BMW iX could be delayed until 2022: Reports

The BMW iX could be delayed until 2022, according to overseas reports.

Various articles suggest BMW’s big EV powerplay may be pushed back almost a year.

The iX large SUV that is the German brand’s most serious tilt at the electric car market and will apparently now not begin production until March 2022.

If true, that would push the iX’s Australian on-sale date until mid-2022 at the earliest.

The BMW iX was initially planned to arrive in dealerships here late in 2021, providing a key rival to the Audi e-Tron, Jaguar I-Pace, Mercedes-Benz EQC and Tesla Model X.

The iX is powered by dual electric motors making more than 370kW, enough to propel it to 100km/h in less than five seconds.

It also has impressive energy efficiency for the size of car and a claimed range upwards of 600km from a battery pack of at least 100kWh in capacity.

However, an online forum dedicated to the iX – it’s called iX Forums – has reported “rumours” suggesting production may have pushed out to 2022.

No one is quoted in the article – it assumed the information has been sourced from BMW insiders – but that hasn’t stopped others picking up on the suggestion the all-electric X5-sized SUV may be delayed.

Last weekend, the BMW Australia website still stated the iX is “coming in 2021” while also encouraging those interested to “register your interest”. Would-be owners can pop a $500 deposit down as part of the pre-order process.

However, the “coming in 2021” tag has since been removed from the website, adding weight to the rumours the car may be delayed.

Not that any of that makes it that much easier to determine whether it’s the interweb going into rumour overdrive or if there genuinely is a delay to the iX.

Of course, any delay to BMW’s electric plans would be a blow to the brand.

BMW was a leader among the established luxury brands with its i3 and i8 electric and plug-in hybrid models.

But the i car strategy has been chopped and changed as the market evolved, culminating in BMW instead focusing on the iX and the mid-sized iX3 well after rivals had transitioned to electric SUVs.

The BMW iX3 will be built in China and is still expected on sale here around mid-2021. BMW Australia’s website confirms the iX3 will arrive sometime in 2021.

Between them, the iX and iX3 are expected to give BMW a big sales boost.