Competing with the Model X SUV released by Tesla is not an easy task. The company has set a new benchmark with not just a stylish sports utility vehicle, but has made it totally electric with a great mile range.

While most manufacturers might shy away from such competition, BMW is not one such company. They are ready to take on the biggest player in the electric segment with their upcoming i5 EV SUV. The car is scheduled to hit the dealership stores before the end of 2017.

The Model X is already out even though it underwent a lot of delays and some changed launched dates. Tesla faced many issues including situations where Apple was consistently acquiring its talent for their own rumored automobile division. They even couldn’t get the falcon doors right, but everything is in the past now. Model X is probably the most wanted electric vehicle at the moment that is considered to be premium and a stylish car to own in every perspective.

BMW has a lot of ground to cover in order to take down the popular car and in a recent statement they have confirmed that they are ready for the competition. The i5 has been in production for a while now, but the brand has decided to make some drastic changes to it in order to keep it next gen, when it officially gets launched.

Some of the confirmed features include autonomous technology which will be one of the highlights in the next gen BMW i5 electric SUV. While there are safety concerns over self-driving cars, they are sure to integrate it in such a way that it requires a driver to be seated behind the wheel at all times.

Apart from the usual feature rich infotainment and interiors, BMW may also launch a hybrid version of the vehicle. Despite the widely prevalent notion that electric cars are the future, most automobile manufacturers strongly claim that people are not yet ready to embrace this technology. Hybrids offer them an opportunity to enjoy the best of both worlds where they could easily switch to a gasoline engine whenever they run out of power or plan to go on long drives where charging motors are not an easy task.

A rendered image has been released online which is not completely legit, yet it gives a glimpse into the i5 SUV that BMW plans to build in the next one year.