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Review of the new BMW iX xDrive50 2022


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The new one BMW iX xDrive50 is a very impressive electric vehicle. With a larger 105.2kWh battery, this bell and whistle SUV now has real-world range to match its exemplary highway manners. The standard-fit air suspension also transforms the way the iX rides, feeling luxurious or pointed, depending on your mood. It’s expensive, but it’s raised the bar in what’s become an increasingly competitive area of ​​the new car market.

We have promoted BMW iX in the UK; the entry-level xDrive40 model impressed us late last year with its exceptional comfort, refinement and overall quality. In fact, its opulent highway manners are unquestionable, but outright flying ability was thwarted by a disappointing 200-mile real-world range.

For some, that won’t be an issue. If your commute or daily usage allows it, then the cheapest iX is a factor that needs to be taken into account; it may not be as fast as a Mercedes EQC, but BMW car surpasses it in every other respect.

Mercedes only offers buyers of its electric SUVs a battery option, but BMW is trying to address that concern by offering the new iX with a 105.2kWh battery. Fitted here to the xDrive50, it’s one of the largest of any production car currently on sale.

The result is a WLTP ratings range of 380 miles, or, in cooler conditions like what we experience in a typical British winter, not 300 miles away. Furthermore, with 200kW fast charging (the cheaper iX xDrive40 is limited to 150kW), the xDrive50 can replenish its cells from 10-80% in 34 minutes.

So this is now a comfort-focused zero-emission cruiser with a decent range. The point is, you’ll pay the price for the fun; iX xDrive50 Sport prices start at £91,905 – and £5k for the M Sport model we’re driving here. That’s an extra £27,000 over the entry-level car with the smaller battery.

For your money, you’ll get a pair of premium engines boosted to a total of 516bhp; there is no option to specify a larger battery with a less powerful powertrain. As you’d expect, performance goes from sufficient to amazing – 0-62mph in the xDrive50 takes just 4.6 seconds. Is not Tesla Model X fast, but enough to make you widen your eyes at the lightest feeling of the throttle.

Straight line speed is one thing, but building a 2.6-ton SUV to handle like a sports car is another – especially one as luxurious as the iX. But this larger battery model has a trick up its sleeve: a standard-fit air suspension.

To suggest that this has a changing impact on the vehicle’s dynamic capabilities would be a full short sale. The IX xDrive50 can glide along the highway in total comfort, but switch to Sport mode to tighten the dampers and the difference in body control is night and day.

Trouble is, you’ll find yourself having to tweak the car’s parameters and switch it to Sport more than you can do in something lower or lighter. The IX is high-pitched and recessed in a rather unwelcoming way if you just leave it in its default drive mode, only feeling constrained to the suspension at its stiffest setting.

So top iX, until M-Division’s M60 version comes, has something of a dual personality. The important thing though is that the xDrive50 feels like it can do it all; quiet, soft and supple when you want it to, gentle and responsive when you don’t.

Otherwise, everything we liked (and didn’t) about the base iX is applicable to the more powerful model. The cabin is refined – the seats are comfortable and supportive, the perceived quality is faultless. Infotainment setup may look partial, but it’s not as intuitive as the previous BMW i drive systems.

When it comes to space and practicality, the manufacturer’s designers and engineers have done a great job of making the iX feel spacious inside. This is a large car, but the benefit to the passengers is ample head and legroom no matter which of the five seats you’re in.

The same cannot be said for startups. At 500 liters, it’s not exactly small, but for a car of this size you’d expect more. The BMW iX3, efficiency is in the layer below, beating its brother in terms of boot space, while Audi e-tron’s 20% larger load compartment. A family of four may find the iX’s boot simply not large enough for everything they need to carry.

Paradigm: BMW iX xDrive50 M Sport
Price: 96,905 pounds
Engine: 105.2kWh battery, dual electric motor
Power / Torque: 516bhp / 765Nm
Transmission process: Single-speed automatic, all-wheel drive
0-62mph: 4.6 seconds
Max speed: 124mph
Range/charge: 380 miles WLTP / 200kW 10-80% in 34 minutes
On sale: Now



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