At the 2018 Beijing Auto Show, BMW previewed by upcoming all-electric X3, called the iX3, with a production-ready concept, but the bigger news was that the crossover is getting a brand-new drivetrain that will also underpin the much-discussed and highly-anticipated iNext. Set to become the brand's flagship EV, the iNext will debut as a concept vehicle later this year, and BMW already released a teaser photo. While many expected it to be a sedan inspired by the Vision Next 100 concept, it turns out that the iNext will be a crossover. Big surprise, huh?

While the teaser shot isn't exactly revealing as far as the exterior goes, the news was confirmed by a BMW executive who told Automotive News that the iNext will be an SUV. This is by no means surprising as SUVs and crossovers are now the body style most in demand worldwide. In China, the world's largest market, the market share of SUVs exceeded that of sedans in 2017. This is also a hint that the iNext will slot above the iX3. With the latter essentially an X3 with mild design modifications, the iNext could be the size of an X5.

Much like the iX3, the iNext will use BMW's fifth-generation eDrive technology. This new drivetrain groups the electric motor, transmission, and power electronics within a new, separate component and features new, more powerful batteries. The eDrive version developed for the iX3 cranks out 270 horsepower and returns more than 400 km (about 249 miles) in the iX3 Concept. Expect these figure to change for the iNext, which should get a more powerful iteration.

The iNext is also expected to be the first BMW to feature autonomous driving technology. The Germans are currently working with a number of big companies on this project, including Mobileye, Intel, Continental, and Magna. The iNext will go into production sometime in 2021.

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.