► New electric SUV gets a facelift
► New battery and inverters
► Range goes up, so does performance
BMW has given the iX a refresh, with the electric SUV now benefitting from a more aggressive design, more power and more range. It comes four years after the electric SUV was first revealed, and the facelift moves the iX closer to the forthcoming Neue Klasse design language.
The nip and tuck comes with three new models; the xDrive45 (beige in these pictures), xDrive60 (light blue) M Sport and M70 xDrive (black) – as well as new trims.
What’s new?
The most obvious changes come right at the front of the new iX, as Munich’s design department has moved the iX towards the Neue Klasse concepts we’ve already seen. The kidney grille is still present – and huge – but the headlights are now narrow and more like BMW’s forthcoming design language. And yes, BMW has given the iX an optional light-up grille – though it’s standard on the range-topping M70 xDrive.
Underneath, new battery technology and a new inverter push the range up throughout the line up. There are bigger batteries all round: the xDrive 45 battery capacity grows 30% to 94.8kWh, while the xDrive60 moves to 109kWh and the M70 xDrive moves to 109kWh too.
The changes mean WLTP range has crept up on all models: the xDrive45 has a range of 374 miles, while the M70 will now reach 366 miles before needing a charge. Meanwhile, the xDrive60 (which replaces the xDrive50) will make it to 426 miles before needing a charge – 34 miles more than its predecessor.
| Model | Power (bhp) | Torque (lb ft) | 0-62mph (seconds) | Top speed (mph) | Range (miles) | Price |
| xDrive45 Sport | 414 | 516 | 5.1 | 124 | 321 – 374 | £74,400 |
| xDrive45 M Sport | 414 | 516 | 5.1 | 124 | 321 – 367 | £77,400 |
| xDrive60 M Sport | 552 | 564 | 4.5 | 124 | 370 – 426 | £92,200 |
| M70 xDrive | 668 | 749 | 3.8 | 155 | 321 – 366 | £113,300 |
Power is up too: the xDrive45 delivers 414bhp and it’ll hit 0-62mph in 5.1 seconds. That’s one whole second faster than before. The xDrive 60 gets 21bhp extra (over the xDrive 50) and makes 552bhp, with a 0-62mph sprint time of 4.6 seconds. Top speed for both is 124mph.
Finally, the top of the range M70 now makes 668bhp compared to 628bhp, for a 0-62mph time of just 3.8 seconds. Top speed is 155mph.
Anything else?
Munich’s engineers have also worked on the chassis to cope with the extra power and a new weight balance; there’s a double-wishbone at the front, and a five-link at the rear. The range-topping M70 gets a range of extra toys, including M-specific tuning, anti-roll bars and rear-wheel steering. And the brake callipers are painted red too, obviously. All models also get Hill Descent Control and Dynamic Stability Control.
Seven new colours are available, and the iX can be had with 21-, 22- or even 23-inch rims. They come as standard depending on the trim you go for.
We’ll update this article when we know more.