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Pros: Luxurious cabin, strong performance, fast charging, improved efficiency.
Cons: Looks still divisive, expensive.
BMW iX Design
The BMW iX’s styling remains bold and distinctive, with its signature large kidney grille now featuring a new pattern and optional ‘Iconic Glow’ illuminated surround. M Sport models get a sculpted front bumper, larger air intakes and sportier rear bumper treatment with gloss black finish to the lower part. Aerodynamic touches like the flush door handles, optimised wheel designs (20- to 23-inch) help squeeze out more range. New colour options like the Dune Grey of our test car add to its visual appeal, but you’ll still either love or loathe its looks.
BMW iX Interior
Inside, the iX has a modern, minimalist design that still feels expensive and luxurious. The stylish BMW Curved Display integrates a digital driver display and touchscreen, while the new M Sport round steering wheel feels great to hold. There are also new seats with more lateral support, available in a variety of finishes including Alcantara or stunning quilted leather.
The classic BMW iDrive controller has survived the facelift and sits upon the floating centre console along with a few other shortcut buttons. Underneath there are cupholders, wireless smartphone charging and two USB-C ports. The touchscreen display has crisp graphics and plenty of functionality including in-car gaming and video streaming. Some of the icons are quite small but there is also voice control to make it easier to operate. Standard kit is also generous including heated front seats, heated steering wheel and a brilliant Harman Kardon sound system.
Space in the back is excellent thanks to the bespoke EV platform. The flat floor gives plentiful legroom and there are thoughtful touches like USB-C ports and easy-access Isofix points on the two outer rear seats.
The 500-litre boot is competitive with rivals like the Porsche Macan and Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV, though there’s no frunk. Still there is some handy underfloor storage for charging cables.
BMW iX Performance & Drive
BMW has updated the model designations to reflect the increase in power. The old ‘entry level’ xDrive40 is replaced by the xDrive45, which now produces 408hp and 700Nm, sprinting from 0–100km/h in just 5.1 seconds. There's also the xDrive60 with 544hp and up to 687 kilometres of range, and the high performance M70.
Despite its 2.5-tonne weight, the iX feels agile and is easy to place on the road. The steering is smooth and responsive and there’s plenty of grip when you’re pushing on, though the iX’s character leans more to relaxation than outright sportiness. Ride comfort is good on standard suspension, with only mild firmness over rough patches, though air suspension is available for that true magic carpet feel. Refinement is outstanding and the iX has an incredibly quiet cabin, ideal for long motorway drives.
Battery tech improvements boost battery net capacity to 94.8kWh in the xDrive45, delivering a huge range gain from 414 kilometres up to now 590 kilometres (WLTP). Efficiency has also been improved, with real-world figures as low as 18kWh per 100 kilometres during our summer test.
BMW iX Pricing
The BMW iX xDrive45 Sport starts from €92,785 or from €96,475 for the M Sport tested here. The more powerful xDrive60 starts from €114,695 while the high-performance M70 is available from €140,665.
Carzone Verdict
The BMW iX remains one of the best luxury electric SUVs on sale, blending space, refinement and cutting-edge tech. The facelift’s substantial range boost makes the xDrive45 not just the most efficient choice, but also the sweet spot of the iX range.