BMW has set out its vision for the future and the plans include a stunning all-electric SUV called the iX.

Due to be launched before the end of 2021 the iX is based on the Bavarian car maker's Vision iNEXT concept car.

The iX sits on a new platform and features BMW's latest electronic technology which includes automated driving and advanced connectivity.

"The BMW Group is constantly striving to re-invent itself. That is a central element of our corporate strategy," said Oliver Zipse, chairman of BMW's board of management. "The BMW iX expresses this approach in an extremely concentrated form."

The BMW iX will become the group's new technology flagship and features the company's fifth generation eDrive technology.

It is said to develop more than 500hp and will have a 0 to 60mph acceleration time of less than five seconds.

With a battery pack that can be recharged to 80 per cent of capacity in under 40 minutes it is also capable of receiving 75 miles worth of charge in under 10 minutes.

A full charge takes less than 11 hours from a wallbox and BMW says the iX will have a range of more than 370 miles..

It has 5G connectivity to enhance its automated driving abilities and is similar in length and width to BMW's X5 and as high as the X6.

The company's trademark kidney grille is completely blanked off and has become a panel which conceals camera technology, radar functions and other sensors are integrated into the grille behind a transparent surface.

Inside, the iX has a minimalist take on its instrumentation which BMW says helps create an uncluttered feel.

The hi-fi speakers are out of sight and the car's head-up display projector is recessed into the instrument panel so it is almost invisible.

A hexagonally shaped steering wheel, a rocker switch for gear selection, a large central display panel and a slightly curved shape to the dashboard are features BMW says it will be introducing on its next generation of models.

Production of the BMW iX will begin at the company's Dingolfing factory next year and although prices have still to be released it is understood the iX will cost around £100,000.

The German car maker says it plans to have produced more than one million electrified models by the end of 2021 with its line up including the i3 which was introduced in 2013.

Some 13 per cent of its production - including the MINI models - now have electric or plug-in hybrid drive systems and are sold in 74 markets around the world. Already it has produced more than 500,000 electrified cars.