[Belleth]

Hi Fellow and Future Owners,

Good News for everyone who was reconsidering the car due to lacking a hitch in the USA. For people in the USA StealthHitches will soon have one available (end of September 2022).

For me this was almost a deal breaker when I was looking at the car. I called StealthHitches and discussed the options with them. They said that they would need a donor vehicle to design one. A few emails and phone calls back and forth and I was more than happy to volunteer. Especially, that their reputation precedes them.

Special thanks to Richard and the R&D team over there, it was pleasure discussing this project with him and the transparency that he provided of the overall process. I'm very happy that they accommodated my timelines, as it was a ~950 mile drive for me one way. I finally picked up the car August 2nd, and arranged for trip to Atlanta for end of August.

The trip was fun on it's on, with range anxiety, first electric car etc. I will not waste too much time on this, there are quite a few reviews of people taking much longer drives than this, but all I have to say, it was a real pleasure to do over 2k miles in this car over the course of 6 days (made stops to see friends in NC).

About the process:
I dropped off the car Monday 8am, and picked it up Tuesday afterrnoon. I will post a couple of pics of before and after below.
Richard was very straight forward that electronics part of the hitch creation could be an issue, and unfortunately, it was the case.
They were not able to figure out the "turn signal" signal, as it is most like a COM signal and requires decoding.
Given that, currently there is no towing solution, but that's not what was my priority anyway. For me it was the ability to carry my bikes.

The entire install is AMAZINGLY CLEAN. I'm happy to say that the kick opener works without issues, and one wouldn't even know the hitch is there. The attachment itself is completely solid once attached and really feels like a high quality product. There is no surprise here, their hitches really are top notch.

I will leave a placeholder for additional photos/Q&A for the future.

Here is a few words from the manufacture that I'm posting with their approval, and once again a BIG THANK YOU TO THE WHOLE R&D TEAM and Richard:

Key features of the Hitch.

• Not visible until needed
• Does not interfere with foot activated tailgate release
• Connects to the vehicle the same way the BMW hitch connects to the vehicle.
• Lifetime Warranty
• No effect on ground clearance
• Stainless Steel latching block

Here is also a link that I have received from them:

2022-2023 BMW iX - Rack Only

Don't settle for an ordinary hitch. Preserve the look of your BMW iX with a Stealth hitch. Our hitches are fully hidden when not in use and customized to match your vehicle's design. No visible cutting. Maintain ground clearance. Made in the USA with a Limited Lifetime Warranty.

stealthhitches.com

Before:

After:

 

[Belleth]

PLACEHOLDER

 

[vik2k]

Is it a self install option after purchase or do they have to install it.

 

[tempo36]

Hi Fellow and Future Owners,

Good News for everyone who was reconsidering the car due to lacking a hitch in the USA. For people in the USA StealthHitches will soon have one available (end of September 2022).

For me this was almost a deal breaker when I was looking at the car. I called StealthHitches and discussed the options with them. They said that they would need a donor vehicle to design one. A few emails and phone calls back and forth and I was more than happy to volunteer. Especially, that their reputation precedes them.

Special thanks to Richard and the R&D team over there, it was pleasure discussing this project with him and the transparency that he provided of the overall process. I'm very happy that they accommodated my timelines, as it was a ~950 mile drive for me one way. I finally picked up the car August 2nd, and arranged for trip to Atlanta for end of August.

The trip was fun on it's on, with range anxiety, first electric car etc. I will not waste too much time on this, there are quite a few reviews of people taking much longer drives than this, but all I have to say, it was a real pleasure to do over 2k miles in this car over the course of 6 days (made stops to see friends in NC).

About the process:
I dropped off the car Monday 8am, and picked it up Tuesday afterrnoon. I will post a couple of pics of before and after below.
Richard was very straight forward that electronics part of the hitch creation could be an issue, and unfortunately, it was the case.
They were not able to figure out the "turn signal" signal, as it is most like a COM signal and requires decoding.
Given that, currently there is no towing solution, but that's not what was my priority anyway. For me it was the ability to carry my bikes.

The entire install is AMAZINGLY CLEAN. I'm happy to say that the kick opener works without issues, and one wouldn't even know the hitch is there. The attachment itself is completely solid once attached and really feels like a high quality product. There is no surprise here, their hitches really are top notch.

I will leave a placeholder for additional photos/Q&A for the future.

Here is a few words from the manufacture that I'm posting with their approval, and once again a BIG THANK YOU TO THE WHOLE R&D TEAM and Richard:

Key features of the Hitch.

• Not visible until needed
• Does not interfere with foot activated tailgate release
• Connects to the vehicle the same way the BMW hitch connects to the vehicle.
• Lifetime Warranty
• No effect on ground clearance
• Stainless Steel latching block

Here is also a link that I have received from them:

2022-2023 BMW iX - Rack Only

Don't settle for an ordinary hitch. Preserve the look of your BMW iX with a Stealth hitch. Our hitches are fully hidden when not in use and customized to match your vehicle's design. No visible cutting. Maintain ground clearance. Made in the USA with a Limited Lifetime Warranty.

stealthhitches.com

Before:
View attachment 2416

After:
View attachment 2417

View attachment 2418

So it looks like they cut a hole through the bumper....yes?

Have you tested a rack on it yet to see if having a rack back there sets off any of the reverse or proximity alarms or affects the cruise pro at all?

 

[Belleth]

Is it a self install option after purchase or do they have to install it.

I'm pretty sure you can install it yourself with the right tools/knowledge, and they will have instructions, but it's up to you to decide if you have the skill set to do it, or if you need to outsource it locally.

 

[Belleth]

So it looks like they cut a hole through the bumper....yes?

Have you tested a rack on it yet to see if having a rack back there sets off any of the reverse or proximity alarms or affects the cruise pro at all?

yes, the hole is a must.

I've tried the rack, but haven't driven around with it.

will update once I do.

I genuinely do expect for sensors to go off when in reverse etc.

 

[tempo36]

yes, the hole is a must.

I've tried the rack, but haven't driven around with it.

will update once I do.

I genuinely do expect for sensors to go off when in reverse etc.

Agree...I expect so. But I'm hoping that, for example, it doesn't cause total havok with the driver assistance on the freeway or set off alarms continuously while driving.

Is there any kind of plate to cover the hole in the bumper when the hitch is not in use?

 

[bqv]

That's quite a hole.

I'm curious too about driver assistance when bike rack is installed. I already have the cross bars and bike rack for the roof. I think the driver assistance issues will be my deciding factor. Originally I was desperate for a hitch but now on the fence.

 

[Belleth]

about the hole in the bumper... there is a reason for it, i.e. on one side you have the locking mechanism that you need to reach with key, and on the the other side a release mechanism.

this is very similar to other hitches they design.

as far as cover... I guess you could ask the installer to cut the piece accurately and save it to somehow reuse as cover, but that's a stretch.

 

[hilld]

You could use color matched duck tape to cover the hole. :-D

Duck Tape®

Repair, craft, label and decorate with Duck Tape® Brand Duct Tape. Choose from traditional silver to wide range of colors, prints, strengths and technologies like sheets, mini-rolls, max strength and even glow-in-the-dark. Whether your next project is a simple kids craft or emergency home repair,…

www.duckbrand.com

After looking, it looks like they discontinued a lot of the former colors.

 

[Belleth]

You could use color matched duck tape to cover the hole. :-D

Duck Tape®

Repair, craft, label and decorate with Duck Tape® Brand Duct Tape. Choose from traditional silver to wide range of colors, prints, strengths and technologies like sheets, mini-rolls, max strength and even glow-in-the-dark. Whether your next project is a simple kids craft or emergency home repair,…

www.duckbrand.com

After looking, it looks like they discontinued a lot of the former colors.

If you can't duck it .... it.

 

[Gymc]

yes, the hole is a must.

I've tried the rack, but haven't driven around with it.

will update once I do.

I genuinely do expect for sensors to go off when in reverse etc.

Any news on the sensors? How did the hitch perform once the bike rack was installed?
thanks

 

[DCPJR]

I wonder if that will cause any problems with warranty should issues arise?

 

[tempo36]

I wonder if that will cause any problems with warranty should issues arise?

It shouldn't. It's not tied into the electrical system in any way. It's illegal to void the entire warranty for a modification to a specific area.

 

[kshatz]

Any news on the sensors? How did the hitch perform once the bike rack was installed?
thanks

The sensors on my x7 with stealth hitch detect and trigger as if I am about to hit something. The only way around this is to connect into BMW electrical, and I think only with BMW certified components. Ie - stealth hitch will always trigger sensors

 

[tempo36]

The sensors on my x7 with stealth hitch detect and trigger as if I am about to hit something. The only way around this is to connect into BMW electrical, and I think only with BMW certified components. Ie - stealth hitch will always trigger sensors

In what scenario are you getting those sensor alarms though? When backing up? Or when driving down the freeway? And what are those alarms/sensors doing to alert you?

With my old Tesla X, it would show me proximity alarms/signals when I drove down the freeway with my bike on the back, but no audible alarms or anything. It wouldn't auto park because it thought something was right behind it (correctly) and if I went into "R" it would tell me to stop but the audible alarm could be disabled. Similar?

 

[bqv]

Yep this is what I want to know too. I'm fine if the sensors go nuts when I'm backing up. I expect that.
Not ok it it messes with Driving Assistant, etc.

 

[Gymc]

It shouldn't. It's not tied into the electrical system in any way. It's illegal to void the entire warranty for a modification to a specific area.

I agree on the electrical side. The issue however is with respect to the transmission. They can make the claim it was used to haul excess weight. Some years ago Honda made similar claims to persuade customers to buy the original Pilot hitch which cost more than twice an aftermarket one.

 

[bqv]

I agree on the electrical side. The issue however is with respect to the transmission. They can make the claim it was used to haul excess weight. Some years ago Honda made similar claims to persuade customers to buy the original Pilot hitch which cost more than twice an aftermarket one.

I doubt this. If there no electrical hookup then there is no towing. Plus towing is available in other countries. This kind of stuff is usually folklore.

Of course everyone is entitled to their on belief but installing a hitch would be of no concern to me.

 

[kshatz]

In what scenario are you getting those sensor alarms though? When backing up? Or when driving down the freeway? And what are those alarms/sensors doing to alert you?

With my old Tesla X, it would show me proximity alarms/signals when I drove down the freeway with my bike on the back, but no audible alarms or anything. It wouldn't auto park because it thought something was right behind it (correctly) and if I went into "R" it would tell me to stop but the audible alarm could be disabled. Similar?

Only when backing up. And they are blaring like I am hitting something (or about to). I haven’t tried to silence them as it was not an obvious option