The new BMW iX therefore breaks loose from the confinements set by the old models and tries to enter a new age with a completely different and bold take. It’s different and it knows that, owns up to it and tries to offer more in a simplified package. The iX then shouldn’t be judged by the old books because this design didn’t happen by accident. It was a conscious decision, like just about any other thing about this car. Nothing was left to chance. 

A Unique And Bold Exterior Design

The exterior design is, without a doubt, the most controversial bit. The front-end is dominated by a huge set of grilles that are not only there to shock, but also with a practical reason. Behind them you’ll find a lot of technology meant to keep you safe and improve the driving assistance systems. The grille houses a large radar, along with other sensors and a self-cleaning camera. Furthermore, BMW is aware of the kidney’s sheer size and decided to cover it in a self-healing polymer cover. If the grille gets chips from the road in it, all you have to do is heat it up and it’s going to look brand new.

There is also a new headlight design without the trademark corona lights. Sure, they still have Daytime Running Light, but they have a completely new shape and they do a little dance when the car ‘wakes up’. But apart from those two elements, the front-end is as simple as it gets. The lines are clear cut and everything is as non-complicated as possible with a simple goal in mind: to make this car as aerodynamic as possible. The same approach can be seen on the sides.

As soon as you take a step back, you notice that the car’s shape is monolithic, as if it was made of a single block. The door handles are now flush with the doors, the side mirrors have been sculpted in the wind tunnel and there are few to none character lines on the doors. The same goes for the rear-end, where everything was simplified and the taillights are now just two slim, horizontal bars.

Minimalistic Cabin

For old-school fans of BMW, the shock gets even bigger the moment you step inside. That’s because there’s nothing familiar welcoming you inside the iX. Everything is new and, staying true to its trailblazer name, lots of the iX’s design features will be adopted by future BMW models: From the simplified layout of the dashboard, to the screens, hexagonal steering wheel and sustainable materials.

It may take you a while to get used to the new layout but one thing’s for certain: the interior of the iX feels like it’s coming from a completely different era. Minimalism has been adopted on a wide scale, like the trend in the industry seems to dictate, and a lot of buttons have disappeared in the process.

All that’s left in that regard is to be found in the area around the rotary iDrive controller, now made entirely of crystal. The buttons themselves are touch-sensitive and use a sensor hidden beneath the wood veneer. Crystal is also used for other buttons on the center console, like the volume knob, start button and drive selector. The same goes for the buttons that allow you to adjust your seat which have been moved on the door panel and look incredibly luxurious.

In a nutshell, the entire cabin of the BMW iX has a luxurious feel, with high-quality finishes and materials. Even though the upholstery in this car wasn’t leather (that’s still an option) I couldn’t say the textile material didn’t feel premium enough. One wonder I do have though is how this material, that feels a lot like Alcantara, will hold up over the years. That remains to be seen.

The screens appear to float when viewed from the driver’s perspective. The passenger gets to see the feet holding them up, but from behind the wheel you could be fooled. It’s a similar solution to the one introduced on the i3. The two separate screens are melted together in a single, curved display, that’s one of the biggest you can find in a production car today. And yet, they don’t feel overwhelming.

Both the instrument cluster and the iDrive screen feature high resolution, smooth animations and completely new designs. The BMW iX comes with three driving modes, two being fixed in terms of design while the third, Personal, allows you to configure just about anything about the screens and interior lighting. The instrument cluster has three different layouts to display various information. The one I found most useful displayed the range based on your current driving style. That window also showed you the maximum and minimum range you could expect, adjusted according to your state of charge.

Right in front of the instrument cluster, you’ll find the new hexagonal steering wheel, a bold and yet very interesting choice from BMW. I found it to be the perfect size but I wasn’t too happy with the fact that there’s no on-board computer button on the left-hand stalk. Its role has been replaced by a button positioned on the right-hand spoke of the steering wheel. Once again, a perfectly good button was eliminated in the quest to adhere to the minimalist trend we’re all witnessing today.

And there are other areas where the ergonomics are suffering because of it. Remember those fancy crystal seat-adjusting buttons? Well, whereas in the past you could adjust just about any direction on your seat using those buttons alone, now you have to press a shortcut on the door panel in order to access a ‘seat menu’ in the iDrive screen and from there you can make the necessary adjustments. You need to take several extra steps in order to adjust a simple thing like lumbar support, for example. And don’t get me even started on the climate control menu. What used to be a very simple and intuitive panel is now an overly complicated menu shown on the center display. Luckily, the car has a very efficient “Auto Mode” that does everything for you so you’ll only have to adjust the temperature.

Furthermore, you could use the new Intelligent Personal Assistant that’s better than ever. Since most buttons simply vanished and since the AI system understands more free speech, I ended up using it a lot more.

Lots Of Cabin Space

There’s also ample room inside the iX, thanks to the unique platform it rides on. At its core, the BMW iX uses a bespoke architecture. There’s no transmission tunnel which frees up a lot of room in the back where you could easily sit three adults. If the exterior dimensions of the car would make it comparable to the X5, there’s a lot more room inside. The boot is a bit problematic though, as it only has 500 liters of space, 160 less than on the main rival this car has, the Audi E-tron.

One final complaint would be the front seats. For a flagship, they are nowhere near as configurable and adjustable as they should be. There’s no extendable thigh support for those with longer legs, no adjustable headrest and you have a plastic opening in them that houses a speaker. Sure, it helps with the quality of the sound provided by Bowers & WiIlkins but, you might want to make sure you have a tall enough passenger. That’s because, under hard acceleration, they might be taken by surprise and hit their head rather hard on that piece of plastic, something that was oddly overlooked.

Insane Performance

Those hard accelerations are not hard to come by. As a matter of fact, the throttle response of this car can be quite brutal in Sport mode. Just the slightest tap of the go faster pedal simply shoots the BMW iX xDrive50 forward with an agility worthy of the electric drivetrain hiding under the sheet metal.

Speaking of which, the BMW iX in xDrive50 guise is currently the most powerful iX you can buy, until the iX M60 comes out. It uses two electric motors, one for each axle, that can deliver a total of 523 PS and 765 Nm of torque. Those numbers are very close to what the old 4.4-liter V8 twin-turbo mill used to offer on M50i models. That makes understanding the naming convention a lot easier, right?

According to BMW, the all-wheel drive character of the car and the power it has should allow it to do 0-62 mph in 4.6 seconds, but the seam of my pants was telling me that was a conservative estimate. It’s a good enough result for a car that tips the scale at exactly 2.5 tons. Some 600 kilos of that weight went into the 105 kWh battery hidden in the floor. According to BMW, that battery should allow you to cover up to 600 kilometers with a single charge. That wasn’t exactly what I got.

Around town, the average energy consumption recorded by the car was 29 kWh/100 km, adding up to a real-life range of about 350 kilometers with a full charge. Outside the city limits, on a series of B-roads, with spirited driving, that figure dropped to 24 kWh/100 km while on the highway it went back up to 28 kWh/100 km, for a range of 450 km and 375 km respectively. Mind you , the exterior temperatures were rather low, close to 10 degrees Celsius most of the time, while the car was running on winter tires. Consider these as worst case scenario results.

But if there’s one thing the iX does great, that’s definitely the refinement and comfort offered by the suspension. Air suspension, that is, as our tester was fitted with this optional feature. And it’s worth all the pennies as it managed to simply iron out every single crease in the road, while not making a peep. The ride quality in the iX is simply stunning, the most comfortable I’ve ever experienced in an electric vehicle. 

There’s also virtually no road noise either. You see, that streamlined body of the iX is not only good for making it more aerodynamic but also for making sure the road noise is kept in check. It works brilliantly, even at highway speeds, the atmosphere inside the BMW iX remaining serene. Couple that with the brilliant 4D sound system from B&W and you get a true lounge feeling while riding in this car.

Nearly Perfect

However, at the end of the day, the BMW iX is still a Bavarian product. Therefore, it has to offer a good driving experience too, not just a comfy one. Unfortunately, the weight of the car can be felt throughout its movements whenever you’re driving it in a sportier manner. After all, we’re talking about the heaviest car BMW is making today and even though the weight is admirably kept in check, there’s still some roll and lean into the corners. That’s inevitable at the end of the day. 

Nevertheless, I wouldn’t say the iX is a disappointment in this regard. Far from it, but you do have to really push it in order to squeeze the most out of this chassis. The electric SUV oversteers and can behave like a BMW with a rear-biased all-wheel-drive system, but in order to get there, you really have to get over the initial lean in a tight corner. Most people will be scared midway through the transition, but, if you push it just a little bit harder, you can really squeeze all the iX has to offer. Overall, the iX remains composed and predictable in all situations, including when it is grabbed by the scruff of its neck and thrown around.

That means this is one of the most capable electric SUVs I’ve tested over the last few years. Sure, it does have some issues but they are just minor niggles in the grand scheme of things. The BMW iX  compensates with the most refined ride I have experienced in an electric model, a luxurious cabin, incredibly quiet atmosphere, lots of technology and, when needed, a rush of adrenaline thanks to your right foot. 

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The 2022 BMW iX xDrive50 will arrive in March 2022 in the United States and a few months before that in Europe. In the U.S. the car is priced at $82,300 plus $995 Destination Charge. A comparable Tesla Model X starts at $94,690 for the Long Range model. The BMW iX is also comparable in price with the 2021 BMW X5 M50i which rings the register at $82,800 plus $995.

The BMW iX xDrive50 is going to be the headline variant, packing a new 105.2 kWh net battery pack and dual motors to make a very competitive 523 horsepower and 564 lb-ft of torque. BMW claims the iX xDrive50 can nail 100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.6 seconds, while achieving a range of 630 km (over 300 miles, per EPA).

The BMW iX is the brand’s most impressive electric vehicle. It’s the first BMW EV to be built on a bespoke electric platform since the i3, it’s the most powerful EV it’s ever made, it has more range than any other electric BMW ever, and it’s the most luxurious one, too. Being a big, premium SUV, it’s also going to be quite popular among high-end customers. Some enthusiasts might complain about its looks but if the X7 can sell in big numbers, the iX will too.

Let’s take a look at the video review!

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And if you’re a techy, you’ll have plenty of gadgets and nifty features to play with. Today, we’re going to outline some of the best and coolest features of the BMW iX. Things like the impressive driving range or power are excluded for now, even though they’re absolutely worth a mention.

5. Aero Wheels

The aero wheels are not only functional, but also good looking. They’re equal parts stylish and functional, as they do reduce aerodynamic drag significantly enough to warrant getting them. Plus, they add to the car’s interesting, more futuristic aesthetic. There’s no chance anyone mistakes a BMW iX with a BMW X5 and that’s a very good thing. If BMW wants to pull X5 customers over to electrification, the iX needs to look and feel more special.

4. iDrive 8

BMW’s latest iDrive 8 not only features an all-new screen but the graphics are massively improved. They’re crisp, futuristic looking, and easy on the eyes. It’s easier to read and navigate than the current system’s stark black, white, and red color palette. More importantly, BMW improved functionality a ton, revamping how the UI works and making it more intuitive. There are also interesting new features, such as being able to being the entire climate control system up on the screen or using digital versions of BMW’s preset buttons at the top of the screen.

The new BMW iDrive 8 was designed with a focus on dialogue-based interaction using natural language and on touch operation. There are also new features which expanded capabilities of the BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant, which uses a new graphic to communicate with the vehicle’s occupants.

3. Electrochromic Sunroof

This single-piece transparent glass roof spans the entire interior without any cross struts to break it up. It is also the largest glass roof ever fitted in a BMW model. The roof features PDLC (Polymer Dispersed Liquid Crystal) technology for shading the interior. The panoramic glass roof’s transparency is altered by applying a voltage to the middle layer of film.

It takes less than a second for the crystals to distribute themselves in a disorderly pattern that creates the effect of shade. This electrochromic shading can be activated and deactivated using a button in the roof function centre. The shading mode is activated automatically once the BMW iX has been parked.

2. Exterior and Interior Light Dance

When you walk up to the car, the BMW iX now performs “Great Entrance Moments”. How is that possible? Using UWB (Ultra Wide Band) radio technology, the BMW iX knows when the driver is approaching it and knows exactly where the driver is, within a few centimeters. Once the driver gets within three meters, the iX performs a bit of a welcome but doing an exterior and interior light dance, unlocking the car, creating a light carpet next to the door, and prepping the interior. While all of that is happening, the iDrive system is getting ready and all of the car’s interior seating surfaces are heating up, if it’s cold outside.

The feature will be available at the end of 2021 and it was just announced today by Apple as well.  Apple and the BMW Group have been working closely together with
the Car Connectivity Consortium (CCC) to develop the Digital Key Release 3.0 specification for UWB, which will serve as a global standard for both the automotive industry and smartphone manufacturers.

1. BMW Remote Theft Recorder

This new feature works in conjunction with the overhead interior camera which is triggered when the alarm system goes off. The iX’s owner is then notified on its smartphone and he’s able to access and save the pictures from both the interior camera and the cameras at the front and rear of the vehicle and on its exterior mirrors. The images can also be combined to form a 360-degree panoramic view.

And while the BMW Remote Theft Recorder is meant to be a safety feature, the overhead camera can be used in a fun way as well. The driver and passengers can take snapshots during a road trip, allowing them to capture special moments and share them with friends and family. Pictures can be taken by voice command, gesture or touch control, and there is also the option of a self-timer (three second delay).

The camera system can even be set to only take a photo when at least one of the occupants is smiling. The camera operates in HDR mode, while the night mode produces sharp black-and-white images even at night or in low light conditions. Pictures can be shared by simply scanning a QR code in the control display with any smartphone connected to the car via WiFi.

Bonus Gimmicky Feature

The BMW roundel on the hood has a functional component. It now serves as the filler neck for the washer fluid sent to the windscreen and rear window wipers. It opens and closes again – once the fluid has been topped up – with a gentle push. A gimmick? Yes. Useful? Certainly!

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For starters, the BMW iX is the first bespoke EV chassis from Bavaria since the i3. Oddly, the BMW iX chassis is going to be a one-off and won’t be used for another BMW product ever again. That seems a bit at odds with modern manufacturing but it seems BMW changed direction, in terms of chassis development, after the iX was already in development. Still, that bespoke, lightweight architecture — developed from high-strength steel, aluminum, and carbon fiber — gives the iX an advantage over some of its competitors.

At market launch, in Q1 of 2022, there will be two models available — the BMW iX xDrive40 and iX xDrive50. The former will be the entry-level iX, packing specs and options akin to those of the BMW X5 xDrive40i. Which means it will get a net 71 kWh battery pack, dual motors, one at each axle, for a combined 326 horsepower and a very healthy 464 lb-ft of torque. According to BMW, 0-100 km/h (62 mph) takes 6.1 seconds, with a max range of 425 km (264 miles).

The BMW iX xDrive50 is going to be the headline variant, packing a new 105.2 kWh net battery pack and dual motors to make a very competitive 523 horsepower and 564 lb-ft of torque. BMW claims the iX xDrive50 can nail 100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.6 seconds, while achieving a range of 630 km (over 300 miles, per EPA).

BMW also announced a range-topping, high-performance model, the BMW iX M60, which will pack 600 horsepower from dual motors. BMW didn’t announced the M60’s official range figure yet but it did say that the iX M60 should consume around 21 kWh per 100 km (62 miles), which equates to around 2.9 miles per kWh. We’re assuming the M60 uses the same 105 kWh battery pack as the iX but BMW didn’t say so definitively.

Much like the BMW i4, the new BMW iX will have adaptive regenerative braking that can automatically adapt to different terrain, via GPS, traffic or various other road conditions. For instance, when approaching a junction, the iX will automatically use heavy regen braking, to slow the car down dramatically and recoup some energy. Or, while driving along a major highway, it will automatically use low regen braking, or none at all, so that when you lift off the accelerator, you get a freewheeling effect, for better efficiency. Alternatively, the driver can manually choose the amount of regen braking and override the automatic system if they so choose.

Also like the BMW i4, the iX gets a new high-efficiency heat pump that can use ambient heat, heat from dehumidification, and waste heat from the electric motors to increase efficiency. For instance, during stop and go traffic, during inclement weather when a high level of heat is required, the heat pump can increase efficiency by up to 40 percent.

The BMW iX also comes with advanced battery cooling and heating, a system comprised of three heating/cooling circuits, interconnected with electric valves and a shared expansion tank. If the temperature is cold outside, the system can use waste heat from the electric motors to warm up the battery. If it’s hot outside, a two-level cooling module, a refrigerant compressor, two evaporators, a water-cooled condenser, and a high-performance control unit combine to help cool the battery down.

All of that advanced cooling also helps with charging. The BMW iX xDrive 50 can charge its battery at 200 kW, making it one of the faster charging EVs on the market. With a battery charge at 10 percent, using a 200 kW DC fast charger, the BMW iX can recoup 150 km (93 miles) of range in just ten minutes. However, the iX xDrive40 can only charge at up to 150 kW, which isn’t as fast but has more compatible chargers, and can recoup 95 km (53 miles) in ten minutes. For the BMW iX xDrive 50, a 35 minute charge on a compatible DC fast charger will get the battery from 10-80 percent. Due to the xDrive40 model having a smaller battery density, it only takes 31 minutes to it to charge the same amount.

Both vehicles can be charged with 11 kWh Level 2 home chargers, obviously, but it will take a lot longer. An iX xDrive50 will take eleven hours to charge from flat to full on a Level 2 wall box charger. Again, due to the smaller battery, the iX xDrive40 takes less than eight hours. There will be an option to allow for 22 kW charging at home in the future, as well.

From the outside, the BMW iX is an interesting looking SUV. The front end is going to be controversial, due to its 4 Series-esque kidney “grille” design. There’s no getting around the polarization of the fanbase from the new grille but, at least on the iX, it’s far more functional than ever before.

For starters, the kidney grille panel on the BMW iX is actually called an Intelligence Panel, as it houses all of the front sensors for the car. Additionally, it houses a heating element, to prevent snow from hindering the sensors’ abilities. Taking things one step further, the iX’s Intelligence Panel is coated in a self-healing wrap. BMW was clever enough to realize that rock chips and road debris are going to destroy that big, flat, front-facing panel over the years and will look horrific if not maintained. So a self-healing wrap was applied, allowing all minor scratches and chips to be fixed simply by applying heat from a heat gun or even a blow dryer. Pretty clever.

Overall, the shape of the BMW iX is rather handsome. It has great SUV proportions, short overhangs, clean lines, and some interesting design bits. There’s clearly some inspiration from the BMW i3 in the D-pillar, the flush-mounted door handles look slick, and the aero wheels are really cool in person. The BMW iX is also impressively aerodynamic, with a coefficient of drag of just 0.25, making it one of the most aerodynamic production vehicles ever made.

I’ve seen the BMW iX up close, in person, sat in it, and fooled around with all of its features, and I must say that I can away rather impressed. It’s a much better looking car than I imagined it would be and its interior is truly fantastic. You can read my first impressions here.

Speaking of interior, the BMW iX features the most ambitious cabin of any Bimmer since the i3. In fact, it might even be more ambitious than the i3 because it pushes the boundaries of luxury and cabin technology for BMW. We’ve seen the demos of its new iDrive screen and digital instrument panel, so I won’t rehash it here. However, it does work significantly different than any other BMW infotainment and is a massive leap forward.

The steering wheel is an odd shape but it looks different from most BMW wheels and seems futuristic. All of the seat controls were moved from the side of the seat to the door panels, which is a bit Mercedes-Benz-esque, so I’m surprised BMW did it. Though, it does look a bit more premium, especially since all of the controls are Swarovski crystal in the xDrive50 and M60 models, along with the iDrive controller and drive selector. In iX xDrive40 models, the seat controls are metallic.

Above the driver, there’s also a massive glass sunroof with electrochromic shading. So while the roof doesn’t actually open, the push of a button can make it either opaque or transparent. This is new tech for a BMW but the Mercedes-Benz S-Class had such tech at least a generation ago. Still, it’s very cool.

The BMW iX also gets augmented reality navigation in the driver’s display. A live feed of the road ahead is projected onto the display, with digital graphic overlays added to it, to help the driver navigate tricky areas. For instance, an arrow will be displayed on the screen, over the live feed of the road ahead, to show the driver which way to go.

When you walk up to the car, it now performs “Great Entrance Moments”. Using UWB (Ultra Wide Band) radio technology, the BMW iX knows when the driver is approaching it and knows exactly where the driver is, within a few centimeters. Once the driver gets within three meters, the iX performs a bit of a welcome but doing an exterior and interior light dance, unlocking the car, creating a light carpet next to the door, and prepping the interior. While all of that is happening, the iDrive system is getting ready and all of the car’s interior seating surfaces are heating up, if it’s cold outside.

There’s also an interior camera that can be used as either an automotive selfie stick or a theft deterrent. Passengers can use the camera to take photos of themselves and share them straight to social media from the iDrive screen. The camera shoots in HDR during the day but also in sharp black and white night vision at night.

If someone tries to steal the car, the owner is notified by an alert on their smartphone. After which, they can record or take pictures of the perp with both the interior and exterior cameras and save all of the data to their phone. Snazzy.

The BMW iX xDrive50 will be the first iX to launch in Q1 of 2022 and will come with a starting price tag of $83,200, with $995 destination. That makes it barely more expensive than the $82,800 of the BMW X5 M50i. Considering the iX’s range, power, style, and tech, it seems like it’s going to be incredibly compelling for existing X5 customers. We’re all very curious to see how well it sells but, after seeing it in person, I think it will be a big hit among customers.

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