BMW iX Review

Introduction and model history

The BMW iX is a large, lustrous family SUV. There's a big difference in price and performance between the entry-level model and the higher performance options, which means that it competes with lots of different electric SUVs including the Mercedes EQE and EQS SUV, Audi Q6 and Q8 e-tron, Volvo EX90, Lexus RZ, Kia EV9, Polestar 3 and BYD Sealion 7. 

At 4.97m long, 2.23m wide (including mirrors) and 1.70m high, it's a big car - and it may come as no surprise that it weights roughly 2.6 tonnes depending on which battery you go for. Those include two lithium-ion NMC options, with the 'lesser' BMW iX xDrive45 getting a 96kWh battery, while the iX xDrive60 and iX M70 models get a 109.6kWh pack. All of them get plenty of performance, but more on that if you scroll down to find out how I got on with a test drive of the new, 2025 BMW iX xDrive45 in the UK. 

Range, battery and charging

The major news for this 2025 update is the increase in range from those new, more energy efficient batteries in the iX. So, the entry-level xDrive45 now manages a 375 miles WLTP range, which is a whopping 110 miles more than the pre-facelift car. The xDrive60 now manages up to 426 miles, while the M70 achieves up to 366 miles despite outrageous performance. 

Click here to browse over 400 used BMW iXs for sale on Electrifying.com

Be careful which wheels you choose, as you can have enormous 23-inch alloy wheels on the iX, but that will also eat into your range. For instance, the lower spec xDrive45 Sport can achieve that 375-mile official range that we've mentioned, but go for the M Sport trim and mafia-spec wheels, and the official range can drop to as low as 321, which is a big disparity. 

Rapid charging is up to 195kW for those two top-spec models, or the xDrive45 tops out at 175kW. Both will take around 35 minutes for a 10-80% charge because they're such big batteries, and BMW reckons that you'll add some 130- to 180 miles of range in ten minutes depending on which model you're charging.

Practicality and boot space

Boot space  in the updated BMW iX is decent, with 500 litres when the 40/20/40 seats are up, and 1,750 litres with them folded down - which you can do electronically from the boot, of course... The Mercedes EQE SUV offers a slightly larger boot at around 520 litres, and the Volvo EX90 is even roomier at roughly 655 litres, so the iX isn't best in class, but it's more than good enough and the big frunk is useful, too. 

Inside, the iX feels airy and well thought out - it has a calm, refined vibe in here that suits the car’s character. For those in the back, you can have heated seats as an option, and there's loads of leg- and headroom. Mind you, there's no space under the front seats to slide your feet into! That really annoys me. There's also only two pairs of Isofix, rather than the three you get in the seven-seat Volvo EX90. There's no seven-seat BMW iX, by the way... Also a pity. If multiple car seats and/or kids are a chief concern for you, the EX90 and Kia EV9 are both brilliant seven-seat EVs. 

Shout out to the pano roof in the BMW iX, I love it! Even if it will set you back just over £3,000...

Interior, design/styling and technology

The BMW iX's interior feels really special. It's a big reason why you'd opt for this over the Audi Q6, I reckon, which just doesn't have the same bright, chic feel to it. The floating console looks great (even if it is a shame about the piano black), and there's vertical phone holder for both driver and passenger, which is a nice touch. There are charging ports everywhere, because this is very much a car built for a multi-device family.

The latest BMW iDrive infotainment system combines a 14.9in touchscreen next to a 12.3in digital driver's display, all house in a lovely, single curved screen. It's a great system, too; the graphics are sharp, it's easy to navigate and quick to respond. You can also configure it to prioritise your chosen shortcuts on the homepage, not to mention an impressive array of wallpapers and themes. There’s also wireless Apple CarPlay, so you can run your phone apps. And the nav guidance streaming from your phone via CarPlay shows up in the car's head-up display, too! Finally! What joy. 

However, the touchscreen is also home to the air conditioning controls, which are properly fiddly to use while driving. And yes, you can use the voice control but even that wasn’t very reliable, so I spent a lot of time either being too hot or too cold.  At least heated seats and steering wheel are standard across the range, and you can add ventilated seats as part of the £1600 Comfort Pack (which also brings those rear heated seats).

Motors, performance and handling

The xDrive45 now delivers 402bhp, which is 80bhp more than before and means that it's shaved 1.0 second off its 0-62mph time - taking it down to 5.1 seconds. For more range and power, the xDrive60 offers 536bhp, or the ultimate performance option is the iX M70, which cranks things up to 650bhp. Honestly, I’m not sure how much an extra 250bhp really adds to what is already a fast SUV in this entry-level xDrive 45! How much acceleration do you want? 

I'm more than happy with the 45, to be honest. There are different sounds for different driving modes, along with lighting themes to match, and its really nicely done. Turn all those off and this is one of the quietest cars I’ve driven. It's very zen, especially on the motorway. I’ve done two very long drives in this car recently - one of five hours, and one of six hours! I got out at the end feeling relaxed and with no aches or pains; these seats are brilliant, comfy and supportive. Higher-spec versions with the air suspension give a really cosseting ride, but that's only standard on the iX M70.

While the iX xDrive 45 feels comfortable and stable, it's not the most agile SUV. It uses a lightweight frame made of carbon fibre - the same material used in race cars, and all iX models have intelligent all-wheel drive. But it's still a bit of a beast. You’ll notice its weight if you push it on twisty roads - I’d say it changes direction with purpose, rather than trying to be a sports car. And that’s deliberate on the part of BMW - this is a big, comfy family lounge on wheels. The M70 is there for you if you really want sharper handling and more pace! This version is my favourite by far, not to mention the best value of the iX models by a shocking margin. This just soothes away the miles with minimum stress and maximum gadgets.

​Regenerative braking is fine. There are several modes, including a true one-pedal mode, and there’s an adaptive setting that works with the sat-nav, which I didn’t like as much, but the brake pedal is nicely calibrated regardless of what you're doing with the brake regen'. 

Overall, I love the way the iX drives - its very laid back. But if you’re chasing driver engagement and a bit more punch, the Polestar 3 Long Range Dual Motor gives you just that bit more feedback behind the wheel. But honestly, I've got no complaints with the iX, and did I mention that I’ve done a LOT of driving in it!

Running costs and pricing

The BMW iX xDrive45 would be our pick of the range, and that starts at around £75,000 for the Sport trim or £78,000 for the M Sport. Even the Sport gets keyless entry, fully adaptive LED headlights, adaptive cruise control, heated seats and steering wheel, leather upholstery and more. We'd stick with that but find the extra money for the Panoramic Roof and Comfort Pack that brings useful stuff like the cooled seats. The M Sport trim adds mostly style extras, and while the iX xDrive60 and M70 get additional equipment (and performance, of course), they cost around £93- and £114,000 respectively. Which is a HUGE price premium over the xDrive45, and I am not at all convinced that it's worth it.

Verdict

When it came out, the BMW iX didn't have many rivals. But now we have all sorts of stuff including the excellent Polestar 3 and Volvo EX90, which makes it a harder choice. Having said that, I really do love the BMW iX, and if you're looking at it in the xDrive45 guise then it still makes a lot of sense. More than that, it's got 'want one' factor to spare, which is why anyone really goes for this level of luxury and style swagger, isn't it?! Even with so many new rivals to contend with, these updates mean that the BMW iX remains a big hit.

Like the BMW iX? Try these...

BMW iX3 Neue Klasse Review

Polestar 3 Review

Volvo EX90 Review

Want all the latest electric car news, reviews and videos? Sign up to the Electrifying newsletter, and don't forget to check out the Electrifying podcast.