After its reveal at the 2018 Paris motor show, BMW’s new EV flagship model – the iX – is finally here and is ready to take on its rivals, the Mercedes EQC and the Audi E-Tron.
The iX gets BMW’s new giant kidney grille design, which isn’t an air intake but is instead a self-healing, anti-stone chipping composite panel that hides an array of sensors. And, if you buy the M-Sport trim you will get bizarre trapezoid sections below the headlights. For many, its looks are selective.
As expected for a big, cutting-edge sports SUV that’s new to the market, it gathered a lot of attention on our test. The iX feels big on the road although BMW does say that it’s roughly the same size as its X5 sibling with interior space being closer to that of the bigger X7.
The iX is 4953mm long, 1967mm wide and 1695mm tall, which means that it’s 15mm longer than the X5, but you are covered when it comes to parking thanks to its plethora of cameras.
Our test car was a well-equipped XDrive40 in Black Sapphire with a cream ‘Oyster’ interior and 22-inch alloy wheels.
It sports a heated straight-edged steering wheel, massaging front seats with integrated speakers in the headrests, interior switches made from crystal glass, and a two square-meter panoramic sunroof that could change from opaque to transparent with the touch of a button.
Inside there is a large two-part touchscreen panel; it controls the heated seats, driving modes, satellite navigation, and other various creature comforts.
However, it does take a bit of getting used to and we found it a tad difficult to navigate – especially when driving. Instead, we used the rotary glass iDrive controller.
In the rear, your family can enjoy the two USB C points found on the back of each of the front seats, and the boot space is a reasonable 500-litres but falls short in comparison to the E-Tron’s 600-litres. The rear seats can be dropped in a 40/20/40 fashion by pressing each button on the boot wall, helping to free up some extra space if required.
The iX 40 also has the same motors as used in the iX 50, only with less current. This means that you get 326bhp and 465lb-ft, giving the iX a pleasingly rapid 0-60mph time of 6.1 seconds and a top speed of 124mph.
In true EV fashion, the torque is delivered in one almighty blow when you plant your foot, although it doesn’t have the same neck-snapping acceleration jolt present in other EV’s. Meanwhile, traction is outstanding with BMW’s newly developed software package, allowing the car to be solely rear-wheel drive or four-wheel drive.
As to be expected then, the iX isn’t sporty. Cornering is more authoritative rather than exciting, making B-road driving less engaging than the smaller iX3. When it comes to motorway driving, however, the iX excels as it effortlessly glides along on its air suspension, creating a calming driving experience – even on its 22-inch wheels.
It’s extremely quiet, too, with barely any motor whine or road noise, and it is quieter than the Skoda Enyaq iV60 that we tested last year. The regenerative braking feature, which harvests energy to top up the battery as you brake, is impressive; it allows you to select from automatic, medium, low or high settings.
BMW has put a lot of effort to diet the iX – from its Carbon Cage design, which can be spotted when you open the doors, to various aluminium parts. But even after this weight loss attempt, the iX 40 still weighs nearly two-and-a-half tonnes, and the iX 50 comes in at a hefty 2.6t.
BMW’s entry-level iX 40 lists at £69,850, whilst the bigger-battery iX 50 lists at £91,905 – which is a whopping £20k-plus difference. And, although the iX 50 can accept up to 200kWh of charge, you will still need to find a suitable charger to feed it, and there really aren’t that many around.
It is worth remembering that although BMW says that the iX 40 will offer a 256mile range from its 71kWh battery, realistically, this will drop to around 180miles in colder weather.
BMW’s iX xDrive 40 is a stunning piece of kit. The cabin is spacious and oozes luxury, and the in-car tech is tremendous.
If you feel the need for more power (523bhp) and a bigger battery then the iX 50 might be a better choice – if you can justify the price difference. The iX 40, however, is our choice as it offers a great all-round package.
