The new i4 M50 that got its moment in the wintry sun last week represented the sensible, buttoned-down side of BMW’s electrification strategy, being an EV version of the 4 Series Gran Coupe. It’s the sort of car that offers an easy – if pricey – migration for those who want to change powertrain but keep the rest familiar. Not so the equally fresh iX, a car with all the nuanced subtlety of a Frankie Boyle punchline.

BMW i4 EV (Image: BMW)

The design was always going to trigger debate and lead to social media punch-ups. Indeed that seems to have been part of the corporate strategy, with BMW’s corporate “OK, boomer” tweet last year targeting those with doubts as to whether this was a bright new future for the brand. Yet, as often the case with louder personalities, the iX is much less radical under the surface than it is on top, sitting on the same CLAR platform that underpins the combustion-powered dinosaurs in the range.