Living with an electric BMW iX: the perfect summer getaway car

Four years after its original launch, BMW[1]'s high-tech flagship electric car has been given a thorough upgrade. The iX may have controversial looks, but there's never been any doubt about the quality of the engineering underneath. Now I'm living with an iX to see if BMW can combine that tech with the usability needed of a big SUV[2], but more importantly, the driver appeal that BMW has always been known for.

I've been living with it day-to-day, using it for commuting into London, work trips around the country and even a family holiday to Devon. My car is an iX xDrive45 - xDrive is BMW-speak for 4x4, and the 45 designates the entry-level battery, which has been boosted to 94.8kWh. The original iX xDrive40 was often criticised for a lack of range, but so far, the claim of 367 miles in this bigger-battery version seems to be pretty realistic.

Other tweaks include a slight refresh to the car's appearance, but out of the 'go big or go home' playbook, that oversized double-kidney grille has been highlighted - literally - with a thin strip of LED lights all the way around. BMW calls it the Iconic Glow Kidney Grille, and it costs an extra GBP500. You'll have your view, but I like it - I'm a geek and love the look of these new LED lighting treatments we're seeing more of these days.

You'll struggle to notice the changes to the bumpers, but you will notice the new LED driving lights in the main headlamp units that are the sign of things to come with BMW's new Neue Klasse models due over the coming years. My car comes in M Sport trim and has an added black trim on the outside, smart 21in alloy wheels and sports seats with a diagonal 'M' stripe across them. I've always thought the interior of the iX was one of its strongest suits with a brilliant blend of quality, advanced style and usable tech.

Let's see how I get on with all that in the coming months. Of course, this is a BMW, so there's an increased focus on performance in these latest models, both in terms of outright speed - my car claims a 0 to 62mph time of 5.1 seconds and feels every bit as quick - while the chassis has been updated to cope with the extra performance the new 45 model brings. So, let's see how the iX stacks up as the Fowler family car for the next few months.

We've got lots planned, including a testing summer holiday[3] with people and dogs on board, so we'll be putting this big BMW through the ultimate test of family life.

BMW iX xDrive45 M Sport

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My BMW iX proved to be the perfect companion for a family trip down to Devon (Steve Fowler)

• Base price: GBP77,400
• Options: Dune Grey paint (GBP900), Iconic Glow Kidney Grille (GBP500), Sky Lounge Panoramic Glass Sunroof (GBP3,200), Sun Protection Glass (GBP500), Comfort Pack (GBP1,650), Technology Pack (GBP3,250)
• Total price: GBP87,400
• Battery size: 94.8kWh
• Efficiency on test: 3.5miles/kWh
• Maximum claimed range: 367 miles
• 0-62mph: 5.1 seconds

BMW iX - second report

As far as a family summer holiday for the Fowlers is concerned, this year's was just a long weekend to Budleigh Salterton in Devon with my iX playing a starring role.

The 175 mile journey - in theory - meant I could drive there and back on a single charge, but I'd checked ahead and Budleigh Salterton was home to four 60kW Wenea chargers just a short walk from our Airbnb. I probably wouldn't have needed a top up if it wasn't for an unscheduled visit to an emergency vet 15 miles away in Exeter (don't worry, Sky the Goldendoodle was fine). But when I did charge, I just left the car for an hour and was back up to 90 per cent, but at a cost of GBP42.76 - 69p per kWh - it wasn't cheap.

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Public charging for the iX was fine in Devon, but 69p per kWh is expensive (Steve Fowler)

That proves why it's only worth putting in as much charge as you think you might need when you're out and about when I can top up at home for 7p per kWh.

The drive down to Devon over a bank holiday weekend wasn't great, but the iX was. The stop/start traffic actually played to the EV's strengths with the constant slowing giving the brakes a chance to add some energy back into the battery. So far my average efficiency of 3.5 miles/kWh, according to the car's app, is impressive for such a large car.

The traffic also meant I made good use of the BMW's adaptive cruise system. I just sat there holding the steering wheel ready to take over if needed, but rarely did. As I always tell anyone who'll listen, for the most mundane parts of a journey adaptive cruise is perfect, making it much more relaxing.

And the BMW will also use a combination of its on-board maps and cameras to spot changes to speed limits and slow you down as you enter a restricted area. And I have to admit that driving an EV is so relaxing that I tend to just stick to the speed limits anyway these days. It's turned me into a much more chilled driver, while I also see the benefit of greater efficiency by sticking to the limits.

I've also mentioned the BMW's warning chime if you stray over the speed limit, but I've even come to accept the benefit of that. Ultimately, I don't want points on my license and a fine, and the BMW's chime (notice how I say chime rather than beep) is gentle enough to not become annoying. Once I was down on the Devonshire roads - which seem to be in much better nick than other counties' roads - the adaptive cruise was off and I could enjoy the swift acceleration, accurate steering and minimal body roll that are trademarks of a BMW.

The iX may still be a big, heavy SUV, but it drives better than most and, yes, for an SUV it still lives up to BMW's 'Ultimate Driving Machine' mantra.

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With two of the three rear seats folded, luggage and shopping for five people and two dogs all fitted into the BMW iX (Steve Fowler)

The iX also does a good job of all the family stuff it needed to do on our trip. The dogs were packed off in our Skoda Yeti, so had three people and a load of luggage on board - and with two thirds of the rear seats folded flat, five sets of luggage, a dog crate and a load of shopping all fitted with ease. Then when I had my surprise trip to Exeter, Sky enjoyed the boot as much as a poorly dog could, and I still managed to persuade her to jump into the back - the low, flat loading sill is quite handy.

The journey home was completely painless, apart from the weather, with more use of adaptive cruise control and more enjoyment of the standard Harman Kardon sound system as there were only two of us on board for that journey. Given the amount of time spent on the motorway where EVs are least efficient, my current average efficiency is seriously good. And jumping in and out of the BMW from other EVs also reminds me just how special the interior of the iX is.

I love the deep front window, the minimalist interior, and the iDrive controls that are just where I rest my left arm - not everything is via the touchscreen. In fact, the iX is proving pretty hard to fault so far. It drives brilliantly, has some fantastic tech on board, is impressively efficient and is as posh as you'd want it to be.

With the holidays drawing to a close, it's back to more mundane work for the car, though. And more motorway work with two trips to the midlands in the coming weeks to drive other EVs. More on all that in my next update.

BMW iX - first report

It hasn't taken long for me to really get into the groove of running a BMW iX. In fact, it has very quickly become something that I really look forward to driving - even on the early morning station run to drop my son off.

I guess that's exactly what BMW is aiming for, and it's worked. It's just an easy car to get into, simple to drive and enjoyable even on the most mundane trip. One thing I particularly like in the iX - and it's something I like about Teslas[4], too - is the deep front windscreen.

The dashboard is set low with the lovely, curved widescreen display sitting proudly on top (there's a clear head-up display on the windscreen, too), but the view forwards is good, as is the view backwards. And my family is happy in the back with the flat floor and view out of the show-stopping Sky Lounge Panoramic Glass Sunroof (an expensive option at GBP3,200). The sunroof offers great views and cleverly goes from clear to opaque at the touch of a button.

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A great view out and fabulous interior make even the most mundane trip in the BMW iX enjoyable (Steve Fowler)

One thing we've all noticed is that the ride is a bit firmer than in previous iXs that we've been in.

There have been some upgrades to the suspension in the latest version, but it's just given the ride a slightly harder edge - although nobody would say it's really uncomfortable. And despite having been in iXs before, the electronic door openers always flummox people - you press a button on the door handle to unlock the doors, which then tend to shut with a slight shimmy as they do without frames for the glass. That's about the only question I'd raise on the quality.

Otherwise, the cabin is as plush, smart and well-made as you'd hope at this price.

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BMW knows its customers and has fitted a handy one-button solution to turning off the annoying speed limit warning chimes (Steve Fowler)

Among all the tech that comes either as standard or as part of the aptly-named Technology Pack (another extra at GBP3,250), there's one really handy feature. One thing that many people seem to loathe about modern cars is the obligatory warning chime you get if you stray just one or two mph over the speed limit. It's an EU directive that every car has these days, but BMW obviously knows it's something customers don't like.

So, BMW has listened. By doing a long press on the 'Set' button on the steering wheel that you use for the adaptive cruise control, it instantly turns the speed limit warning off. Thanks, BMW - that's really impressive.

What's not so good is that the EU insists it's switched back on again automatically every time you turn the car on. BMW always impresses me with the usability of its tech, too - whether it's the AI assistant that detects that I lower my window every time I leave my driveway and offers to do it automatically, or the rotary iDrive controller surrounded by useful fast keys that mean you don't have to use the touchscreen if you don't want to. There's 'hey BMW' voice control, which works well, too.

So, one week in, and life is good with the BMW iX. It's proving to be an easy car to live with, and it is living up to BMW's 'driver's car' tag. It's quick, handles well, and it makes a great noise (which has been designed by Hollywood film score star Hans Zimmer[5]).

My family and I have many outings planned over the rest of the summer and beyond, and I'm now looking forward to them even more with the iX.

References

1. ^ BMW (www.independent.co.uk)
2. ^ SUV (www.independent.co.uk)
3. ^ summer holiday (www.independent.co.uk)
4. ^ Teslas (www.independent.co.uk)
5. ^ Hans Zimmer (www.independent.co.uk)