Living with an electric BMW iX: Is this the ultimate driving machine?

Independent

2 days ago

Four years after its original launch, BMW 's high-tech flagship electric car has been given a thorough upgrade. The iX may have controversial looks, but there's never been any doubt about the quality of the engineering underneath. Now I'm living with an iX to see if BMW can combine that tech with the usability needed of a big SUV, but more importantly, the driver appeal that BMW has always been known for.
My car is an iX xDrive45 – xDrive is BMW-speak for 4x4, and the 45 designates the entry-level battery, which has been boosted to 94.8kWh. The original iX xDrive40 was often criticised for a lack of range, but so far, the claim of 367 miles in this bigger-battery version seems to be pretty realistic.
Other tweaks include a slight refresh to the car's appearance, but out of the 'go big or go home' playbook, that oversized double-kidney grille has been highlighted – literally – with a thin strip of LED lights all the way around. BMW calls it the Iconic Glow Kidney Grille, and it costs an extra £500. You'll have your view, but I like it – I'm a geek and love the look of these new LED lighting treatments we're seeing more of these days. You'll struggle to notice the changes to the bumpers, but you will notice the new LED driving lights in the main headlamp units that are the sign of things to come with BMW's new Neue Klasse models due over the coming years.
My car comes in M Sport trim and has an added black trim on the outside, smart 21in alloy wheels and sports seats with a diagonal 'M' stripe across them. I've always thought the interior of the iX was one of its strongest suits with a brilliant blend of quality, advanced style and usable tech. Let's see how I get on with all that in the coming months.
Of course, this is a BMW, so there's an increased focus on performance in these latest models, both in terms of outright speed – my car claims a 0 to 62mph time of 5.1 seconds and feels every bit as quick – while the chassis has been updated to cope with the extra performance the new 45 model brings.
So, let's see how the iX stacks up as the Fowler family car for the next few months. We've got lots planned, including a testing summer holiday with people and dogs on board, so we'll be putting this big BMW through the ultimate test of family life.
BMW iX xDrive45 M Sport
Base price: £77,400
Options: Dune Grey paint (£900), Iconic Glow Kidney Grille (£500), Sky Lounge Panoramic Glass Sunroof (£3,200), Sun Protection Glass (£500), Comfort Pack (£1,650), Technology Pack (£3,250)
Total price: £87,400
Battery size: 94.8kWh
Maximum claimed range: 367 miles
0-62mph: 5.1 seconds
The BMW iX after week one
It hasn't taken long for me to really get into the groove of running a BMW iX. In fact, it has very quickly become something that I really look forward to driving – even on the early morning station run to drop my son off. I guess that's exactly what BMW is aiming for, and it's worked. It's just an easy car to get into, simple to drive and enjoyable even on the most mundane trip.
One thing I particularly like in the iX – and it's something I like about Teslas, too – is the deep front windscreen. The dashboard is set low with the lovely, curved widescreen display sitting proudly on top (there's a clear head-up display on the windscreen, too), but the view forwards is good, as is the view backwards. And my family is happy in the back with the flat floor and view out of the show-stopping Sky Lounge Panoramic Glass Sunroof (an expensive option at £3,200). The sunroof offers great views and cleverly goes from clear to opaque at the touch of a button.
One thing we've all noticed is that the ride is a bit firmer than in previous iXs that we've been in. There have been some upgrades to the suspension in the latest version, but it's just given the ride a slightly harder edge – although nobody would say it's really uncomfortable. And despite having been in iXs before, the electronic door openers always flummox people – you press a button on the door handle to unlock the doors, which then tend to shut with a slight shimmy as they do without frames for the glass. That's about the only question I'd raise on the quality. Otherwise, the cabin is as plush, smart and well-made as you'd hope at this price.
Among all the tech that comes either as standard or as part of the aptly-named Technology Pack (another extra at £3,250), there's one really handy feature.
One thing that many people seem to loathe about modern cars is the obligatory warning chime you get if you stray just one or two mph over the speed limit. It's an EU directive that every car has these days, but BMW obviously knows it's something customers don't like. So, BMW has listened. By doing a long press on the 'Set' button on the steering wheel that you use for the adaptive cruise control, it instantly turns the speed limit warning off. Thanks, BMW – that's really impressive. What's not so good is that the EU insists it's switched back on again automatically every time you turn the car on.
BMW always impresses me with the usability of its tech, too – whether it's the AI assistant that detects that I lower my window every time I leave my driveway and offers to do it automatically, or the rotary iDrive controller surrounded by useful fast keys that mean you don't have to use the touchscreen if you don't want to. There's 'hey BMW' voice control, which works well, too.
So, one week in, and life is good with the BMW iX. It's proving to be an easy car to live with, and it is living up to BMW's 'driver's car' tag. It's quick, handles well, and it makes a great noise (which has been designed by Hollywood film score star Hans Zimmer). My family and I have many outings planned over the rest of the summer and beyond, and I'm now looking forward to them even more with the iX.