You think EVs are becoming the norm?
Turn heads inside and out, and flaunt equal parts, leading edge in technology and design weirdness, 2023 BMW iX is anything but the usual. And, as I’ve found in a recent week with the iX, this kind of weirdness has increased in me.
The BMW iX combines some of the advanced smart materials and battery packs and electric motors of the BMW i3 with a more conventional shape that families might associate with. All of the iX’s considerations to keep its construction light and sturdy have enabled two key themes in this large SUV: Agility to drive and the opportunity to charge more battery — and range. .
It almost offers all of that. The sense of agility is pretense; really, it’s tuned more for comfort and driving than for responsive handling. That’s not the kind of drive and handling other American BMW models even offer, but in this case, the iX makes a wide net of appeal.
2023 BMW iX xDrive50
Looking through all the quirky levels — which I’ll get to shortly — the iX easily earns the honor as an electric car. It packs all the parts of BMW’s in-house built fifth-generation EV powertrain, including a 105.2 kWh pack, with prismatic cells set to modules. The dual-motor system produced a combined 516 hp and 564 lb-ft of torque in our test xDrive50i. The rear engine not only has more power than the front (335 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque, compared to 268 hp and 250 lb-ft of torque); it is geared significantly lower than the front for stronger starting characteristics, while the system can be more dependent on the front engine for cruise.
Keep the ‘me’ weird?
First, the quirky-design part. From the huge, unbelievably bold face to the unfussy surfaces, quirky frameless doors and visible carbon fiber bodywork, the iX doesn’t aim for universal appeal and ” normal”. It’s for those who want The Future to look like nothing else and pack in all sorts of tech that makes it like nothing else.
2022 BMW iX xDrive50
2022 BMW iX xDrive50
2022 BMW iX xDrive50
2022 BMW iX xDrive50
By BMW ‘i’ electric car franchise It’s a bit hard to follow, and the iX is a completely different kind of vehicle than i4 hatchback. IX follows in some footsteps of i3 focus on urban—Used with double the weight, and the mother of those who are not concerned with sight and function. Profile, stance and proportions are all fine. But the tall, blunt muzzle and huge textured faux grille — the self-healing solid plastic surface — catch a lot of bugs on highway trips but aren’t fit for a car. The slim and bulbous taillights at the rear don’t match the front (or sides) and don’t seem to have any continuity with any previous BMW or i hatch or SUV models. Its profile is attractive and balanced from the side; The combination of the floating roof and the part that floats down below is like a few throw-in-the-wall ideas.
The longer you look at it, the more it makes no sense. So let’s go inside.
2022 BMW iX xDrive50
And then you know what? It’s pretty cool. I’d say it has the best luxury interior in a larger, all-electric SUV, once you get used to some of the zigzag interfaces and constantly attacking different purposes. Yes, you’ll get your compliments on some of the details, but they’re pretty much everything I’ve enjoyed over the course of a week.
The iX continued to throw me curvy balls the way it helped me and the other passengers pass. It really oozes quiet solidity. It is warmly decorated and feels really luxurious for the five of them. Front legroom stretches throughout the cabin, with the center console sitting like an island in the right position to act as an armrest without hindering the mid-position at the rear. Easy entry and exit and more head and foot space for everyone. The seats fold easily and have good cargo space, with a tray area underneath the sturdy floor divider.
2022 BMW iX xDrive50
The frameless doors give the iX some of the design touches of a coupe — this is the first BMW SUV to get them, and I suppose we can be glad BMW didn’t try a version of the door layout. i3’s suicide. But the execution of the iX doors is weird whether you’re inside or outside. While they provide an excellent seal from wind noise, their mechanics (inside and out) prove to be quite complex, and you have to learn their tempo. Moreover, the Comfort Access feature, which automatically locks and opens the door, stays on high alert, locking the car even when I go around the charging port to plug it in.
Effective on many fronts
The IX is built around an aluminum spaceframe body, incorporating carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) for strength and stiffness in specific places — like around doors and hatches, where they’re visible — without adding too much weight. Its roughly 5,700 lb is light compared to many petrol SUVs, but slightly slimmer than comparable EVs, even when packing in more battery.
2022 BMW iX xDrive50
In terms of space and comfort, the BMW iX is remarkably efficient. After a full charge, I did about 5 and a half hours and 253 miles of touring, a mix consisting of about 85 miles of 65-75 mph freeway driving and the rest on two-lane roads, climbing from about 500 feet up to 4,000 feet lift and back down.
That also includes a mix of modes, with some Eco modes for highway driving, as well as some aggressive sport driving modes. Summer temperatures in Portland are exceptionally warm — running in the mid-’80s to over-90s most of the time I have the iX — and I don’t regret any use of the climate control system.
2022 BMW iX xDrive50
In the end, I still have 20% left. And according to iX, it averaged 3.0 mph/kwh — better than what I’ve seen driving the same with some of the smaller EVs.
Charging is stable and fast enough
Plugging into the Electrify America 150-kw connector, I charged from 20% to 60% in exactly 20 minutes — restoring range of about 125 miles — with the charging power almost instantaneously peaking at 141 kw and decreasing gradually. down to 118 kw by the time I unplug it. The IX isn’t the fastest charging device, but it’s stable and holds the original timing prediction — and that’s important.
2022 BMW iX xDrive50
My test iX was $101,020, and one of its many options was the $1,600 Dynamic Handling Package, which adds rear air suspension, adaptive dampers, and rear-wheel steering. . The iX’s rear-wheel-drive feels like a much smaller car to maneuver, and in tight streets the hair-trigger back-and-forth maneuverability is useful and precise if you’re holding it. both hands but a little sensitive and nervous. if you are looking back at a toddler. I speak from direct experience.
All that background makes the iX sound like it’s going to be a storm on its way back. It is, in a way, but it’s not inspiring. When I selected Sport mode and steered the iX on a country road zigzagging with odd turns and hairpins, the iX rode comfortably. It’s difficult to tell where the grip is and how connected it is to the road. It’s persistently maintained, but doesn’t feel rewarding, and in the backcountry I’ve taken with a lot of cars, it’s one of the calmest yet swiftest roads I can recall.
Fast but not fun
I am satisfied with everything except the steering. Braking is smooth and stops are precise, and the entire powertrain feels in harmony with the iX’s dynamics and body movements, responding strongly with power when and where it needs to be. set, in a quiet way.
The IX offers four brake recovery modes, including adaptive, high, medium and low. I found the medium regen setting to be perfect in many uses — most leisurely driving in the city and suburbs, where I hit the brake only near the end of a stop — and I only wanted to dial when I really cook in reverse and want less collision between accelerator and brake.
2022 BMW iX xDrive50
2022 BMW iX xDrive50
2022 BMW iX xDrive50
There is, by the way, a system that complements the sound that has made Hans Zimmer’s name known, and you can find inspiration for your driving — if you want your passengers to leave the impression that, in Sport, Your $100,000 SUV sounds like driving game controls. You can turn it off.
Even then, outside, in a parking lot or driveway, the iX looks like it has an engine under the hood, because the climate control system, which is housed under the hood, is huge anyhow. when you approach the car with your key. handbag.
A jewel box of space
Inside, the iX is full of practicality — though details like its crown jewel-like seat-adjustment controls might resonate otherwise. There’s real space for five adults — or four plus a child seat, with space available. Cargo capacity is 35.5 cubic feet with the rear seats raised or 77.9 cubic feet when folded forward. A long, shallow tray beneath the cargo floor helps keep items safe and out of sight, and there’s plenty of space to stock up on groceries.
2022 BMW iX xDrive50
2022 BMW iX xDrive50
2022 BMW iX xDrive50
IX has no frunk. There’s no way to open the hood, just a windshield pad below the BMW logo.
The interface itself isn’t wacky, but it’s more complicated than it needs to be. A configurable gauge cluster sits in the 14.9-inch screen space, while in the center of the dashboard and towards the driver is a 12.3-inch touchscreen that reminds me of a the billboard on the hillside in the way it is mounted on the sloping panel.
2022 BMW iX xDrive50
BMW’s iDrive 8 gives you a lot of redundancy, and the home screen is simple enough, but finding special functions has nothing to do with the tree-structured menus you may have been familiar with with BMWs before, but rather instead, sift through a screen full of app icons. Is the latter really better?
Direct a hex
One of the things I enjoyed about the iX was the rather odd hexagonal steering wheel at first. Using the Professional Driver Assistance system — adaptive cruise control plus active lane assist — you can place one or both hands on the flat bottom and quickly flip them to the side when you attention. It’s a better idea than the yoke, all around.
2022 BMW iX xDrive50
So where is the element of iX? We’ve been grappling with that — and even by the end of the week there’s still no clear answer. If anything, this is one of the most efficient long-distance cruisers among electric SUVs, albeit with some mixed messages.
2022 BMW iX xDrive50
No, it’s not normal. But everything about the iX as an electric vehicle is superior; So is everything about it as a luxury car. It’s all the pieces in between — the styling, the handling, the hardware — that get confusing. And if they continue to grow on you, maybe this is the one.
