Like the other big-name German luxury makes, BMW has been quite busy lately offering a variety of electrified concept vehicles. Now we’re getting our first official look at the new iNEXT Vision, and it’s promising the very latest in electrified powertrain components and self-driving capability, carrying the torch as the brand’s forthcoming technology flagship.

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The Full Story

Recently unveiled by Harald Kruger, the Bavarians’ Chairman of the Board of Management, at BMW’s Annual General Meeting, the above-featured image is framed as the “initial design concept for the BMW iNEXT.” Standout features for the vehicle will include an all-electric powertrain, advanced connected features, and self-driving capability.

The iNEXT will debut later this year in full concept form, with the production version hitting the assembly line sometime in 2021. BMW says it’ll build the vehicle at its Plant Dingolfing in Germany, which is the same that builds the current 530e and 740e iPerformance hybrids.

As for technical specs, it’s believed the iNEXT will offer as much as 435 miles between plug-in sessions. Level 3 Autonomous capability is also expected, with Level 4 capability following soon after launch of the production version.

The teaser itself doesn’t show much by way of details, offering little more than a stylized silhouette. However, from these few lines, we do see what appears to be an SUV stance and a very long roofline. The windows get a pinch where you’d normally find the B-pillar, much like we saw with the i Vision Dynamics sedan concept earlier this year, while the fenders are high and flared out.

“The iNEXT project is our building kit for the future,” said Chairman Kruger. “It 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.”

That means it’s a pretty big deal for the brand, as BMW has been working on electrifying its lineup with the goal of launching 13 new all-electric models by 2025. The hope is to make upwards of a quarter of its lineup run on batteries by that time.

Note: BMW iX3 concept pictured here.

Back in April, BMW unveiled its latest iX3 concept at the 2018 Beijing Auto Show, giving us a peek at what the brand had in store for the segment. Standout features include a smooth, rounded exterior bereft of extraneous design features and more than 270 horsepower for motivation.

References

Read our full review on the 2016 BMW Vision Next 100 Concept.

Read our full speculative review on the 2018 BMW i5.

Read our full review on the 2018 BMW iX3 Concept.

Read more BMW news.