Quote:
Originally Posted by nZtiZia
Quote:
Originally Posted by Auricom
That's correct, they wouldn't be able to build and deliver 45e orders without air suspension
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colonel, not related to air suspension per se, but do you have a definitive answer as to why 22" wheels aren't offered for the 45e or other variants when adding 3rd row seating? I postulate the max carrying capacity is too close to the tire load rating/index for 22" (being lower than 20/21" options) especially above the rear axle. |
TBH I don't have a definitive answer or can point to a technical doc as to the reason why.
The battery is right over the rear axle to keep things balanced which necessitated the use of 2-axle air suspension. While everyone thinks of air suspension is designed to provide a comfortable ride, it does that but specifically to maintain a constant ride height (self-leveling) while driving.
As far as 3rd row and why no 22", it's because BMW includes spare tire when optioning 22" and 3rd row takes up the all the spare tire space. Though I think it was a possibility for international markets, eg Belgium, but I never followed up on it.
There was a mention of max load on the rear wheels with the low height tires being an issue as you mentioned - 3rd row, 22", towing.