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The BMW iX has been updated for 2025, with three new model variants offering longer electric ranges than the previous versions; the iX remains one of the most comfortable cars that you can buy.
The iX was introduced in 2021 as BMW’s first purpose-built all-electric Sports Activity Vehicle (SAV) (note that BMW doesn’t call it an SUV). The iX has been updated for 2025; it doesn’t look vastly different, so is the mid-life refresh more than skin deep?
BMW iX updates for 2025 include increased power, sportier design and driving dynamics, and increased electric range.
Three new model designations reflect the increased performance: the BMW iX xDrive45 (which replaces the iX xDrive40), the BMW iX xDrive60 M Sport (which replaces the iX xDrive50) and the BMW iX M70 xDrive (which replaces the iX M60 xDrive).
One of the visual changes that you might notice is the redesigned BMW grille which now features diagonal lines, and for the first time can be illuminated with the optionally-available BMW Iconic Glow (this is standard for the BMW iX M70 xDrive). This design language carries across into the Adaptive LED headlights which now feature lights in diagonal lines.
The overall style of the interior is ‘lounge-like’, ie. modern and spacious, with a floating centre console and a dashboard that is a departure from the appearance of a traditional BMW.
The iX is a big car, which you might even expect to be a seven-seater, but it only seats five – albeit with generous legroom for rear seat passengers. The boot is 500-litres in size, which is larger than average, but not as big as you might want in this size of vehicle. There’s a compartment under the boot floor to store charging cables. BMW doesn’t do ‘frunks’.
The BMW iX xDrive45’s powertrain consists of a 94.8 kWh battery, giving a long range of 360 miles, with electric motors at the front and at the rear delivering all-wheel drive and producing 402 hp of power and 700 Nm of torque. The BMW iX xDrive60 offers up to 426 miles of WLTP range.
The BMW iX xDrive45 has a huge towing rating of 2,500 kg.
The BMW iX is one of the most comfortable cars that we’ve ever reviewed – and we’ve reviewed every electric car that’s ever been on sale in the UK. The iX’s suspension is obviously the main reason for this, but the seats are also very cosseting, and the relatively high profile tyres of our test car are also a key factor. Every EV that we test has no choice but to be subjected to driving on our local road, which is a public, tarmac road in South Manchester, but which more closely resembles the surface of the moon due to the huge quantity of terrifying pot holes. Many press cars are very unpleasant to drive on such an appalling road surface, but you can hardly feel any of the impacts in the iX because its occupants are so well insulated from the horrors of the environment around it.
This amazing ride quality also translates to the iX being extremely comfortable, refined and quiet on long motorway journeys. It also feels planted to the road at all speeds, and, with a 0-62 mph time of 5.1 seconds, it offers effortless performance, even though the iX xDrive45 is the least powerful of the new iX model line-up (if 402 hp of power and 700 Nm of torque can be described as least powerful). All 22-inch and 23-inch wheels are combined with tyres featuring integrated foam absorbers for improved noise insulation.
The iX xDrive45 weighs 2,525 kg. There are other EVs that weigh a similar figure and which, predictably, have no agility. Although the iX feels big and heavy to drive, BMW has somehow managed to retain some rewarding dynamics in the handling department.
With all-wheel drive, grip levels are excellent, however there is still some adjustability in the chassis, and an option to deactivate Dynamic Stability Control (DSC).
The small gear selector switch gives you the options of D or B, the latter for increased levels of brake regeneration – but there are no steering-wheel mounted paddles which in other EVs can offer more control of brake regen.
The simple drive mode buttons of Eco, Normal and Sport disappeared a while ago on EVs from BMW. You now have a ‘My Modes’ button on the centre console, which brings up options on the screen for Personal, Sport, Efficient, Expressive, Relax, Digital Art and Silent. Expressive delivers an interesting noise which sounds like huge pieces of metal grinding together, and in some modes, such as Relax, the seats give you a massage whether you want one or not. Once you’ve selected a mode, the graphics for that mode stay on the touchscreen, so you have to do some button-pressing if you want to see your previous display again, such as satnav.
As well as the traditional drive modes disappearing, BMW’s excellent iDrive controller has also been removed from increasing numbers of the brand’s new cars, however it’s still retained in the iX. This means that you can control items on the touchscreen without having to reach out to press the screen, as well as zoom into the map by twisting the controller, and there are some shortcut buttons around the rotary controller.
The central touchscreen is very wide, as is the driver’s instrument display, and there’s also a head-up display, all of which feature sharp graphics and result in very clear presentation of information such as satnav directions when you’re driving. There are no separate climate controls, however the climate menu button, along with other key shortcuts, and cabin temperature are permanently displayed at the bottom of the screen.
On the centre console between the front seats there’s a small shortcut button which brings up the option to switch off the warnings for lane departure and speed.
If you’re getting into an iX for the first time, beware! – many people can’t find how to get out, because there’s nothing to pull to open the door. Instead there’s a small button on the door panel which you press and the door pops open – which is really hard to see in the dark.
The BMW iX xDrive45 M Sport has an official combined WLTP driving range of 360 miles (although 374 miles is possible on the smaller wheels of the entry-level trim). The real-world range was averaging 310 miles after a week on test.
The BMW iX xDrive60 has a 109.1 kWh battery, delivering a range of up to 426 miles; strangely, the BMW iX M70 xDrive has a slightly different usable battery capacity of 108.9 kWh.
The iX xDrive45 has a maximum ultra-rapid DC charging rate of 175 kW – which is perfectly fine, but actually slower than some rivals. The iX xDrive60 and iX M70 xDrive have ultra-rapid charging rates of 195 kW. All iX models can also be charged at a rate of up to 22 kW AC, and all have heat pumps as standard.
The BMW iX xDrive45 M Sport is priced from £75,315. Our test car had options of Dune Grey metallic paint (£900) (this wasn’t a favourite colour for most people who saw the car), Iconic Glow Kidney Grille (£500), Sky Lounge Panoramic Glass Sunroof (£3,200), Sun Protection Glass (£500), Comfort Pack (£1,650) and Technology Pack (£3,250), taking the total price of our test car to a fairly significant £87,400.
The new iX three model line-up is comprised of the BMW iX xDrive45, BMW iX xDrive60 M Sport (£93,115), and BMW iX M70 xDrive (£114,215), the latter offering 659 hp of power, maximum torque of 1,100 Nm, and a 0 to 62 mph time of 3.8 seconds. The BMW iX M70 xDrive also has standard features of Integral Active Steering, Adaptive two-axle Air Suspension, BMW Iconic Glow kidney grille, M Sport Pro package and sun-protection glass.
Prices and specifications correct at time of review
The BMW iX offers one of the most comfortable driving experiences of any car that you can buy, and this is combined with effortless performance (even with ‘entry-level’ xDrive45 power), all-wheel drive grip, and more rewarding handling than should be possible in a car of this size and weight. The cabin tech works really well, and the iX is spacious, although some people might expect the large boot to be even bigger. The official WLTP driving range of 360 miles for our test car is excellent, and the ultra-rapid DC charging rate of 175 kW is good, but not as fast as some rivals. So apart from the size and weight, there’s not much wrong with the iX, apart from when you score it from an affordability point of view (and the colour of our test car wasn’t appealing in many people’s eyes). The updated 2025 BMW iX is awarded a Green Car Guide rating of 9 out of 10.
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