BMW iX review - Range, charging & running costs

The iX showcases BMW's latest battery and motor technology, and first impressions are that it's seriously impressive. While BMW has been fairly slow to roll out EVs (BMW i3 aside), it now has the hardware to offer competitive range figures and beat rivals in many cases.

BMW iX range & charging time

The iX is available with either a 71kWh or 105.2kWh battery pack, with range figures of 264 miles and 383 miles respectively. The latter is particularly impressive, as it’s around 20 miles further than a Tesla Model X Long Range can travel on a single charge. Compared with the lower ranges of the Audi e-tron and Mercedes EQC, the BMW's stats look even more remarkable.

Range-topping iX M60 models get the bigger battery option too, but with a slightly reduced range of 348 miles due to the extra performance on offer – although this will drop quickly if you use the available power often.

Following a 154-mile test drive with a mix of motorway, urban and country driving in 'Moderate' mode, the xDrive50's battery had 49% of its charge remaining and a range of 170 miles. We’ve recently tested the xDrive40 and its smaller battery; it offered 212 miles on a full charge, rather than the 264 claimed, because the weather was cold.

Pick the xDrive40 and rapid charging is standard at up to 150kW, meaning a 10-minute rest stop at a public charger can add up to 75 miles of range or take the battery from 10-80% in 31 minutes. The xDrive50 gets faster 200kW charging, for a 10-80% top-up in just under 40 minutes. The EQC can charge at up to 110kW, while the e-tron is capable of 150kW. A full iX charge is expected to take around 11 hours using an 11kW home wallbox.

Just like other electric models, the iX is likely to appeal to company-car drivers thanks to its low Benefit-in-Kind band. Private buyers also enjoy free VED (road tax) and potentially significant savings if they live or commute into a city like central London.

Insurance groups

17

While luxury electric SUVs are undeniably impressive in lots of ways, their price, power and complexity also make them expensive to insure. Even the xDrive40 starts in group 47 out of 50, while the faster xDrive50 and M60 go straight to the very top band. Unfortunately, it's a similar story for rivals, with the Tesla Model X and Audi e-tron also in group 50.  

Warranty

BMW's standard three-year/unlimited mileage warranty isn't overly impressive but it's very similar to those offered by Audi and Mercedes. Tesla models get a four-year warranty, albeit with a lower 50,000-mile cap. We also expect BMW will supply the iX with a longer (typically eight-year) warranty specifically to cover its battery and electric powertrain, to reassure buyers that the technology is reliable and durable. 

Servicing

Most BMW models are fitted with an array of sensors that determine when a service is required. For the iX, servicing should be pretty straightforward, as the powertrain shouldn't require any maintenance. In fact, all the technicians should need to do is check items like the brakes and tyres, and occasionally replace the brake fluid and items like pollen filters and wiper blades. The iX needs to be serviced every two years and a four-year servicing plan costs just over £600.