We drove from the city streets onto the Shuto Expressway, heading towards Yumenoshima Marina. Kiriyama often visits this area on weekends because an acquaintance of his keeps a cruiser moored here.

"I got my boating license at 27 because I wanted to pick up a new hobby. My 'sea mentor' likes to relax on the boat, while I'm all about piloting it, so we make a good pair."

Each time Kiriyama tested features like the infotainment system, which allows audio and climate control via voice or gesture, or the driver assistance functions that automatically maintain distance from the vehicle ahead, he expressed his admiration.

"The evolution of cars is incredible. Look, the display shows the surrounding vehicles, which provides a sense of security, doesn't it? I tend to drive older cars because I feel that as technology advances, cars lose their warmth, but it's the opposite. I realized with the iX that as technology progresses, cars are becoming increasingly vehicles that resonate with human senses."

Kiriyama animatedly discussed the excitement of the current F1 Grand Prix season as he drove along the Shuto Expressway. "It would be the best job if I could do this every day (laughs)," he said, making the crew laugh, as Yumenoshima Marina, their destination, came into view.

When Kiriyama asked, "About how far can this car go on a full charge?" a staff member replied, "With this configuration, it's 450km according to European standards, and a configuration with a slightly larger battery capacity can go 650km."

Kiriyama nodded enthusiastically, saying, "If it can go that far, there's absolutely no problem for work or personal use."

When parking in a space at Yumenoshima Marina, the surrounding obstacles were displayed in 3D on the screen, which also surprised Kiriyama.

"With my vocabulary, I'd say it's 'overwhelming' or 'astonishing.' Including its quiet and smooth operation, I find it to be a very human-friendly car."

After finishing the test drive and getting out of the BMW iX xDrive40, Kiriyama began, "It was an incredibly interesting experience."

"There's the joy of appreciating the design, the driving is exciting, and above all, I felt the thrill of touching the future. I'm not just saying this; I'd love to drive it home. My ideal scenario is to have this car and my old car side-by-side in the garage."

With the photoshoot concluded, all interviews were successfully completed. As it was time to head back to the city, Kiriyama asked the staff, "May I drive on the way back too?" His slightly flushed expression conveyed how genuinely impressed he was with the car.

KIRIYAMA Renn
Born in Kanagawa Prefecture in 1985. Made his acting debut in a musical in 2006 and has since expanded his range. His film credits include "Shinjuku Swan" and "Gunjō-iro no, Tōri Michi," and his drama roles include "Kore wa Keii de Ochimasen" and "Ojisan wa Kawaii Mono ga Osuki." He is currently appearing in the NHK evening drama "Kan Kana." Upcoming roles include TX's "Fukushū no Miboujin" and CX's "Teppachi!" In addition to cars, he is known for his many hobbies, including camping, snowboarding, cruising, and playing the bass.
*The 'shinnyō' radical in Kiriyama's name, 漣, is correctly written with one dot.
Outfit | Jacket ¥220,000, Pants ¥69,000, Shirt ¥59,000 / Etro (Etro Japan) Tel. 03-3406-2655