BMW iX review - Electric motor, drive & performance

We were thoroughly impressed with the BMW iX before its 2025 update thanks not only to its mind-boggling performance, but also its satisfying and impressive handling. You see, in this day and age it’s easy to make an electric car – even a large boxy SUV – go fast in a straight line, but where the iX had the edge over competitors was how agile and planted it felt despite its large heft.

The same can be said of the updated model, which is even more powerful than before across the board. We’ve taken a test drive in the latest M70 on Spanish roads, to see how it compares to the top-of-the-line performance M60 model it replaces. 

Through the corners we could scarcely believe how quickly the iX could travel without feeling wallowy. Four-wheel steering, plus air-suspension and the M70’s anti-roll bars are to thank for that impressive agility. Ride quality was very comfortable, though the Spanish roads we were driving along during the test were much smoother than we’re used to here in the UK – we’ll reserve full judgment until we get it over here for testing. Our initial impressions are that the M70 is just as comfortable as the M60 was, though you’re almost certainly going to find an even more cossetting ride in the less hardcore, standard iX models.

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BMW iX electric motors

Since its update, the entry-level BMW iX is the xDrive45 model. This version gets an impressive power figure of 402bhp, which is 81bhp more than the outgoing xDrive40 had, and we suspect will be more than enough for the majority of drivers. 0-62mph is dispatched in just 5.1 seconds, which is a whole second faster than before – while not all buyers are interested in blisteringly-quick acceleration times, it’s worth being safe in the knowledge that overtaking on the motorway or on a tight country road is easy to do quickly and safely, should you need to.

Above this is the xDrive60, which has 15bhp more than its predecessor for a total of 537bhp. As a result, 0-62mph takes 4.6 seconds despite having to lug around its larger, heavier battery.

The M70’s impressive 650bhp power figure means it can launch from 0-62mph in just 3.8 seconds, and you certainly feel it when you put your foot down. It does so in an incredibly non-dramatic way, because the motors are incredibly refined, which only serves to make the experience even more surreal.