX M60 will use between 18kWh and 22.5kWh of energy on the WLTP circuit, depending on the city or highway cycles and the tyres chosen.

The all-wheel drive EV adds to the impressive iX xDrive50 SUV with actuator-based wheel-slip limitation technology and an M-tuned dual-axle air suspension system with an automatic level control.

Built in the BMW Group’s EV flagship plant in Dingolfing, Germany, the iX M60’s global launch will be held in June this year, so Australian buyers will not have to wait long before the first examples arrive Down Under.

The iX M60 will be powered by a pair of current-excited synchronous electric motors, each with six-phase operation and a double inverter for very high power densities and low use of rare-earth minerals.

The rear e-motor alone contributes 360kW of power, with another 190kW chipped in by the front-mounted e-motor. BMW claims they both operate at 93 per cent efficiency.

The 111.5kWh lithium-ion battery delivers 105.2kWh of available energy storage and can be charged at up to 200kW, lifting the energy stored from 10 to 80 per cent in 35 minutes.

The handling package is similar to the iX, but stepped up, so it uses a double-wishbone front suspension and a five-link rear-end, all managed by an electric power steering system.

It rides on 21-inch aero alloy wheels, but these can be upgraded to 22-inch versions, and adaptive damping controls the vertical movement of all four wheels.

It uses much of the iX’s standard interior equipment package, including the haptic i-Drive scroller.

The curved instrument cluster morphs into a single, wide screen, but it is actually two put together – a 14.9-inch display for the instrument cluster and a 12.3-inch multimedia screen.

BMW claims this halves the number of buttons in the cabin, and it seems to have moved a lot of stuff onto the curved display, which stands proud of the short dash and also hides the head-up display.

It’s a big-money development from BMW, combining an aluminium space-frame chassis with a carbon-fibre frame for the body.

That polycarbonate grille hides the radar sensor and cameras and is coated in 0.7mm of self-healing polyurethane, so stone chips and minor scratches are claimed to disappear after a few hours of sunlight.

The car is also geared up for Level 3 autonomy at low speeds on highways.

BMW packages the electric motors, the power electronics and the transmission together in one housing, saving space and complexity and (though you’d struggle to credit it) weight.

It carries the most comprehensive driver assistance package ever fitted to a BMW, including a frontal collision warning that now detects oncoming traffic whenever the car is turning left or right, including pedestrians and cyclists.

It also uses a crossroads warning system, which combines with its city braking function to minimise the chance of crashes on crossroads.