BMW iX xDrive50 review: Stylish without the M package?
A TEST REPORT from Dominic Lux 
on December 06, 2023, 8:00 | Write a comment
After the BMW i3, BMW didn't have its own electric platform for a long time. In 2021 the time had finally come and after a long wait, a new vehicle was presented under the BMW i branding. Not a converted combustion engine, but a purely electric car called “iX”. This was intended to electrify the future of SUVs from BMW. At its core, the iX is still based on the CLAR platform, which has been available at BMW since 2015, but pretty much everything else has been specially developed.
We took a closer look at the BMW iX in the xDrive50 version in everyday life. How does the more normal model perform next to that BMW iX M60 from about?
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tl;dr: Good (but expensive) overall package
To keep it short, yes the iX xDrive50, like the M60, is an ingenious electric car. But of course that also has its price: the basic version of the xDrive50 starts at €107.900 (including 19% VAT). Still, for the cash you need, it could be a good alternative to some other large electric SUVs. With the 105,2 kWh “usable” battery, it charges from 400 to 31% in 10 minutes thanks to the 80 V system. Despite its heavy weight of 2,5 tons, it accelerates from 4,6 to 0 km/h in 100 seconds. It does this thanks to its all-wheel drive system with 385 kW / 523 hp.
Of course, that's not a record-breaking charging time, but it's still within limits, even if we would have liked an 800 V system with over 250 kW of charging power for the price. At 195 kW, the peak was over in our test. The iX maintains this up to almost 42% SoC. Then it goes down gradually to up to 64 kW at 95%.
As is typical for BMW, it drives very smoothly and thanks to its weight of a good 2,5 tons, it sits like a stone on the road. Unfortunately, this is also reflected in the consumption, because you can't drive it below 21 kWh/100 km, at least in winter. In summer temperatures you can travel between 17 - 18 kWh / 100 km. But then you also have to stroke the power pedal.
What is special about the BMW iX is that it can and can tow its entire own weight as a braked trailer. You read that correctly, there is a trailer load of 2,5 tonnes (braked). proeasily possible.
Interior: Shy-tech as ever
Very minimalistic, but still quintessentially BMW. We think you can clearly see this when you sit at the front of the BMW iX. The speakers are hidden and no Bowers and Wilkins The sound system in the xDrive50 is standard, but rather a solid one Harman Kardon. The rear speakers are located in the headrests of the rear seat. So a bit of “luxury” like in the iX M60 is also present here, even if the subwoofer/bass shaker is missing from the seats.
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- Picture: TechnikNews
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- Picture: TechnikNews
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- Picture: TechnikNews
In general, the interior of the BMW iX appears to be very reserved but elegantly designed. The quality impression is typical BMW upper class, so there's really nothing to complain about. Well, except for the piano lacquer layers on the iDrive Controller, which can optionally be replaced with a wooden inlay, but are still prone to scratches or dirt. That shouldn't be the case with such an expensive vehicle. But as is often the case, piano lacquer seems to be “premium”, even if some other manufacturers, for example from the Far East, approach this better.
Furthermore, the cell phone tray for wireless charging is placed somewhat inconveniently, to say the least. There is a lot of legroom in the back seat and the seats are generally very comfortable.
Harman Kardon sound system
The Harman Kardon system is definitely more than sufficient for everyday life. However, it is not comparable to the significantly higher priced Bowers and Wilkins, which is standard equipment in the iX M60. So if you already have the necessary change for the iX xDrive50, you can safely skip the Harman Kardon and, if audio quality is important to you, go for one of the best in-car audio systems on the market.
Infotainment: BMW OS 8, but a little slower
Since the iX xDrive50 is the oldest vehicle in the current generation of electric BMWs, our test car had a few difficulties getting to grips with BMW OS 8. None of these were available on the iX M60 and BMW i4 Proproblems. At BMW we were told that it was “normal” because it was one of the first vehicles with correspondingly different hardware.
Picture: TechnikNews
For the price you shouldn't have any stutters or delays in the system. Don't you agree? You can read more information and how well BMW OS 8 could actually run in our article BMW i4 and iX M60.
Driving experience: Yes, still a wall unit
The iX xDrive50 actually drives like it looks: big and heavy. Sounds a bit too negative, right? As is typical for BMW, it drives really well, sits like a rock (or like a wall unit) on the road and is a lot of fun. It's less fun to drive the car in the city center or even in a big city. He's just too big for that. At least they rely on integral rear wheel steering, which I would actually have liked as basic equipment. There is an additional charge for it, but it is still worth it if you want a smaller turning circle. BMW doesn't have a hard time with the color, the blue metallic paint looks excellent on our test car. The gold accents in the kidney grille and around the vehicle are also subject to an additional charge.
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- Picture: TechnikNews
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- Picture: TechnikNews
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- Picture: TechnikNews
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Supporter Champion?
Yes, you read that right, the iX xDrive50 can tow its entire weight (2,5 tons with brakes) as a trailer. We couldn't test how this affects consumption because we couldn't organize such a heavy trailer. With a regular 700 kilogram trailer you get around 18 kWh / 24 km at an outside temperature of 100 degrees. Quite acceptable values considering the size of the vehicle.
Is the BMW iX xDrive50 worth comparing with the NIO EL7?
Overall, you certainly can't go wrong if you choose the iX xDrive50. But it also plays in a similar / same price league NIO EL7 with. The SUV scores with more technical gadgets and, in our opinion, a better interior. In addition, its basic price is cheaper than the iX xDrive50 and offers more performance.
The software also runs faster and smoother than in our iX xDrive50 test car. Therefore, you should consider driving the NIO EL7 first and then get an idea of which car suits you better. By the way, in contrast to the iX, the NIO constantly receives new software functions and over-the-air updates. Although these are possible at BMW, they are not often equipped with new functions.
BMW OS 9 is an example. This brand new operating system for BMW vehicles will probably never make it to this iX, as vehicles with BMW OS 8 or 8.5 will also remain up to date, according to BMW. NIO, on the other hand, has already brought the 2.0 version of its own operating system to the EL7, effortlessly via an update.
