A camouflaged prototype of the facelifted BMW iX2 (U10) was caught in Germany wearing the slim headlights and reworked nose of BMW’s Neue Klasse design. The electric coupe-crossover is rumored to keep both of its versions, the iX2 20 and the iX2 30 xDrive, on the existing platform through its LCI (Life Cycle Impulse, BMW’s term for a mid-cycle refresh), even though BMW is retiring the current iX1 instead of facelifting it.
What The Camouflage Reveals About The iX2’s Neue Klasse Face
The swirl wrap still gives a lot away up front. The headlights are now thin LED strips pushed out to the corners. Between them sit a black rectangle and two patches of perforated mesh, roughly where the narrow, upright kidneys are on the iX3. Expect a dark band linking the lights and slim vertical kidneys in place of today’s oversized grille. The lower intake stays open, since the battery and motors still need cooling air. From the A-pillars back, the roofline, window line and doors look unchanged, as is typical for an LCI. The gasoline X2 gets the same facelift.
Inside, the changes go further. The iX2 is expected to get iDrive X with Panoramic Vision, which projects information across the base of the windshield in place of a gauge cluster. It should also get the 17.9-inch central touchscreen from BMW’s Neue Klasse models. Earlier prototypes still had the current steering wheel hub, so the iX3’s four-spoke wheel may not make the cut.
Why Is The iX2 Staying While The iX1 Gets Replaced?
The current iX1 (U11) shares its front-drive-based FAAR platform with the combustion X1, and it won’t get a facelift. Its replacement, the NB5, is a ground-up Neue Klasse model with Gen6 cylindrical cells and motors, and it will be rear- or all-wheel drive only. Series production is reportedly set for November 2027. The combustion X1 still gets its LCI, with production reportedly starting in July 2027.
The iX2 goes the other way, keeping FAAR and both electric versions under BMW’s newer naming. The front-drive iX2 20 is rumored to replace the eDrive20, and the dual-motor iX2 30 xDrive replaces the xDrive30. After the spring 2026 update, the current eDrive20 makes 150 kW (201 hp) with up to 512 km (318 miles) of WLTP range, and the xDrive30 makes 225 kW (302 hp) with up to 477 km (296 miles). Both are likely to stay on BMW’s Gen5 eDrive technology for now, so we don’t expect those range figures to change much with the facelift.
That leaves an odd pairing from late 2027. The iX2 sits above the iX1 in BMW’s lineup, yet the iX1 will be the one with Gen6 hardware underneath.
When Will The Facelifted BMW iX2 Arrive?
BMW hasn’t announced a date, but the facelift should enter production around mid-2027, alongside the X1 LCI. Neither the iX1 nor the iX2 is sold in the US, where only the gasoline X2 will arrive as a 2028 model. The oversized kidneys on today’s X2 and iX2 have been their most divisive feature since 2023. Judging by this prototype, they’re the first thing going.
First published by https://www.bmwblog.com
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