By Jonathan Crouch

Introduction

Back in 2021 with the launch of the iX, BMW gained a full-electric flagship model of fitting stature in its 'i' range of designs. This was a large luxury SUV aimed directly at the key premium upper mid-sized EV crossover competitors of the day - cars like the Audi e-tron, the Jaguar I-PACE and the Mercedes EQC. It aimed to showcase everything the company knew about Zero Emissions motoring. As it turns out, that was quite a lot. Here, we look at the earlier versions of this first generation iX from a used buyer's perspective.

Models

5dr SUV (EV) [Sport, M Sport, M60]

History

By 2021, BMW's all-electric model line-up, for years solely carried by the little i3, was at last taking shape. By then, we'd already been introduced to the i4 sports saloon and the iX3 mid-sized SUV. And beyond that, there was this car, the iX, a large luxury SUV which the Munich maker hoped would move the game on from the standards that had already been set in this segment by direct rivals like the Audi e-tron, the Jaguar I-PACE and the Mercedes EQC. If you're in the market for a used EV of this size from the 2021-2024 era, you'll probably already be fairly familiar with the three competitor cars just mentioned. And why wouldn't you be? They were launched around three years before this iX hit the market in mid-2021. So BMW was well behind the game here - which was incredible given that the Munich maker was well ahead of EV technology when they launched the i3 back in 2013. Eight years on, you could sense the brand's desperation to get back on track in almost every aspect of this iX - to cause a sensation, to create talking points and to shift people's perceptions towards BMW as a primary purveyor of industry-leading luxury EVs. That was an immense weight of expectation to put on any car, particularly one that actually wasn't quite as sophisticated as it might have first appeared. The lack of a number in the model name was supposed to designate this model's positioning as the flagship of BMW's i sub-brand and, sure enough back in 2021, the company claimed the iX to represent the pinnacle of its electrification strategy. It was certainly the brand's first 4WD EV, it used the fifth generation of the Bavarian maker's e-motor and battery technology and the carbonfibre-rich structure was more innovative than anything we'd seen from the company since the i3. But there was still plenty of conventional design from combustion models in the 'CLAR'-influenced platform. And there was no sign here of the advanced 800-volt fast-charging infrastructure that you'll find on top VW Group EVs from this era. Despite all that, you'll certainly feel that you've got an advanced luxury EV if you own one of these - when you look at it in your driveway or slip inside the futuristic cabin. A top M60 xDrive flagship model was added in 2022. The iX sold in its original form until BMW introduced a far-reaching update for the 2025 model year. It's the earlier 2021-2024-era versions of this model we look at here.

What You Get

By and large, BMW doesn't do 'beautiful', but it is very much a specialist in 'striking' - and this iX is certainly that. It's certainly big, just under 5-metres long, around 2-metres wide and a fraction under 1.7-metres high - about the same size, in other words, as the company's X5, which BMW claims shares nothing with this car. Like the old i3, there are carbonfibre cores for the windscreen pillars and cant rails - and aluminium honeycomb door sills too, plus in this case carbonfibre-reinforced plastic for the roof, all of it intended to allow this car to tip the scales somewhere near the class norm point of around 2.2-tonnes. Inevitably though, the iX gets nowhere near that benchmark; think nearly 2.6-tonnes, 650kgs of which is accounted for by the lithium-ion battery pack. One day, historians will be shocked that EVs were ever like this. Shock is exactly what unsuspecting fast lane dawdlers will feel when they suddenly find this car's huge kidney grille bearing down upon them at warp speed. And in profile? Well the shape may appear a touch ungainly but it's undeniably aerodynamic, with a sleek drag co-efficient of just 0.25Cd. There's a wraparound look to the tailgate, with thin horizontal rear LED lamps stretching towards the central BMW roundel in an unnecessary attempt to emphasise this car's prodigious width. According to its maker, this car was designed 'from the inside out', the focus being on what the Bavarian brand calls its 'Lighthouse' interior. It certainly light, especially with the optional dimmable Sky Lounge panoramic roof fitted. There's so much to take in. The curious hexagon-shaped steering wheel is difficult to ignore; your main point of control is a rocker switch for gear selection; and even in a screen-dominated era, the 'Live Cockpit Professional' set-up's gently curving slither-like joined 'Curved Display' is unusual, apparently floating above the angular dash and incorporating a 12.3-inch instrument set-up and a 14.9-inch central infotainment screen. Strange trimming combinations assault the eyes, there's a button rather than a handle to open the door and you sit almost Range Rover-high, though here of course the raised floor is there for quite a different reason, the unusual quilted leather seats with their plant-based upholstery and integral head restraints set upon it. The two-part centre console's a bit different, designed, BMW says, in the style of 'a high quality piece of furniture' and free-standing, so there's a lovely open footwell right across the front of the car. Despite the fact that there's over 3 metres between the axles in an iX, BMW elected not to make this a seven-seater, so if you're shopping for a car of this sort from this era, you'll need to choose a Tesla Model X in this class if that's what you need. Still, that decision ought to benefit back seat room and sure enough, it feels properly spacious in the back, aided by the rear quarterlight windows and the kind of completely flat floor that you'd have to do without in rival Porsche Taycan or Audi e-tron GT models, where the centre transmission tunnel, banished here, is excessively high. Because the floor isn't inset with little so-called 'foot garages' - the insets into the lower EV floorplan that you'd get with the rival VW Group luxury EVs just mentioned - your feet are positioned a little higher, but there's plenty of knee space and, unlike with some rivals, original owners of this early model didn't have to pay extra for rear seat climate controls, which sit beneath the twin central vents. Given nearly 5-metres of body length, you'd hope for plenty of luggage capacity here. Actually, the powered tailgate with its two-piece parcel shelf rises to reveal a 500-litre space: not bad, might be your initial thought, until you check rival stats and realise that this is pretty much the same as you'd get from a Jaguar I-PACE or a Mercedes EQC from this era - and they're both significantly smaller SUVs. If you need more space, then activating the cargo sidewall catches flattens the main part of the rear bench - there are also little buttons just inside the rear doors that do the same thing. And that frees up 1,750-litres of space.

What You Pay

An early 2021 pre-facelift iX values from around £31,600 (around £35,500 retail) for a base 'Sport'-spec xDrive40 version. Most iX models you'll come across will be 'M Sport'-trimmed variants, which adds around £1,300 to the value of an xDrive40 but is a trim level that came as standard with the bigger-battery xDrive50 version (which values from around £38,300 on a '21-plate - around £43,250 retail). The top M60 values from around £47,600 on a '22-plate (around £53,250 retail). All quoted values are sourced through industry experts cap hpi. <a href="https://hpivaluations.com/">Click here for a free valuation.</a>

What to Look For

Most of the I20-era iX ownership issues we came across were for things like minor software glitches. So make sure all the infotainment systems, navigation software and Bluetooth linking works as it should. We've heard of issues with the high-voltage battery software, which in some cases resulted in charging failures, unexpected power loss or even full shut-down. There were recalls to address issues with airbag warning, potential battery over-heating and unexpected cruise control activation. Some users have reported heavy steering requiring column replacements, so look out for that on your test drive. And some owners have reported higher-than-normal tyre wear. As with all EVs, check that the charging lead is in good condition and hasn't been run over. And do a full charge to check everything is working properly. As usual with a BMW of this size, check the alloy wheels for scuffs and scrapes. And the boot area for the same thing. And insist on a full service history.

Replacement Parts

[based on a 2021 model iX xDrive40 - autodoc.co.uk - ex VAT] An air filter typically costs in the £10-£32 bracket. Front brake pads typically sit in the £15-£59 bracket for a set. A set of rear pads is typically in the £17-£58 bracket. Front brake discs are typically in the £107-£188 bracket. Rear brake discs are typically in the £126-£188 bracket. A wiper blade typically costs in the £10-£26 bracket. A shock absorber is in the £100-£138 bracket.

On the Road

With this pre-facelift iX, there's a choice of three variants, all using the same twin-motor four wheel drive configuration. Things kick off with the iX xDrive40, which has 326hp, a 71kWh-plus battery pack with a 257 mile range and, when driven less frugally, a rest to 62mph time of just 6.1s on the way to 124mph. The alternative iX xDrive50 flagship model has 523hp, a 105.2kWh battery pack with a range of up to 380 miles and can get to 62mph in 4.7s en route to the same top speed. The summit of the early iX range was marked by the M60 version, which uses the same bigger battery as the '50'-series model but mates it with an even more powerful 619hp electric motor total output, delivered with up to 1,100Nm of torque. The range reading - 357 miles - is still acceptable and 62mph flashes by in just 3.8s on the way to an electronically limited maximum of 155mph. Across the iX range, BMW wanted to set a fresh handling standard for large luxury EV Crossovers in this class, so great efforts were made to trim weight from the aluminium-intensive chassis, which wasn't completely bespoke for EV use, but had a unique 'carbon cage' mounted upon it for the main body structure. The ride quality on offer from the 5-link rear axle is difficult to better in the class, even with the base xDrive40 model's standard passive lift-related damping system. Ideally, you'd want an iX with BMW's 2-axle air suspension set-up (which was optional on the '40' but standard on the '50' and '60' models), which comes with electronically controlled dampers and is mated to active rear wheel steering. On the move, the driver can choose 'High', 'Moderate' or 'Low' Brake Energy Regeneration settings - or leave the system to do its own thing in 'Adaptive'. There are three 'My Mode' drive settings - 'Personal', 'Sport' and 'Efficient'. And there's an 'IconicSounds Electric' artificial EV soundtrack, though we think after trying it, you'll prefer to turn that off and savour this BMW's astonishing refinement. It even handles quite a lot like a BMW should, the stiff chassis admirably resisting body lean and the electromechanical steering providing accurate feedback. Hooked up to a DC rapid public charger, 10-80% battery replenishment in an early iX takes between 31 and 34 minutes, the '50' and '60' models aided by the ability to DC charge at rates of up to 195kW. With a typical 7.4kW AC garage wallbox, you're looking at 11 and a half hours to charge the xDrive 40 to full from empty. It'd be 16 hours 45 minutes for the xDrive50 or the M60.

Overall

There's so much here that's incredibly intriguing if you can bring yourself to like the divisive way this car looks. The dramatic cabin feels like a real step into the future, with enough of a quality feel to justify the prodigious pricing. To drive, there's plenty of the brand's DNA, the iX setting new class standards and excelling in terms of refinement and the cleverness of its adaptive brake energy recuperation system. Much more's to come of course in terms of technology in this era and in half a century, we'll still look back at cars like this as dinosaurs, particularly one like this riding on a combustion-based platform. But back at the beginning of this century's third decade, for the extremely well-heeled family EV fanatic, this was where it was at.