2023 BMW iX M60 Review
BMW’s first electric SUV is nothing short of amazing, especially when taken to the M60 level. We’re talking 610 horsepower, 811 lb-ft of torque and a 0-to-60 mph time of 3.6 seconds. And unlike the i4 I recently tested, this one was born electric so it looks and feels even more special.
When I first drove an electric car over a decade ago, I never imagined that the propulsion system of a vehicle would one day become part of the country’s great political divide; absolutely ludicrous, of course, but here we are. I have noticed though that the most vocal EV critics usually share 2 things in common: 1) they’ve never driven one and 2) they’re budding environmental anthropologists with an expertise in cable news regurgitation. But I digress. Like them not, EVs are coming to market in droves and this here is the most exciting electric I’ve yet to test. Now, this one isn’t for the masses - the iX M60 is financially out of my reach as it is for most shoppers - but if I had $110,000 this one would move right to the top of my wish list. Say what you want about the face of BMWs these days, but I’m all about this elongated grille on their SUVs – just not as much on the cars. Then with the optional Bronze highlights and 21” wheels, this Mineral White example looks tremendous; I just love its stance. Anytime I spot something on the streets looking like a concept car I tip my hat to the company because it takes guts and that’s exactly what the iX has going on. Without the mechanical constraints of an engine and its associated linkages, designers can do some wonderful things with EVs one of which is to open up large amounts of real estate inside. The flat floor makes these rear seats incredibly spacious for 3 with leg- and headroom for days and the floating center console with minimal dash intrusion brings a welcome openness to the cabin. Hey, and no need to worry about the kids jumping out of the open rear windows – they only go halfway down.
But the jaw dropping moments here are courtesy of the large capacity, 111 kWh battery and the pair of high-output electric motors – the rear producing 483 horsepower, the front 255. Not only does this iX boast a respectable 288-mile driving range, it also hastens momentum to absurd levels…and I’m talking at any speed. With a 0-to-60 mph time of 3.6 seconds this is now BMW’s fastest SUV and in real world driving it comes across as even quicker. In launch mode or in Sport Boost, the electricians give you everything they’ve got and it is wild. Unlike in a reciprocating engine, often aided by a turbo, the M60 doesn’t even know what “lag” means. The iX is always just a pedal push away from warp speed travel. Leave “Iconic Sounds” on and they’ll induce flashbacks to riding Space Mountain. These orchestrated soundtracks correlate to drive mode and driving style. I think they’re pretty neat but not everyone I’ve ridden with this week agrees and in that case they can be shut off entirely. But that makes rapid acceleration even weirder in my mind because then there’s just silence without any reference point to how fast the iX is moving.
This is one of the most amazing SUVs I’ve ever tested checking all of the boxes of what a thoroughly modern sport utility should be: cutting edge design, fresh cabin with next-gen tech and astounding power that’ll blow your mind. Accelerating in this consistently evokes laughter…it’s stupid fast with the Iconic Sounds adding to the visceral experience. And in Sport mode with the backrest squeezed in to hold you place it’s a really fun backroad experience with quick steering and meaty Pirelli rubber developed specifically for high-performance electrics. It does feel a little different in that there’s a lot of weight beneath you taxing the chassis but it’s still very competent. Braking is solid with much better feel than in the i4 and ride comfort with the air suspension is exemplary…truly a game changer.
This indeed feels like a legit M model. Getting used to the geometric steering wheel takes a moment or two but this is supremely comfortable and quiet…one of the best riding SUVs money can buy. The exposed carbon fiber reinforced plastic at the door openings points to weight saving measures but still, at 5,769 lbs. it’s husky.
As for charging, BMW starts new owners off with 2 years of complimentary plug-ins at Electrify America where at one of their ultra-fast 350 kW stations this iX can go from 10% to 80% in 35 minutes. A slow fast-charger, like those 50 kW jobs at EVGo, takes 97 minutes to do the same job. A level II charger such as the home installed wallbox BMW offers can charge the iX to 100% capacity in under 12 hours. If you need to find a station you can simply ask BMW and even sort the public chargers by type but I don’t think BMW provides enough in the way of EV apps here – I want to quickly see on a map the driving radius and such but there’s not much of that built-in. In this warm weather, I’ve had no problem netting over 300 miles on a full charge. It should also be noted that if the optional 22” wheels are chosen the M60 loses 14 miles of total driving range.
The new iDrive 8 is a busy system with lots of tablet-like icons that aren’t arranged in any logical way. Much information can be accessed here and there’s some neat features for sure I just don’t find it to be streamlined and it houses some controls which should be over on the steering wheel. Take the smart cruise control for instance…I’ve never seen the gap setting buried in the infotainment screen before and it’s a bad idea. I’m all for simplified, clean design but some controls need to be readily accessible. The head-up display is brilliant, and I love the smartphone pockets placed about. The glass roof has an electronic opaque setting, the optional blue seatbelts add some pop and the Bowers and Wilkins Diamond surround sound system is pure ear candy but as usual for a BMW electric there’s no AM radio frequency so if you’re jonseing for some Coast to Coast AM you’ll have to stream it. These glass and wood controls are also a unique choice. But I don’t care how many times BMW uses the terms ‘active’ and ‘pro’ in describing their driver assistance package; if it doesn’t do hands-free highway driving then it’s just another smart cruise system. And on a personal note, this mocha-colored faux leather wouldn’t be my first choice. I’d also love to see more ambient interior lighting beyond these neat window sill LEDs which activate upon locking and unlocking.
There’s no frunk here but there is a large, wide cut cargo area with power switches for dropping the rear seats, an elastic restraining strap and bag hook and underfloor storage where the 120V charge cable can be stowed. And because there’s an air suspension the body can squat for easier loading.
The standard iX xDrive50 is rated at 324 miles of range with a starting MSRP of $85,000. But it’s the M60 that moves heaven and earth in ways never before experienced.
When I first drove an electric car over a decade ago, I never imagined that the propulsion system of a vehicle would one day become part of the country’s great political divide; absolutely ludicrous, of course, but here we are. I have noticed though that the most vocal EV critics usually share 2 things in common: 1) they’ve never driven one and 2) they’re budding environmental anthropologists with an expertise in cable news regurgitation. But I digress. Like them not, EVs are coming to market in droves and this here is the most exciting electric I’ve yet to test. Now, this one isn’t for the masses - the iX M60 is financially out of my reach as it is for most shoppers - but if I had $110,000 this one would move right to the top of my wish list. Say what you want about the face of BMWs these days, but I’m all about this elongated grille on their SUVs – just not as much on the cars. Then with the optional Bronze highlights and 21” wheels, this Mineral White example looks tremendous; I just love its stance. Anytime I spot something on the streets looking like a concept car I tip my hat to the company because it takes guts and that’s exactly what the iX has going on. Without the mechanical constraints of an engine and its associated linkages, designers can do some wonderful things with EVs one of which is to open up large amounts of real estate inside. The flat floor makes these rear seats incredibly spacious for 3 with leg- and headroom for days and the floating center console with minimal dash intrusion brings a welcome openness to the cabin. Hey, and no need to worry about the kids jumping out of the open rear windows – they only go halfway down.
But the jaw dropping moments here are courtesy of the large capacity, 111 kWh battery and the pair of high-output electric motors – the rear producing 483 horsepower, the front 255. Not only does this iX boast a respectable 288-mile driving range, it also hastens momentum to absurd levels…and I’m talking at any speed. With a 0-to-60 mph time of 3.6 seconds this is now BMW’s fastest SUV and in real world driving it comes across as even quicker. In launch mode or in Sport Boost, the electricians give you everything they’ve got and it is wild. Unlike in a reciprocating engine, often aided by a turbo, the M60 doesn’t even know what “lag” means. The iX is always just a pedal push away from warp speed travel. Leave “Iconic Sounds” on and they’ll induce flashbacks to riding Space Mountain. These orchestrated soundtracks correlate to drive mode and driving style. I think they’re pretty neat but not everyone I’ve ridden with this week agrees and in that case they can be shut off entirely. But that makes rapid acceleration even weirder in my mind because then there’s just silence without any reference point to how fast the iX is moving.
This is one of the most amazing SUVs I’ve ever tested checking all of the boxes of what a thoroughly modern sport utility should be: cutting edge design, fresh cabin with next-gen tech and astounding power that’ll blow your mind. Accelerating in this consistently evokes laughter…it’s stupid fast with the Iconic Sounds adding to the visceral experience. And in Sport mode with the backrest squeezed in to hold you place it’s a really fun backroad experience with quick steering and meaty Pirelli rubber developed specifically for high-performance electrics. It does feel a little different in that there’s a lot of weight beneath you taxing the chassis but it’s still very competent. Braking is solid with much better feel than in the i4 and ride comfort with the air suspension is exemplary…truly a game changer.
This indeed feels like a legit M model. Getting used to the geometric steering wheel takes a moment or two but this is supremely comfortable and quiet…one of the best riding SUVs money can buy. The exposed carbon fiber reinforced plastic at the door openings points to weight saving measures but still, at 5,769 lbs. it’s husky.
As for charging, BMW starts new owners off with 2 years of complimentary plug-ins at Electrify America where at one of their ultra-fast 350 kW stations this iX can go from 10% to 80% in 35 minutes. A slow fast-charger, like those 50 kW jobs at EVGo, takes 97 minutes to do the same job. A level II charger such as the home installed wallbox BMW offers can charge the iX to 100% capacity in under 12 hours. If you need to find a station you can simply ask BMW and even sort the public chargers by type but I don’t think BMW provides enough in the way of EV apps here – I want to quickly see on a map the driving radius and such but there’s not much of that built-in. In this warm weather, I’ve had no problem netting over 300 miles on a full charge. It should also be noted that if the optional 22” wheels are chosen the M60 loses 14 miles of total driving range.
The new iDrive 8 is a busy system with lots of tablet-like icons that aren’t arranged in any logical way. Much information can be accessed here and there’s some neat features for sure I just don’t find it to be streamlined and it houses some controls which should be over on the steering wheel. Take the smart cruise control for instance…I’ve never seen the gap setting buried in the infotainment screen before and it’s a bad idea. I’m all for simplified, clean design but some controls need to be readily accessible. The head-up display is brilliant, and I love the smartphone pockets placed about. The glass roof has an electronic opaque setting, the optional blue seatbelts add some pop and the Bowers and Wilkins Diamond surround sound system is pure ear candy but as usual for a BMW electric there’s no AM radio frequency so if you’re jonseing for some Coast to Coast AM you’ll have to stream it. These glass and wood controls are also a unique choice. But I don’t care how many times BMW uses the terms ‘active’ and ‘pro’ in describing their driver assistance package; if it doesn’t do hands-free highway driving then it’s just another smart cruise system. And on a personal note, this mocha-colored faux leather wouldn’t be my first choice. I’d also love to see more ambient interior lighting beyond these neat window sill LEDs which activate upon locking and unlocking.
There’s no frunk here but there is a large, wide cut cargo area with power switches for dropping the rear seats, an elastic restraining strap and bag hook and underfloor storage where the 120V charge cable can be stowed. And because there’s an air suspension the body can squat for easier loading.
The standard iX xDrive50 is rated at 324 miles of range with a starting MSRP of $85,000. But it’s the M60 that moves heaven and earth in ways never before experienced.