It’s fair to say that among enthusiasts and purists, the BMW iX has been rather controversial, for it represents the exact opposite of why we fell in love with BMW in the first place. When it comes to its commercial success, however, the iX has sold modestly well enough, and to now provide a much-needed boost to its sales figures, BMW has just unveiled a massive update to the brand’s flagship all-electric SUV. The refreshed BMW iX now boasts a slight redesign, with even more performance under the bonnet, some sharper dynamics, and enhanced range, too! Plus, best of all, given how pricey the iX was at launch, there are two new entry-level models.
Namely, there’s the new iX xDrive45 Sport model for a starting price of £74,400, as well as the xDrive45 M Sport, which starts at £77,400. If you have a bit more cash to splash, you may also consider the iX xDrive60 M Sport trim for a starting price of £92,200, as well as the top-spec iX M70 xDrive, which starts from £113,300. Here in the UK, the first customer deliveries are now scheduled for May 2025. Otherwise, if you’re planning on spec’ing one, the refreshed BMW iX comes with seven new paint finishes, and an optional Individual Exterior Line Titanium Bronze trim, in addition to the option of 21-, 22-, or even 23-inch BMW M lightweight alloy wheels.
An Improved BMW iX, With More Spice Under The Hood
Speaking of upgrades, the entry-level BMW iX xDrive45 – both the Sport and M Sport models – now delivers a respectable 408hp and 700Nm of torque. That’s a whopping 82hp increase over the outgoing xDrive40 trim. This ought to help you sprint from 0-62mph in a mere 5.1 seconds, and onto a top speed of 124mph. Meanwhile, the iX xDrive60 M Sport model offers 544hp and 765Nm of torque; a 21hp uplift over the old xDrive50 model. This model will handle a 0-62mph sprint in a speedy 4.6 seconds. Then, you get the range-topping iX M70 xDrive, with its mighty 659hp output and 1,015 Nm of torque, with a sports car beating 0-62mph time of 3.8 seconds.
Whether you’re all about performance or all-year-round, all-weather driving, these new BMW iX models will all come with all-wheel drive. Specifically, you get twin electric motors – one for each axle – in addition to some refined power electronics, all of which should feature improved performance across the board. Yet, despite all those big go-fast figures, the updated BMW iX actually has a better range than the outgoing models. For instance, the iX xDrive60 M Sport can drive up to an outstanding 426 miles (WLTP) on a single charge, while the xDrive45 and M70 variants could still manage spectacular (WLTP) ranges of 374 and 366 miles, respectively.
Better Range, Sharper Handling, And Even Sharper Looks
Some of that increased range is thanks to the redesigned performance electronics, some new battery cell tech, in addition to inverter improvements. In layman’s terms, you’re looking at an easy 8% enhancement when it comes to power consumption, and for some models, you would get up to 40% more range! The batteries themselves are bigger for some variants too, such as the xDrive45 model, which has a 30% larger battery (now 94.8 kWh). Meanwhile, the xDrive60 and M70 models feature huge 109.1 kWh and 108.9 kWh batteries, respectively. When you’re driving along, you can also turn on the ‘MAX RANGE’ function to boost your range, in a pinch.
More to that, the entry-level xDrive45 could now take in up to 175kW DC fast-charging, while the xDrive60 and M70 versions support up to 195 kW. Of course, it wouldn’t be a BMW if not for a few performance-focused upgrades. As such, this refreshed BMW iX comes with a double-wishbone front axle and a five-link rear axle with electric steering, on top of a frame and body that have been redesigned to maintain a lower centre of gravity. If you’re seeking even more agility, the M70 xDrive comes with adaptive two-axle ride level control, electronic shocks with M tuning, anti-roll bars, and Integral Active Steering, for some high-speed electric motoring!
