BMW iX 2025 review – schooling the Tesla Model X on innovation

Before we get into what the BMW iX is like to drive, it’s important to confront its greatest and possibly only real flaw. This is, broadly speaking, an ugly car. Now before you press the page-back button thinking that we’re about to get waist deep in design criticism, we make that statement regardless of the iX’s design. The iX is ugly because somewhere in the journey of the motor car, it’s led BMW to establish that its beacon of progress for the EV age must be in the form of something as large and expensive as this huge SUV.

So it’s almost annoying that despite our reservation as to its form, the iX still remains one of the best electric cars on sale even four years since its launch, certainly a match for the Porsche Taycan in regards to engineering progress, but with an even more audacious undercurrent to its design, development and execution.

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Despite having been on sale for quite some time now, the iX has only received mild M treatment in the form of the range-topping M60, bringing more power and mild chassis to the electric SUV. So while the iX is hardly a thrilling driver's car in any of its forms, there’s no denying that it meets its brief well.

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Engine, gearbox and technical highlights

Fundamentals first: the iX is a BMW X5-sized all-electric SUV that’s been designed from the ground up, rather than a mesh of existing BMW underpinnings modified to fit – as in the i4 and iX3. This much is obvious as soon as you open the door, as not only is the floor entirely flat across the whole cabin, but the door sills proudly show off the iX’s strategic use of carbonfibre in the chassis – although not as extensively as the i3.

With its new platform, BMW has emphasised this technical freedom with an unusual set of proportions that err more on the side of ‘minivan’ than ‘tough SUV’ on account of its forward placement of the A-pillars and low beltline. You can make your own mind up about whether you like the way it looks, but fundamentally it’s a design underpinned by an awkward set of proportions that pairs some brilliant detailing (slim lighting, door handles and wheel designs) with rather odd surfacing.

The iX is available in three all-wheel drive forms – a base xDrive40 model which pairs a 322bhp combined electric motor output to a 71kWh battery pack, a top-spec 611bhp xDrive M60 and this 516bhp xDrive50. Both 50 and M60 models feature a bigger 105kWh battery pack, giving them an estimated WLTP range figure of around 360-380 miles in prime conditions (figures it happily meets in the real world should you drive carefully) – the entry-level xDrive40 car manages a quoted 264 miles on a charge.

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Performance and 0-60 time

Given its flagship status, you won’t be short on performance no matter the iX model you choose. At the bottom of the range you’ll find the £70,985 iX xDrive40 Sport, but even this produces a respectable 322bhp for a quoted 6.1sec 0-62mph time – Audi’s equivalent Q6 e-tron produces 383bhp for £68,145, achieving a quoted 5.9sec 0-62mph time, with the entry-level 288bhp Mercedes EQE SUV more closely matched at £75,495.

Unlike most of its rivals, the iX range jumps quite dramatically to the next model in the lineup, with the middling xDrive50 priced from £104,285. For this price, you do receive a significant bump in performance though, with a combined 516bhp sent to all four wheels for a 4.6sec quoted 0-62mph time. While it does lack the headline numbers of the M60 range topper, the xDrive50 is more than quick enough for most of Britain’s roads.

At the very top of the range is the iX M60, bringing the most standard kit, styling tweaks and a flagship 611bhp power output to the electric SUV. A 0-62mph time of 3.8sec makes it undoubtedly quick, but the way in which it delivers this performance is still as refined and well measured as the rest of the iX package – opt for comfort mode and it will provide you with the pull you’d expect, but an expertly calibrated throttle map makes it refreshingly easy to drive smoothly. If you’re after the neck-snapping EV acceleration we’re used to, it can also deliver that. At £124,604, the M60’s closest rival is the range-topping Mercedes EQE 53 SUV, producing 616bhp for a 3.7sec 0-62mph time, all for £114,995.

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Ride and handling

On the move, the xDrive50 feels completely effortless, with excellent calibration from both the throttle and brake pedals that make them feel natural and responsive. The steering does have a quick rack, something exaggerated further by the rear-wheel steering, but you quickly acclimatise to it, and thanks to good lateral control the iX never feels uncontrolled or uncouth.

Yet this steadfast body control doesn’t come at the expense of comfort, as even on its largest 22-inch wheel and tyre package the iX rides beautifully on its standard air suspension. It goes beyond just having excellent bump absorption, as there’s also a very clear connection to the road surface. It also doesn’t exhibit any of that subtle shuddering that often afflicts cars on air springs when cornering under load, nor the inability to handle sharp drops in the tarmac as they struggle to react in time.

This is by no means a Porsche Taycan to drive in any of its forms – it’s just too big and heavy to be engaging – but it’s very capable, and never feels anything like as clumsy as a 2510kg SUV should. Factor in its incredible refinement on account of its ability to isolate noise sources such as tyre or road roar, it makes for a brilliant luxury car, not just a brilliant luxury SUV.

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Interior and tech

The interior is a complete triumph – a masterstroke in design and detailing. Its minimal design, not unusual in modern EVs, isn’t defined by what’s missing, but by the few elements that are integrated and their frankly stunning quality. The curved display is the dominant element of the interior, mounted clear of the upholstered dash on brackets that look like they could be found in a Frank Gehry foyer. The materials are just as fascinating – the plant-based leather-like material on our example was soft and lustrous, and paired with a contrasting fabric that together created an interior ambiance unlike that of any rival.

BMW’s new interfaces within the curved display are very function-heavy and do require some time to understand, but it’s a system that quickly fades into the background once it’s been set up to your individual preferences. Critically, key elements are all accessible on the centre console’s control grouping, which still features the main click-wheel controller (although the main display is also touchscreen), plus supplementary controls and shortcuts that mean you might never need to use the touchscreen if you’re fingerprint averse.

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Price, specs and rivals

Starting at £70,985 for the entry-level 40 model with its c250-mile range, the cost-to-range ratio doesn’t seem awfully appealing but upgrade to the 360-mile capable, £104,285 50 M Sport and things are more acceptable. For the M60 you can add another £15k to that (£124,604 in total). The amount of standard kit is decent, but for the electrochromic glass roof, laser headlights or (fabulous) Bowers and Wilkins stereo, you’ll need to dip into the options list.

As for its rivals, Audi’s e-tron SUV is now off sale, and based on a platform designed for combustion engines that makes it neither as efficient nor variable in its range. A 2025 alternative is the new Q6 e-tron, and while it starts at a lower £60,730, its standard level of kit and performance is far below that of the iX. Increase the budget to £68,145 and the Sport Quattro model is within reach, offering more standard kit and marginally more performance than the entry-level iX. Sitting just beneath the middling iX 50 M Sport is the £93,705 SQ6 e-tron, but it can’t quite match the BMW for performance.

The Tesla Model X is the iX’s other potential rival, but thanks to Tesla’s bizarre production cycles, no updated models are due for UK buyers. With the EQC having been discontinued, the EQE SUV is the closest match from Mercedes in 2025, with a near-identical £75,495 starting price, a £114,995 AMG range-topper and comparable performance stats on paper across the range. Coming in from left field is the Lotus Eletre, which is as incongruous and as much a visual statement as the iX, from £89,500.