We’ve waited a long time for the BMW iX. Originally previewed as the Vision iNext concept at the Paris motor show back in 2018, it is the German carmaker’s third electric-powered production model, following on from the seven-year-old i3 and the one-year-old iX3.
- Strong performance
- Precise handling and overall ride quality
- Outstanding refinement
- Occupant accommodation both front and rear
- New iDrive system streamlines operation
- Highly effective energy recuperation
- A 2.5-tonne-plus kerb weight despite extensive use of carbon fibre
- It’s longer than the X5 but offers less boot space
- Lack of third-row seat option
- 200kW charging is less than state-of-the-art in this class
BMW sees the introduction of the distinctively styled five-seater as a watershed moment in its transition from traditional internal combustion engines towards an all-electric future.
It suggests the experience gained in the development of the BMW iX will greatly influence other new models such as the soon-to-be-launched i4, as well as electric versions of the upcoming eighth-generation 5 Series and seventh-generation 7 Series – the i5 and i7 as they are likely to be named when they go on sale in 2023 and 2024 respectively.
With power outputs ranging from 240kW in the xDrive40 to over 440kW in the yet-to-be-revealed M60 range-topping model, performance remains high on the list of priorities despite the weight penalty that is inherent in every modern-day electric car. It takes a front seat alongside refinement, which is very much one of the new SUV’s defining characteristics.
The lack of a numeric designation in the name of the iX is meant to signal its positioning as the flagship in BMW’s ‘i’ electric car sub-brand. However, with engineering ties to the existing fourth-generation X5, it remains a mystery why the company’s decision-makers didn’t just call it the iX5.
| Key details | BMW iX xDrive50 |
| Price (MSRP) | $169,900 |
| Colour of test car | Mineral White |
| Rivals | Mercedes-Benz EQC, Audi e-tron |
Whatever the reason for dispensing with its traditional naming, you certainly won’t mistake the iX for any other BMW model. The radical lines of the earlier Vision iNext have been watered down somewhat for production. Still, there’s no denying this is a BMW like no other. Almost a year after it was first revealed, its styling still divides opinions.
The basic proportions follow those of the X5. However, the surfaces are super smooth and a lot more rounded. The giant upright kidney grille, without doubt its most controversial design feature, doesn’t serve as an air duct.
Rather, it is a composite panel that is transparent to various sensors used for the long list of driver assistance systems hidden behind it. The slim-line headlamps, meanwhile, use the latest in LED technology and can be ordered with BMW’s LaserLight technology.
For the first time on a BMW SUV, the doors are frameless affairs. They do away with conventional door handles for an electronic mechanism. The polygonal-shaped wheel arches, a touch brought over directly from the concept, form an integral part of the body sides. There is also a wrap-around look to the rear-end, with thin horizontal LED tail-lamps integrated within the tailgate to accentuate the iX’s width.
The standard wheels are 20 inches in diameter and mated with relatively narrow 235/60R20 low-rolling-resistance profile tyres. Our BMW iX xDrive50 test car, however, wore optional 22-inch alloys with more performance-oriented 275/40R22 Bridgestone Alenza tyres all round, providing it with a suitably confident stance.
| BMW iX xDrive50 | |
| Seats | Five |
| Boot volume | 500L / 1750 L |
| Length | 4953mm |
| Width | 1967mm |
| Height | 1696mm |
| Wheelbase | 3000mm |
At 4953mm in length, 1967mm in width and 1695mm in height, BMW’s third electric production model is 15mm longer, 37mm narrower and 53mm lower than the fourth-generation X5. It also has a wheelbase that is 28mm longer than its combustion engine sibling at 3000mm.
The smooth and unadorned exterior – combined with a fixed bonnet, completely flat underbody, low drag wheels and other detailed measures – nets the new BMW a drag coefficient of just 0.25 on those standard 20-inch wheels. Key rivals such as the Audi E-Tron Quattro, Jaguar I-Pace, Mercedes-Benz EQC and Tesla Model X boast respective figures of 0.27, 0.29, 0.27 and 0.24. Not quite best-in-class for aerodynamic efficiency, then, but close.
The BMW roundel at the front isn’t simply adornment. It hinges backwards when pressed revealing an opening for the windscreen wiper filler bottle. All other under-bonnet ancillaries remain inaccessible. There is a protocol to open the bonnet when necessary, but BMW says it is conceived to be carried out during servicing only. The fixed bonnet also means the iX goes without a front-mounted storage compartment like some of its premium brand rivals.
The basis for it all is a heavily modified version of BMW’s CLAR (Cluster Architecture) platform – as used by the iX3 but with far greater differentiation to existing combustion engine models, including a flat floor.
Drawing on construction technology originally developed for the i3, it comes mated to what BMW describes as a “carbon fibre cage”. The lightweight inner body structure supports composite body panels, providing it with greater rigidity than any other BMW. The upshot is a kerb weight of 2510kg for the iX xDrive50 driven here – some 475kg more than the X5 xDrive40i.
The layout of the iX’s powertrain, described as a fifth-generation system, adheres to conventional electric vehicle practice with two in-house developed and produced synchronous electric motors. One motor is at each axle driving through fixed-ratio automatic transmissions, which provide it with the ability to constantly vary drive between the front and rear wheels depending on driving conditions across two driving modes: Efficiency and Sport.
In the xDrive50 driven here, the front unit develops a peak 190kW and 365Nm of torque, while the rear unit delivers 230kW and 400Nm. All up, the combined system output is 385kW and a rather generous 765Nm.
To put this into perspective, the E-Tron 55 Quattro delivers 300kW and 664Nm, with the I-Pace EV400S offering 294kW and 696Nm, the EQC400 4Matic whipping up 300kW and 760Nm, and the Model X 100D 386kW and 660Nm.
| BMW iX xDrive50 | |
| ANCAP rating | N/A |
A 105.2kWh (net) lithium-ion battery operating at 380 volts is mounted underneath the floor and within the centre tunnel, providing the new BMW with a low centre of gravity in comparison to its relatively tall stature. The 303Ah unit is claimed to provide the iX xDrive50 with a range of between 549 and 630km on the WLTP test procedure. It is never going to achieve these figures in real-world driving, but if our experience is any guide, you can bank on a good 500km and more between visits to the charging pile in regular driving.
As with the exterior, the interior represents a new direction in design. It is radically different to that of traditional combustion engine BMW models, both in architecture and in the materials used throughout. BMW design boss, Adrian van Hooydonk, says it was developed before the exterior, but incorporates similarly smooth and reduced design themes.
Opening the frameless driver’s door via the electronically controlled mechanism built into the newly developed handles reveals the lightweight construction used in the production of the new models. Large swathes of unpainted carbon fibre are concentrated within the sills, pillars and other sections of the inner body structure.
The first thing that grabs your attention is the hexagonal-shaped multi-function steering wheel. The 12.3-inch and 14.9-inch displays for the instruments and infotainment functions, meanwhile, are grouped together on a single free-standing curved display mounted atop a low-mounted dashboard.
The latter can be controlled via touch or conversational speech commands as well as BMW’s traditional rotary controller, which was fashioned from crystal glass on the iX we tested. Buyers can also specify gesture control, though interestingly the German carmaker says the take-up rate for this function is not as high as expected on other models it is offered.
| At a glance | BMW iX xDrive50 |
| Warranty | 3 years/ Unlimited km |
| Fuel type | Electric |
| Battery size | 385kW |
BMW has further refined its iDrive operating system for the iX, which is the first BMW model to receive an eighth-generation system. The overall operation remains similar to that first introduced on the seventh-generation system with individual tiles that can be swiped, though there is now a separate climate menu, which can be accessed at all times without having to dig deep into the menu layers.
There is also a new-generation head-up display with augmented-reality functions, as well as 5G-based mobile technology for over-the-air updating of the car’s software in markets where it is supported.
The whole interior is quite reduced in appearance; there are just six physical buttons on the dashboard itself. But at the same time it is ornate, as exemplified by the design of the fascia, which is divided into various layers. In a first for a BMW model, the controls for the electric seat adjustment are mounted high up on the doors – à la Mercedes-Benz.
With a long wheelbase, there is no shortage of rear seat accommodation. But with a flat floor and subsequent lack of foot wells, your feet are positioned quite a bit higher than in other BMW models based on the CLAR platform. Oddly given its size, no effort has been made to provide the iX with a third row of seats and seven-seat capability, so it remains a five-seater at best.
Boot space, meanwhile, is put at a somewhat disappointing 500L, which is a considerable 160L less than that offered by the E-Tron Quattro due to a high floor necessitated by packaging of the charging system, increasing to 1750L when the split-fold rear seats are folded and stowed. By comparison, the X5 boasts a nominal 650L of luggage space.
| Key details | BMW iX xDrive50 |
| Engine | Electric |
| Power to weight ratio | 173.8kW/t |
| Drive type | 4X4 On Demand |
| Transmission | Reduction Gear |
| Weight (kerb) | 2510kg |
| Turning circle | 12.8m |
A full-length glass roof with optional chromatic control, which allows you to automatically dim the amount of sunlight entering the cabin, makes for a bright environment inside. Doing its part for the environment, BMW has also included a lot of recycled materials within the interior of the iX. The material used for the seat coverings, for example, is a microfibre fabric made of recycled polyester.
The driving experience is predictably well-distinguished from the X5, and not only on account of the electric powertrain. The emphasis is clearly on comfort and refinement – both of which are clear strengths. There will be more powerful versions of the iX promising greater performance potential and more inherently urgent properties in time, though the overall balance struck by the iX xDrive50 should suit a wide range of potential buyers looking to step into the more premium end of the electric car ranks.
Step-off response is predictably sharp in Sport mode. It is not kick-in-the-back aggressive like some battery-propelled rivals. Rather, the throttle mapping has been programmed to deliver a smooth surge of propulsion from the off, after which the iX gathers speed very smartly indeed.
The claimed 0–100km/h time betters that of the E-Tron 55 Quattro, I-Pace 400EV, EQC400 and Model X 100D at 4.6sec. The acceleration is instant, and with all that torque in play there is plenty of it, with a faint but never overwhelming whine from the electric motors under load. There is no discernible trailing off of performance after multiple surges of acceleration either.
A newly developed software package for the four-wheel-drive system with so-called near-actuator wheel-slip limitation provides outstanding traction. There’s anything from pure rear-wheel drive to permanent four-wheel drive with torque-vectoring qualities for individual apportioning of drive to each of the rear wheels.
The solid reserves and high-revving qualities of the electric motors ensure the iX xDrive50 continues to feel engagingly strong well into three figures, despite its single-gear transmissions and increasing aerodynamic drag on the motorway. Top speed is limited to 200km/h.
Efficiency mode brings more measured performance that is well-suited to more subdued urban driving. Here, more relaxed throttle mapping makes for super-smooth progress. So configured, the iX xDrive50 glides along with whisper-quiet, limousine-like response.
The energy recuperation can be operated either automatically in D (drive) or manually – the latter offering high, medium and low via steering wheel paddles. As well as using various sensors to vary between coasting and braking, the automatic mode also taps into the navigation data to provide constantly adaptive qualities depending on the route and terrain. It is very intuitive, and in most situations preferable to the manual modes on account of its sheer simplicity of operation.
Sliding the stubby gear selector across the gate into B (battery) brings so-called one-pedal characteristics with maximum braking effect. This allows you to come off the throttle and rely on the strong deceleration to wipe off speed and eventually come to a halt, without the need to physically operate the brake pedal. So configured, it also acts as a hill holder, keeping the big SUV stationary until you’re ready to set off again.
The serene qualities of the powertrain are combined with low levels of wind noise, which is particularly well-suppressed. The performance-based tyres worn by our test car did prove sensitive to road surface changes. However, we suspect the higher aspect ratio of the standard low-rolling-resistance rubber will be less prone to road noise. In any case, it sets new levels of refinement for a BMW model, delivering an abiding sense of calm and tranquillity in everyday driving.
The iX xDrive50 is underpinned by a double-wishbone front and multi-link rear steel suspension with BMW’s lift-related dampers as standard. Air springs as well as adaptive dampers, like those fitted to our test car, are available as an option. It is all heavily related to the arrangement used by the latest X5, but with a larger footprint. As well as boasting a longer wheelbase, the xDrive50 receives an 11mm-wider front and 21mm-wider rear track than its combustion engine sibling.
The electro-mechanical steering is lightly weighted by BMW standards, though it is quite incisive in its action, delivering an engaging sense of precision upon turn-in as you work the hexagonal-shaped wheel.
This directional responsiveness, in combination with outstanding all-round purchase, ensures it remains contained and predictable along winding roads, though the handling is ultimately limited by the weight of the battery. Although concentrated relatively low in its structure, this ultimately contributes to an early onset of body roll, and in doing so defines how much speed you’re able to carry through corners.
Still, for an SUV of such mass, the iX xDrive50 is commendably wieldy. The four-wheel-drive system is programmed to provide rear-biased properties, but you have to be quite committed in Sport mode before they are noticeable. The stability and traction systems are well-judged, remaining unobtrusive until they are really required.
Newly developed front seats with rounded edges to the squab, and a rather flat backrest, don’t contain your body as well as they should. They do alter in form slightly when you switch from Efficiency into Sport mode, but they are uncharacteristically soft in cushioning and lacking lateral support.
The new BMW SUV rides well in Efficiency mode on smooth-surfaced roads, delivering impressive vertical body control and, with the optional air springs and adaptive dampers, an ability to absorb road shock over smaller imperfections without deterioration in overall compliance. But again, the effect of its generous kerb weight is noticeable over larger transverse ridges and deep potholes, where it sometimes struggles to maintain its otherwise impressive composure.
An ability to charge at 200kW on a DC system gives the iX a distinct advantage over the I-Pace, EQC and Model X, which support charging at a respective 100kW, 110kW and 150kW, in terms of charging time. However, it falls short of matching the 350kW of the E-Tron, which continues to set the standard in the class for energy replenishment. BMW claims a 0–100 per cent charge takes 35 minutes, or some 11 hours in combination with an 11kW AC wallbox system.
The iX comes equipped with the most extensive set of driver assistance systems yet seen on a BMW model, including front collision warning, steering and lane-control assistance, active cruise control with stop-and-go, and exit-warning remote. However, it lacks the full autonomous driving functions BMW originally planned, owing in part to a lack of clear legal guidelines in many markets it will be sold.
The iX is a creditable addition to the premium SUV ranks. In xDrive50 guise, it is very capable, with luxurious and terrifically refined qualities. It may lack the ultimate driver engagement and overall dynamic prowess of the best BMW models, but it is highly responsive and as fast as any standard (non-M) X5 in real-world driving conditions.
It is very efficient, too, delivering a range that will allow many prospective owners to carry out their work day commute on a single weekly charge. There are arguably roomier and more versatile electric-powered SUVs on sale, though none strike quite the same balance between overall useability and driving fun as the new BMW.
But with a starting price of $169,900 for the xDrive50, it is a good deal more than either the E-Tron Quattro, I-Pace, EQC and Model X. Deliveries are expected to get underway towards the end of 2021, with the cheaper xDrive40 and more powerful M60 set to arrive here in 2022.
The iX will initially be sold with two powertrain options. Alongside the xDrive50 driven here is the $135,900 xDrive40. It uses the same two electric motors with an overall system output of 240kW and 630Nm. But while the xDrive50 receives a 105.2kWh battery, the xDrive40 receives a smaller 71.0kWh battery. This provides the price-leading X model with a 145kg weight saving, bringing its kerb weight down to 2365kg.
The upshot, however, is a reduced range of between 372 and 425km under WLTP test conditions – a respective 177 and 205km less than that quoted for the xDrive50. The xDrive40’s charging system is also reduced to a maximum of 150kW on a DC system, providing it with a 0–100 per cent charge in a claimed 31 minutes.
The post BMW iX xDrive50 launch review appeared first on Drive.
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