For the First Time, BMW Is Making an Electric Vehicle Available in the Philippines

The big reveal happened casually on Thursday afternoon (April 28). With a quick tug at the car cover, BMW unveiled its very first all-electric vehicle in the Philippines to guests and motoring journalists at its showroom in San Juan City. 

Other premium vehicle brands may have beaten it in the EV game here in the country, but it seems BMW has a winner in the IX. The frame of the Sport Activity Vehicle (the German brand’s nomenclature for SUVs) is made with aluminum spaceframe construction and carbon fiber-reinforced plastic in the roof, sides, and rear for increased rigidity and to minimize weight. The battery is also located low in the car’s underbody to maintain a low center of gravity. 

The all-electric BMW iX

Photo by PJ Cana.

There’s only one variant of the iX—the xDrive40—and it packs a maximum output of 326 horsepower and 630 Nm of torque.

The iX has LED headlights with High Beam Assistant, 21-inch Aerodynamic wheels, 1010 and a bicolor 3D polished finish. Inside, the SAV has plenty of room, as expected, and has premium features such as Soft Close function for the doors, seats upholstered in highlight olive-tanned natural leather, ambient light package, and automatic four -zone air-conditioning.

The 12.3-inch infotainment curved display is angled slightly toward the driver and is ready to connect with mobile phones through Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. It also standard storage for wireless charging. 

Photo by BMW.

Those anxious about range will be glad to know the iX can drive to a maximum distance of 370 kilometers before the battery empties. That’s enough to drive to San Fernando, La Union on a full charge, with plenty left over. BMW also made sure to add a special drive sound in response to accelerator movement and speed, collaborating with acclaimed composer Hans Zimmer for the BMW IconicSounds electric function for new sound variants.

“This is the perfect time to introduce such a groundbreaking model to the Filipino market,” SMC Asia Car Distributors Corp. President Spencer Yu. “The iX represents everything that BMW is and will be in premium automotive design, performance, and overall desirability. While we are making this model available for pre-orders—starting today—our bigger responsibilities lie ahead. And, that is to ensure every Filipino is fully educated about electric mobility and the infrastructure we have in place becomes more accessible. This is something very special to us as a brand and a member of the San Miguel Group whose efforts towards sustainability in the Philippines have been truly inspiring.”

While only one unit of the iX is currently available, a shipment is on the way and every single one is already spoken for, according to sources within SMC.

Simultaneous with the iX, BMW also launched the all-new 2-Series. The all-new BMW 220i M Sport has a front engine and is rear-wheel-drive, which Yu says mimics the layout of classic sports cars. The classic BMW kidney grille is horizontal and has vertically arranged air flaps. Because it carries the M Sport badge, the new 2 features the M Aerodynamic Package, which includes the M High Gloss Shadow Line, M Sport Suspension, and an M Rear Spoiler.

Photo by PJ Cana.

Inside, the car is equipped with a 10.25inch widescreen display and, just like the iX, features smartphone Integration via Apple Carplay and Android Auto. It also boasts of the 10-speaker BMW HiFi Loudspeaker System.

The new 2 Series is powered by the BMW TwinPower Turbo 2.0L In-line 4-cylinder engine with a peak torque of 300 Nm and a maximum output of 184 hp. It’s capable of racing from zero to 100 kph in about 7.5 seconds.

The iX’s retail price is P6.290 million and comes with a wall box charger that will be installed by BMW i partners in the customer’s home, five-year BMW factory warranty, eight-year high-voltage battery warranty, and six-year BMW Service Inclusive warranty. Meanwhile, the 2 Series is at P3.69 million and comes with a comprehensive five-year BMW warranty.