BMW iX xDrive45 review

Driving position 

The BMW iX’s interior is one of the fanciest places we’ve ever sat, and that’s even after spending time in a 7 Series. 

But unlike that luxury limousine, the iX is something you’ll actually drive yourself, so BMW has made the driving position spot on. 

The seat (heated and ventilated) has more settings than the phone in your pocket, making it really simple to get comfortable, and being an SUV means there’s endless amounts of headroom. 

You also sit high up and get a wide view of the road ahead, as well as behind you, making parking a breeze – though that’s aided by the 360-degree parking cameras. 

Tech and features 

Where do you even begin? Wherever we look in our xDrive45 test car it’s full ‘Castanea’ leather –including the doors, the seats and the dash – no expenses were spared in this department. 

Dominating the dashboard are two curved, floating screens.  

The 12.3-inch display behind the steering wheel is your digital dash, which shows driving info such as speed and battery percentage.  

In the centre is the 14.9-inch infotainment system to control pretty much everything else in the car. 

The screens are very crisp, easy, and so smooth to use. They run BMW’s iDrive 8.5 operating system – and you have wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. 

Controlling them is a crystal dial that BMWs have had for years, this is intuitive and ties nicely with the crystal-like seat controls mounted on the door cards. 

There’s also a wireless phone charging pad and a set of USB-C charge ports, which cleverly thread through the central armrest to charge your phone, so it doesn’t get too hot on the wireless pad on longer drives. 

Electric motors and power 

BMW offers three different trims on the new iX: xDrive45 (£74,400), xDrive 60 M Sport (£92,200) and the range-topping M70 (£113,300). 

Our test car was the ‘basic’ xDrive45, which still came with everything you’d want. And if you want sportier looks, you can add the M Sport package, although it’ll cost you £3,000 extra. 

This base trim gets you 408hp and 700Nm of torque – good for a 0-62mph time of 5.1 seconds and plenty of poke for almost anyone. 

But step up to the xDrive 60 M Sport and you get 544hp and 765Nm of torque, giving you a 0-62mph time of 4.6 seconds. Crazy for an SUV, right? Just wait... 

Opt for the top-spec M70 and you get a massive 659hp and 1,015Nm of torque with a 0-62mph time of just 3.8 seconds – that’s supercar fast.  

The top speed also increases to 155mph from 124mph in the M70, not that matters anywhere outside of the German Autobahn, though. 

On the road, you can really feel this power too, even in the entry-level car. It’s quick to respond, and we can confirm, the 0-62 time doesn’t matter because you’re going to get where you need to go in no time. 

Handling and ride comfort 

As standard, the iX comes with steel spring suspension, which do the job, but we’d recommend stepping up to the air suspension (standard on all the xDrive 60 M Sport and M70M). 

This just gives you a more supple ride, while still retaining BMW’s famed sportiness. If you’ve got it on the sports cars, why not add it to the 2.5-tonne electric SUV with sports car power too? 

Around corners, the iX handles brilliantly – especially considering its width and weight. You don’t notice its heft quite as much behind the wheel, although you’re still aware you’re piloting a car bigger than most London flats. 

Boot space 

Boot space remains unchanged from the old car, so you still get 500 litres, or 1,790 litres with the rear seats folded. 

The design itself is sloped but reveals the exposed carbon fibre, because yes, this heavy electric SUV has a carbon fibre monocoque (aka its internal structure), like a McLaren, which means it’s incredibly strong and durable. 

Loading big items in should be very easy, plus there’s underfloor storage for charging cables because there’s no frunk under the bonnet. 

Rear seats 

Space in the rear seats is really impressive. Headroom and legroom are both plentiful, even for taller passengers. 

Three people could sit happily back there on shorter journeys, but we’d still probably recommend two on longer trips – unlocking the two cupholders of the folding armrest in the middle seat. You also get an independent climate control unit for rear passengers, and hidden ISOFIX child seat mounts in the outer seats. 

Storage solutions 

Being an SUV, the iX isn’t short of storage space. And being electric (meaning the floor is flat because there’s no gearbox under it) only helps this fact. 

There’s a deep central armrest in the front (plus the storage under it), plus big door bins in the front and back, and a healthy glovebox. 

It’s really set up for (posh) family life. 

Safety 

The previous iX model was independently tested by Euro NCAP in 2021 and scored a full five-star rating, so we have every faith the new car will be just as safety-conscious. 

With tech such as airbags between the front seats, lane-keep assist, lane departure warning, speed sign recognition, automatic emergency braking and so on, BMW takes safety seriously. 

Range and charging times 

Each of the three iX variants comes with different battery sizes and ranges.  

The xDrive45 gets a 95kWh battery with a 374-mile range, while the top-spec M70 gets a larger 108kWH battery with 366 miles. 

But if you want the real showstopper, you’ll go for the mid-spec xDrive60 with a 109kWh battery and up to 426 miles of range. 

This is in part thanks to its heat pump, which comes as standard, but also thanks to improved battery technology making the car as efficient as possible. 

Charging is quick too. The xDrive45 has a maximum charging speed of 175kW, whereas the other two get 195kW speeds. 

This means you can charge from 10-80% in around 35 minutes using a rapid public charger. 

Reliability 

BMW never shies away from making reliable cars, and the iX is no different. Thanks to its high level of engineering and quality build, it’s unlikely it’ll let you down. And it’s electric, so there tends to be less to go wrong. 

Plus, it comes with a three-year/unlimited mileage warranty and includes an eight-year/100,000-mile warranty for the battery alone.