BMW iX: the ugly duckling of an electric SUV that’s beautiful to drive

Our car: BMW i20 iX xDrive 50 M Sport

List price when new: £98,045

Price as tested: £115,670

Official range:  371 miles

Real world range: 285 miles

First Impressions

Cricket fans might remember what happened to Mike Gatting’s nose when he was hit full in the face during a tour of the West Indies in 1986. Malcolm Marshall’s nasty strike was part of a humiliating 5-0 series rout that left fragments of bone embedded in the ball.

I’m not saying the snozzle of BMW’s multi-talented iX is ugly but this humongous hooter has been the starting point for every conversation about the company’s first purpose-built electric car (EV) since the bubble-shaped i3 in 2013.

In fact, that large, plastic cover is proving more divisive than the infamous “flame surfacing” styling of BMW’s former chief designer, Chris Bangle. The 2002 introduction of his 7-Series earned the rear end the nickname “Bangle’s butt”.

So, let’s get the snout out of the way first. In truth, I wasn’t a big fan when I first saw pictures of the iX. The grille, of course, isn’t a grille at all. Just a plastic covering that will likely remain the default setting for all EV designers, or until they work out exactly what to use instead of the air intake and cooling for a combustion engine.

They’re all at it – BMW, Audi, Mercedes. Surprisingly, only Kia seems to have solved the problem. The classy EV6 somehow manages to look very good from most angles.

In defence of the iX, what BMW calls the “intelligence panel” houses a host of technological features, such as forward cameras, radar and other sensors. The 3D effect is apparently made by vaporisation, using lasers and a plasma application inside a vacuum. Self-healing technology can even repair minor scratches on the panel surface – but not a full-on assault with a cricket ball.

And the BMW does shape up more attractively in the metal than in photographs – interesting, in a geeky sort of way. It grows on you. Square on, the back end looks modern and compact, while in profile the passenger area is strangely elongated and top heavy towards the rear.

Inside view

Prepare to be amazed because the iX interior is unlike any other BMW. Although it’s roughly the same size as the brand’s combustion-powered X5 SUV, nothing looks familiar in the iX. Even the steering wheel is weird. Flat at the bottom, designers just have tried to replicate a hexagon by crushing it in a giant vice. This only sends the sides bulging, like a fat bloke in tight swimming trunks and equally uninviting to hold.

Sat in the driver’s seat for the first time, it takes more than a moment to work out what’s what. Even the keyless, cut glass starter switch isn’t straightforward. Do you press it, push it forward, or pull it backward? The answer is pull back. Not once, but twice.

A diagonal theme spreads across the interior design, while the few physical buttons are cut from glass. That includes the familiar BMW iDrive rotary control in the centre console, now with the ability to recognise letters you input with a finger on top.

Many of the buttons have multiply functions, often depending on how long they are pressed but nothing inside very intuitive. It’s almost as if BMW is saying “Hey, you were smart enough to buy our high-tech electric car, you must love exploring technology too.”

I still have a long way to go to understand every function but chuck the key at an X5 driver and they wouldn’t have a clue – it’s that different. There are no door handles either, these having been replaced by a button.

And I haven’t even mentioned the long, curved digital dashboard screen housing everything driver and passenger need to know, and some. It’s possible to configure the instrument displays with several infotainment screens open at once, or simply stick to the important stuff, like navigation and speed limits, flashed on a head-up display.

In addition, the electric, fold-flat rear seats put the new Land Rover Defender to shame – and at least the iX is a very beautiful car to drive. Once I understand how everything works, I might be able to explain more about what the BMW is like to live with.

Sense of calm

Lewis Hamilton recently revealed that while he’s happy to jostle for pole position at 200mph he finds driving on the road far too stressful. The seven-time F1 champion should get himself inside an iX because this really is the most relaxing car I’ve driven.

Odd-shaped it may be but BMW’s all-electric SUV has more Zen in the cabin than the best of Volvo and Mercedes. Once the nannying lane departure warning system is deactivated, drivers can, well, almost switch off and dream about the day they will be able to read a novel in the outside lane of the M4.

That’s because the iX is a spacious sitting room on wheels, offering the best clue yet as to what driving an autonomous car might actually feel like. Light and airy, especially with the optional Sky Lounge panoramic roof (£3,500 – including electrochromic shading), this is a state-of-the-art EV with a cossetting, futuristic interior.

It’s so good that during last summer’s heatwave I transferred my office into the climate-controlled iX and spent the entire afternoon working from the back seat. Inevitably, I fell asleep listening to the cricket. BMW calls the leather colour Castanea but I still can’t decide if it’s more brown than red – or good old-fashioned rust.

BMW obviously intended the iX to be a showcase for its electric dreams but the minimalist feel of the dashboard may not be to everyone’s taste. The only conventional buttons in our test car, apart from four that open the doors, are chocolate flavoured and hidden in the centre cubbyhole.

Phone connectivity is outstanding, with a plethora of features I’m still discovering. But among the best is a system which activates directions to the closest charging stations on Apple Maps when battery power is low. The route is flashed in front of the driver on the head-up display.

Function and form

Most of the functionality is via BMW’s latest iDrive 8 controller cut in clear glass which, thankfully, is instantly familiar and simple to operate. The top surface is touch-sensitive, so letters can be inputted with a finger, for example, for navigation purposes.

Even so, with a single, 15-inch, curved touchscreen seamlessly linked to 12.3-inch digital instrument binnacle, the immediate rush of information at start-up may appear daunting. At least the screen can be broken down into panels to separate various functions.

Thankfully, the sweeping display, which is raised from the dashboard via crafted metal brackets, is far more straightforward than it seems. It’s still a faff to have to turn on the heated steering wheel via the, frankly, huge digital climate menu. There’s always voice operation, if you don’t mind battling with the voice-recognition system first.

The boot is a decent size at 500 litres but that can be extended to a massive 1,750 litres using the electric, fold-flat seats which are operated via actual buttons. Sadly, they don’t return to their upright position in the same way and are heavy to manoeuvre manually. Towing capacity is up to 2,500kg but our otherwise extremely capable test car wasn’t fitted with a bracket so we couldn’t assess that.

BMW offers three variants of the visually challenging but very capable iX SUV. Our xDrive 50 test car is now middle of the pack – with a punchy 516bhp. The entry-level 40 offers 322bhp and will likely be the biggest seller, while the new M60 is the flagship, approaching supercar levels of performance at 611bhp.

On the road

With a kerbweight of more than 2.5 tonnes – a Lamborghini Urus,  by comparison, weighs 2.2 tonnes – I didn’t expect the iX to be an engaging drive, just the usual straight-line EV shove that pins unsuspecting passengers back in their seats and raises a giggle or two.

After all, it’s still a high-sided SUV and even with all-wheel drive it can’t be that much fun on a twisty road, can it? Well, if your local dealer has any left on the forecourt, I suggest taking the iX for a test drive to judge BMW’s fifth generation e-motor for yourself.

Floating on air suspension and packed with every safety feature BMW can muster, the iX is almost a lazy, cossetting drive when unprovoked. But it can also quickly firm up to deal with any road situation, skipping around fast corners with astonishing surefootedness. Nothing seems to shake its relentless progress.

And as much as I’ve enjoyed driving the Jaguar i-Pace and Tesla Model X in the past, the 564ft lb of torque available in the BMW feels much more usable in the dynamically exquisite BMW. I imagine the latest M60 must perform like a silent Aston Martin DBX.

The regenerative braking has three settings, or can be set to automatic. Ingeniously, the latter is linked to the iX’s satellite navigation system, which judges road conditions to sense when to apply more braking. This is a car that really does think for itself.

Perfect all-rounder

Through all this, the iX also manages to remain supremely comfortable, whatever the road conditions. Deactivate the amusing, then increasingly annoying Hans Zimmer “Iconic Sound” cabin noise – some of the speakers are embedded in the driver’s seat – and there’s barely a whisper inside.

The driver’s seat is also the most comfortable I’ve encountered since the best days of Saab (remember them?) Multi-adjustable, they feel far too comfortable to cope with enthusiastic driving, yet cope they do. Very well indeed.

And because the iX is purpose-built from the ground up to be an EV, with batteries underneath the floor, interior space is further maximised. The floor is completely flat – with a cut-away centre console and, obviously, no transmission tunnel. The only problem is if a passenger drops a coin or a mobile phone, because it can end up anywhere.

The beaver is back

Once extinct in Britain, beavers are now back in the wild. The great dam-builders were released as part of the Cornwall Beaver Project at Woodland Valley Farm, near Truro. However, there’s n

o need to travel as far as the West Country to see one because the front of the iX manages a pretty good impression.

It took me six months to fathom the all-electric SUV’s unlikely doppelganger. Now, every time I see that enormous pair of teeth masquerading as a grille, I’m reminded of an energetic rodent that just can’t stop beavering.

The “self-healing” grille is one of a number of unusual features that give the iX a quirky nature all of its own – not something BMW is renowned for. In fact, it’s probably the most radically styled car since the Z3M Coupe, which has now become a sought-after modern classic.

Apart from the weirdly-shaped steering wheel, button door releases that replace conventional handles, plus the BMW bonnet roundel doubling as a filler neck for the washer fluid, the iX is a showcase for the latest technology the manufacturer can offer.

One I’ve only just discovered is a remote theft recorder that works in conjunction with an interior, roof-mounted camera. If somebody tries to steal the car, the owner receives imagery from inside and outside the vehicle on their smartphone. The camera can also be used to take happy snaps while travelling.

Above the odd-shaped front seats, the electrochromatic sunroof turns opaque at the touch of a button, and is the largest glass roof ever fitted in a BMW. Polymer crystals within the glass are altered by applying a voltage to a middle layer of film.

Technology Overload

The list of sophisticated wizardry goes on. Fifth generation eDrive puts the single-speed transmission, motor and electronics in a single unit that doesn’t use any rare-earth metals; carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic is used throughout the framework to reduce weight; light-alloy wheels and noise-reducing tyres keep the cabin whisper quiet.

Of course, much of this won’t even register with many iX owners but it all combines to create one of the finest EVs of the moment, certainly the best battery-powered SUV. The looks may be divisive but this purpose-built car is as ground-breaking as the i3 was almost a decade ago.

While our M50 test car costs more than a new Range Rover – an iconic SUV that still lacks an all-electric version – iX offers outstanding comfort for a family of four, with handling and performance that belies its size. It will face more of a challenge next year from the £100,000, all-new, all-electric Volvo EX90.

The unconventional interior won’t appeal to some but both front and rear passengers benefit from exceptional legroom. The lack of a transmission tunnel also makes it possible to walk through the cabin, while the 500-litre boot swallows luggage and the rear seats will fold flat electronically.

Best of all, the iX will manage a real-world range of about 330 miles on a full charge. As with all EVs, that figure tumble when it’s cold, but all things considered there are only a handful of premium SUVs that will beaver away all day and travel further.