BMW iX1 Review

Range

If you intend to drive great distances and need a long range then the eDrive20 models will be the ones for you. They have a single motor powering the front wheels and, depending on trim level, can give a claimed range of up to 312 miles – that’s just two miles less than the rear-wheel drive Tesla Model Y Standard and more than the cheapest Audi Q4 e-tron. When we say trim level, the entry-level Sport with its small wheels will reach that claimed 312 mile figure, while the higher spec xLine will only manage 308 miles. In the real world these figures will be more like 270 miles.

Dual motor cars, badged xDrive, deliver a claimed 286-288 miles – that’s comparable to a Mercedes EQA 300/350 4Matic, but quite a way off the similarly priced (but larger batteried) Audi Q4 50 e-tron quattro and Volvo EX40 Recharge Twin. In real world driving you could expect anywhere between 220 and 250 miles, we’d guess. 

Battery

Unlike some of its rivals, the BMW iX1 only comes with one battery. It’s rated as 64.7kWh usable and it’s one of the German carmaker’s latest packs, so it’s super slim and sits in the car’s floor to boost interior space. It’s a decently sized battery pack and, as detailed above, gives reasonable distance on a full charge, but be aware that for the same money rivals like Audi and Volvo offer larger batteries. A larger battery isn’t always a good thing as it’s heavier and therefore affects efficiency, but these rivals can go further on a charge.

Charging

The BMW iX1 will charge at 11kW AC as standard, meaning an overnight charge at home will take six hours or up to 11 hours from a 7kW home wallbox. You can upgrade the standard 11kW charging to 22kW, if you wish, which cuts an overnight charge to 3h45m but BMW will charge you £880 for the privilege. The iX1 will accept up to 130kW of DC charge, completing 10-80% in around 30 minutes.