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The BMW iX is a flagship electric SUV with serious on-paper credentials. Does this updated model stack up? Lawrence Allan delves deeper.
Things you'll like
- Base model gets big power and range boost
- Extremely quiet cruiser
- Spacious, lavish interior
Things to consider
- Expensive to buy and run
- No seven-seat option
- Boot should be bigger
What is the BMW iX?
The iX is BMW’s electric SUV flagship that, despite it’s still-outlandish looks, has recently received a mid-life facelift to keep it competitive. But even three years on from launch it remains a unique prospect in BMW’s range.
That’s because it’s the brand’s only new car (until the all-new iX3 arrives) designed from the outset solely as an electric car. Everything else, from the iX1 small SUV to the i7 luxury limo, has been engineered with both petrol and battery power in mind.
That’s why the iX is considered a relative to the groundbreaking but ahead of its time BMW i3. A distant one in size and price, obviously, but related in its short bonnet allowing more passenger space due to the lack of an engine, and its use of carbon-fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) in its construction.
We rated the BMW iX highly back in 2022, but three years is a long time with the speed of EV development. With a growing number of rivals on the scene, BMW’s mid-life upgrades include more battery capacity, more power and retuned suspension. Does that bring it to the top of the posh electric SUV class? We’ll find out in this review.
Verdict: is the BMW iX a good car?
Overall, we rate the BMW iX among the best luxury electric cars on sale right now - even a few years on from the original’s launch. This updated model benefits greatly from its range and performance upgrades, while it remains comfortable, good to drive, spacious and impressive inside. Whether the design floats your boat or not is subjective, but look past that and few other EVs offer such a breadth of ability.
Pricing, specs & rivals
Whereas you’d expect price rises at least in line with inflation for new cars, the BMW iX has barely risen in price overall compared to when it launched in 2022. So while we’d stop well short of calling it ‘cheap’, by the standards of luxury electric SUVs a £75,405 starting price for the xDrive45 looks very competitive.
That means the iX xDrive45 is a little above the Polestar 3’s base price, about the same as the dual-motor Kia EV9 and a whole lot cheaper than the entry-level Lotus Eletre, Volvo EX90 or Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV.
Standard equipment in this base Sport trim includes 20-inch alloys, four-zone climate control, synthetic leather upholstery, heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, a wireless phone charging pad and even a Harman Kardon sound system with 18 speakers.
You’ll need another £3,000 to upgrade to M Sport spec (as most buyers will). This adds 21-inch alloys, high gloss black inserts, a redesigned front and rear bumper, blue brake calipers, upgraded upholstery, sports front seats and a dark headliner.
A further £15,000 (to £93,205) gets you into the M Sport-only xDrive60 with its substantial power upgrade and bigger battery.
From there it’s another big jump to the M70 model, priced from £114,305 with various M-specific upgrades along with 22in wheels, bigger brakes and ventilated and massaging front seats.
Rivals
The BMW iX has a few key competitors jostling for posh electric SUV supremacy – namely the Audi Q8 e-tron (and Sportback version), Lotus Eletre, Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV and Polestar 3. You used to be able to include the Tesla Model X here, too, but it’s no longer on sale in the UK.
You might also consider family-friendly seven-seat rivals like the Volvo EX90, Kia EV9 and Hyundai IONIQ 9, too, while the forthcoming Range Rover Electric will provide a formidable challenge to the BMW.
BMW iX: Interior comfort, quality & technology
Inside it’s clear that BMW threw the kitchen sink at making the iX feel like a luxury flagship. The design is minimalist, but still features lots of luxury details and plenty of style, so it’s anything but sparse.
Optional touches such as upgraded upholstery with coloured fabrics, wood trim and crystal glass switchgear lift the ambience even further, but even if you don’t spec your iX to the nines it’s still a premium cabin with an excellent level of fit and finish.
By comparison, a Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV looks great inside but feels noticeably flimsier in several places, while even the Volvo EX90’s classy cabin isn’t as consistently high quality as the BMW.
Set comfort is excellent, too, with plenty of electric adjustment and all but Sport trim featuring electric steering wheel adjustment as standard. The position of the seat strikes a good balance between giving a nice view out and feeling cocooned within the car, but those after a truly commanding driving position would be better off with a Range Rover.
Speaking of the view out, another impressive aspect of the iX is how low the windscreen line is, giving you superb forward visibility. The side windows are big and give a great view out for all occupants, too – our only complaint is thick rear pillars restricting the view behind. A 360-degree camera is sadly optional, but you do get a rear-view camera and a suite of sensors.
Infotainment, sat-nav, stereo and connectivity
Every iX comes equipped with a giant, freestanding curved display panel across the dash appearing to be one single screen. It’s actually two separate displays: a 14.9-inch central infotainment touchscreen alongside a 12.3-inch instrument screen.
It’s a thoroughly modern system: slick, bright graphics, impressive response times and tonnes of features. The integration of wireless smartphone mirroring such as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is slick, too, while we’re also pleased the iX has retained a physical control wheel on the centre console for easy scrolling on the move.
Our only issue with BMW’s latest system is the complexity of some of the menus. The main menu, for example, has a mass of small icons that are confusing until you learn where things area – some rivals make key functions easier to access. We also miss BMW’s older-generation physical climate control panel, although at least the touchscreen-based controls are always visible along the bottom.
BMW’s voice control is pretty slick, however, making changing the temperature or activating heated seats a bit easier. A wireless phone charging pad is handily located on the centre console, but there are also front and rear USB-C connectors.
The iX’s standard sound system is hardly basic by any means. Made by Harmon Kardon, it has a healthy 655-watt output and no fewer than 18 speakers. Nevertheless, you can upgrade to an outstanding 30-speaker Bowers & Wilkins surrround sound system with 30 speakers and 1,615 watts of power. It’s a pricey option, but an outstanding audio experience even by luxury car standards.
How practical is the BMW iX?
The iX sits squarely in the large SUV category size-wise, with dimensions of 4,965mm in length, 1,970mm in width (a sizeable 2,230mm including mirrors) and 1,695mm in height.
Although that’s smaller in every dimension than a Kia EV9 or Range Rover, the BMW is wider than the Volvo EX90 and considerably taller than a Polestar 3. Thankfully, the iX’s packaging means it’s extremely spacious for occupants inside.
A flat floor and ‘floating’ centre console means a huge amount of leg space for front seat occupants. Headroom is great, too, and the low dashboard and window line gives it an almost MPV-like feeling of airiness.
There’s oodles of space in the back, too. Two large adults will have room to stretch out, but even three adults across the back will be comfortable with leg, head and shoulder room to spare. Only a relative lack of space for feet under the rear seats lets it down.
The only black mark is the lack of a seven-seat option in the iX, something which the equivalent petrol BMW X5 can be specified with. It means the EX90, EV9 and IONIQ 9 have a versatility advantage over the iX.
Storage and boot space
There’s plenty of storage for odds and ends within the IX’s cabin. The glovebox (which is button operated rather than with a handle) is a decent size, the door bins are large and partitioned to stop items sliding about, while the centre console is feature packed. It includes a large under-armrest cubby space, a smaller one for keys or money, a separate phone charging area and a pair of large cupholders.
In the rear you’ll find separate climate controls on all models, along with pop-out cupholders in the central armrest, pockets on the front seatbacks, a pair of USB-C ports on the back of each seats and large door bins.
It’s a shame, then, that the iX isn’t more accommodating for luggage in the boot. Its 500-litre capacity is beaten by the EQE SUV and comprehensively trumped by the Eletre, EV9 and EX90. Only the Polestar 3 has less space.
The boot opening itself is hampered by a thick, space-eating tailgate, plus a lack of width relative to rivals. At least it’s a square shape, and the iX has useful 40/20/40 split-folding seatbacks to boost flexibility. There’s also a small underfloor storage area for charging cables – useful because the iX has no front boot despite being a ground-up EV.
Performance & drive: What is the BMW iX like on the road?
By most people’s standards the iX was already a strong performer, but the 2025 updates have seen substantial power gains across the range to keep new ultra-fast SUVs like the Lotus Eletre honest.
The most significant jump is actually at the base point of the range, with the iX xDrive40’s 322hp boosted substantially to 408hp in its replacement, the xDrive45. That knocks a full second off the 0-62mph sprint of what was already a perfectly acceptable time for an ‘entry-level’ model. For reference, the base Polestar 3 takes nearly 2.5 seconds longer.
By comparison the iX xDrive60’s upgrade is modest. It gains 21hp over the previous xDrive 50, but due to the larger and heavier battery on-paper performance is identical. And that’s fine, because it’s easily fast enough by big luxury SUV standards, firing off the line with gusto and matching the Eletre S for outright pace.
The iX M70 is in a similar boat, with 40hp boost over the old M60 not resulting in an improvement in on-paper performance, meaning it outpaces the Polestar 3 Performance Pack but trails the Lotus Eletre R. Still, 0-62mph in 3.8 from something so soothingly smooth is still outstandingly fast.
Immediate throttle response, particularly in sportier drive modes, helps the iX feel a lot more athletic than it looks – but it’s easy to modulate when driving gently.
There are three levels of regenerative braking force, through it’s a shame you have to access a touchscreen menu to adjust them rather than, say, pulling on a steering wheel paddle. You can easily apply maximum regen via the iX’s ‘B’ mode on the drive selector, though, while an adaptive regen option uses cameras and sat-nav data to predict when to apply braking force.
Power, 0-62mph times
- BMW iX xDrive45: 408hp/ 5.1 secs
- BMW iX xDrive60: 544hp/ 4.6 secs
- BMW iX M70 xDrive: 659hp/ 3.8 secs
Ride and handling
The iX is no classic BMW sporting lightweight, with the heaviest version tipping the scales at over 2600kg. That sounds gargantuan, until you remember that the new M5 Touring is only 100kg lighter. The Volvo EX90 has a hefty 2,800kg kerbweight.
Nevertheless, the iX manages to feel relatively agile by big SUV standards thanks to a low centre of gravity. It turns in keenly enough, with loads of grip and just enough steering feel to inspire confidence. Most alternatives with seven seats feel cumbersome by comparison.
If you think this is BMW prioritising cornering sharpness over ride comfort, you’d be wrong. Even with larger wheel options it smothers both low-speed urban potholes and faster roads with bumpy tarmac, without feeling like a boat wallowing in high seas.
We have some caveats with that, though. We’ve only tested the iX with air suspension (standard on the M70, optional elsewhere) which improves isolation over bumps. Similarly, rear-wheel steering is an option on all models bar M70. We’d strongly recommend going for an iX with these features to get the optimal driving experience.
Noise and refinement
Even by the higher standards of electric cars, the BMW iX is extremely quiet at motorway speeds. You’ll struggle to notice much in the way of road noise, while wind noise is almost absent by SUV standards. You’ll not hear any motor whine either, but BMW’s IconicSounds system allows you to deploy different Hanz Zimmer-composed ‘engine’ notes that are an acquired taste.
Euro NCAP: is the BMW iX a safe car?
The BMW iX was assessed by Euro NCAP for crash safety back in 2021. It was awarded the maximum five star rating, as we’d expect to see for an expensive, large family SUV such as this.
The iX delivers class-leading adult occupant protection with a 91% score, but its 87% score for child occupant protection is slightly behind the EQE SUV. The Mercedes is much better at protecting vulnerable road users in collisions, too, but its safety assist score is strong.
Speaking of which, every iX comes with autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, drowsiness detection, pre-collision assist and BMW’s Driving Assistant Plus. This includes adaptive cruise control with stop and go, speed limit detection and semi-autonomous steering and lane control.
The optional Technology pack further adds rear cross-traffic alert with brake intervention, rear collision prevention and a safe exit alert system.
Charging, range and running costs
Like with the increase in power output, the BMW iX’s battery updates are most prominent at the entry-level. The old xDrive40 model always left a massive gulf between its modest 71kWh battery capacity and the mammoth 105kWh of the next model up, but that’s clearly been addressed.
The new iX xDrive45 now has a battery of 94.8kWh in usable capacity. The result is a huge improvement in official WLTP range, up from 264 miles to 374 miles. That’s impressive for the cheapest model in the iX lineup, trouncing all versions of the EQE SUV, though some way short of the Polestar 3 Single Motor’s claimed 438 miles.
The iX can get close to that figure in xDrive60 form, though, thanks a battery that increased by 4kWh over the old xDrive50 to 109.1kWh. Only Mercedes-Benz makes larger battery packs. The result is a healthy 426 miles of combined range, comfortably exceeding what the Volvo EX90 offers.
The M70 model uses the same pack but its performance additions harm the range by quite a bit. It’s the lowest-range iX, although its 365-mile range is still an improvement on the old M60.
Range on a charge (WLTP figures)
- BMW iX xDrive45: up to 374 miles
- BMW iX xDrive60: up to 426 miles
- BMW iX M70 xDrive: up to 365 miles
On to charging speeds, and once again it’s the iX xDrive45 that’s the winner here in terms of the 2025 upgrade. The old xDrive40 topped out at 150kW on a suitable DC rapid charger, whereas BMW now claims 175kW for the new version.
That’s sufficient for a 10-80% charge in as little as 36 minutes – not bad, but the best electric SUVs can crack the 30-minute barrier on paper.
The xDrive60 and M70 both peak at 195kW according to BMW. Curiously, that’s 5kW lower than the outgoing big-battery models. We’re not entirely sure why that is, but it isn’t likely to be a deal-breaker because the new iX is one minute slower to charge from 10-80% on paper, at 32 minutes.
That’s possibly the only area where the iX shows its relative age. Three years is a long time in the EV world, and a whole load of premium brands (not least the Lotus Eletre and some other China-made models) offer faster charging EVs. Still, a few minutes here or there might not matter to you.
What may matter is the sheer time it takes to charge the iX on AC charging. With no 22kW charging capability on any version, even the xDrive45 takes over 10hrs using an 11kW wall box, while you’ll need nearly 12hrs for the bigger battery models. Don’t get stuck using a domestic plug socket to charge it, because that’ll take over 55hrs.
Charging speeds
(Figures from EV Database)
- 7kW charging: 15hrs 15 mins (xDrive45) / 17hrs 30 mins (xDrive60/M70)
- 11kW charging: 10hrs 15 mins / 11hrs 45 mins
- 50kW rapid charger (10 to 80% charge): 84 mins / 96 mins
- 150kW+ rapid charger (10 to 80% charge): 36 mins/ 32 mins
How much does the BMW iX cost to insure?
Given the high value and strong performance of the BMW iX, it’s no surprise that it’s a relatively expensive car to insure. Before the latest update it was possible to get an iX that sits under the maximum insurance group 50 (the xDrive40 in group 47) but following that model’s power boost to become the xDrive 45 every variant now sits in that top-tier group.
That’s unlikely to bother those that can afford this car, though, particularly as you’ll struggle to find any comparable rival that doesn’t sit in insurance group 50.
BMW iX FAQs
Is the BMW iX worth buying?
We reckon the BMW iX is well worth considering thanks to it impressively spacious and comfortable interior, outstanding refinement, long range on a charge and strong performance, even if the styling divides opinion.
What’s the difference between the 2024 iX and 2025?
The 2025 update to the BMW iX has given the electric SUV more range and performance, with the new xDrive45 entry-level model getting a substantially bigger battery and a lot more power. All versions also receive suspension tweaks to boost handling.
Can I charge a BMW iX at Tesla chargers?
Yes you can charge the BMW iX at Tesla Superchargers, but not all of them. Tesla has opened up a select number of Supercharger hubs for all electric cars, with a CCS port adaptor installed. Check on Tesla’s website to find out which chargers near you allow this.
