BMW is fun for electric cars..iX Run at BMW Driving Center
Apr 28, 2025
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The black matte color blends with a new design that is slightly sharper. It transformed the previously awkward and dull exterior image into a more intense and solid image.
BMW operates the widest lineup of electric vehicles among imported car brands sold in Korea. It has more lineup than some domestic car brands with factories in Korea. To match that, the charging infrastructure also operates 2,400 of its own chargers.
Today's program is run in a total of three courses. The first course is to experience oversteer and drift. I met the most powerful course from the beginning.
The main character to be with is the New i4 eDrive40, a lightweight and sleek model among BMW's electric vehicle lineup. Sitting in the driver's seat, I woke up the heart of the i4 by pressing the start button located in the center. The test-drive i4 is a new partial change and is an electric version of the four series. Based on a rear wheel motor with an output of 250 kW, it performs zero-back 5.6 seconds. The range is 420 kilometers per charge.
The new i4 is equipped with a thick and gripping steering wheel like BMW. It is a D-cut style with a sporty design. It is also for fashion, but it is easy to secure leg space even when the steering wheel is close to the body, making it suitable for sporty vehicles.
I made an oversteer and started practicing sliding the rear wheels. To prevent electronic intervention, the traction control was turned off, and the moment the steering was strongly bent to the left while rotating, the accelerator was pushed to slide the rear wheel. In Gongdo, you can experience situations that are difficult to do in person, which is thrilling. For easy oversteer and tire mileage, the road surface was set up to allow water to flow continuously.
The control of the vehicle did not feel the same way. The countersteer was late, so I spins several times. Unfortunately, Drift was satisfied to ride next to him and experience it. It is a series of slalom courses. It was thrilling to proceed with the concert quickly, but he was disqualified for leaving the course because the route was not properly understood.
The second course is ball driving. It is time to test active cruise control with a time to slowly look around Yeongjong International City in line with the speed of regulation. It was joined by the new SUV electric car iX2. The iX2 is an electric vehicle version of the X2, the youngest model of the coupe SUV.
The test drive is an eDrive 20 trim. A rear wheel single motor is applied. It is a motor that exerts 150 kW, or 204 horsepower, and the zero-back exerts 8.6 seconds. Compared to the i4 test-drive or the M model, which will be the third test-drive, it has normal performance.
As soon as I started the iX2 start-up, I felt that the weight of the steering wheel was surprisingly light. BMW has long been well known for its heavy steering wheel weight, but the recent model has become lighter in weight compared to the previous one for popularity. Still, the i4 feels the right weight. The senses felt lighter than any other domestic compact SUV.
Of course, lightness did not mean that there was anxiety or a problem with operation at all. I'm just surprised by BMW's light steering wheel sensations that are different from their propensity. Fortunately, driving at a speed of around 80km/h revived the heavy weight according to the speed.
The acceleration is as simple as a model with a normal zero-back 8.6 seconds for an electric car. I also tried operating active cruise control. Deceleration is on the natural side and acceleration is thought to be better if you speed up a little more slowly.
Overall, iX2 is very comfortable. It is expected to suit those who prefer the BMW coupe-type SUV design rather than sports driving, but prefer soft and comfortable vehicles.
The last course is the most anticipated track run time. I've driven twice in total, and the first vehicle is the i440 model that I met again. According to the instructions of the preceding car, I was able to experience various courses such as sudden acceleration, sudden acceleration, and hairpin courses.
The i440 model is not a strong performance for electric cars, but I could feel the thrill of BMW-like sharp handling and rear-wheel models. It was thought that this specification would be more fun to drive on a track if the driving skills were not good.
The next vehicle is the i5 M60, the most powerful model we've ever tested today. I drove the same course as the track course I drove earlier. As the most high-performance model, adrenaline was released. The combined output of the dual motor is 442 kW, which is 592 horsepower when converted into horsepower. It achieves a maximum torque of 795 Nm. Zero-back has a top speed of 230 km/h in 3.8 seconds.
I'm curious about what it would feel like to have a zero-back 3.8 seconds on a large 5060mm-long body. Even during sudden cornering, including hairpin courses, there were few rolls, so it was possible to target corners in a stable position. When it accelerated rapidly in a straight line, high-performance in the 3.8-second range was emitted. When a sudden break is made to target the corner, it can slow down quickly as well as slow down in a stable position. You can drive a car harder than your driving skills.
After experiencing all three courses for 3 hours, it was regrettable that the time for each course was short. However, BMW was able to feel again that electric vehicles can also drive dynamically through stable posture and excellent handling.
To commemorate its 30th anniversary in April 2025, BMW Korea introduced the first electric vehicle test drive membership program'BMW BEV membership'. It is a project that 230 electric vehicles from various line-ups, including sedan-type electric vehicle i5 and SUV electric vehicle iX2, will be put in. In other words, BMW's new strategy is to maintain its No. 1 position in the industry even in the era of electricity. You can participate in the program through 14 BMW exhibition halls and service centers nationwide.
Editor Song Moon-cheol mc.song@carguy.kr
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
