Ignore the BMW’s appearance, focus on the satisfaction it’s capable of giving.
BMW currently has two distinct EV strategies, one that leverages flexible platforms to deliver electrified versions of otherwise conventionally powered gas models—think i4 and the new i7—and another that’s churning out dedicated electrics such as the new iX SUV. Even if we hadn’t told you that, we bet you would have sniffed out some differences between the iX and the other electrified BMWs on sale today; the i4 and i7 look mostly like their 4 Series Gran Coupe and 7 Series sedan counterparts. The iX? We caught you staring, didn’t we?
Odd though the iX might appear, with its bulbous profile, slab sides, and Terminator: Rise of the Beaver Teeth front end, its lineup follows familiar BMW practice, delivering saucy performance in its standard iX xDrive50 format, plus even more in the M Performance version, dubbed the iX M60. A reworked rear-drive motor with a longer stator and rotor (and double the amperage) relative to the M50 is responsible for the M60’s upgrade from 516 hp and 564 lb-ft to 532 hp (611 in Sport mode) and 749 lb-ft (811 lb-ft in Launch Control mode).
Having already tested the iX xDrive50, we’re here to deliver the good news that—seriously, stop staring at the iX!—the more powerful M60 delivers even more BMW-appropriate performance and feels, looks be damned.
Three Tons Of German Love
We could do that thing where we scour the iX M60’s performance figures and point out how its acceleration times beat lighter, more focused sports cars. It is quicker to 60 mph than the 503-hp, nearly 2,300-pounds-lighter BMW M3 Competition, for starters, but of course it is—EVs are good at out-drag-racing gas-only models. Despite weighing just shy of three tons, the iX M60 uses its instantaneously available torque to great effect.
Move past the 0-60-mph and quarter-mile times, and the iX’s data starts to look more average. Our test model, even on 21-inch summer tires, hung on for a so-so 0.86 g on the skidpad and needed a good-not-great 120 feet to stop from 60 mph. There’s no getting around the culprit: the iX’s substantial mass. Finding a direct comparison for the iX is tough; it’s larger than Audi’s slower E-Tron EV SUV, smaller and less powerful than a Tesla Model X Plaid. The gas-fed BMW X5 M is closest in size and general performance.
So it’s good that, for its white space, the iX delivers more driver satisfaction than ultimate objective test numbers, with an agility that belies its weight. A few things are at work here: First, the 111.5-kWh battery (106.3 kWh usable) is mounted low in the body, under the floor, dragging the center of gravity toward the pavement; also, BMW equips the M60 with a clever rear-wheel-steering feature. Combined, these imbue the tall, bulky iX with an unexpected eagerness for changing direction. The light, quick steering helps, too, and its variable ratio feels more natural than you might expect, especially given the rear wheels help direct the iX.
BMW takes further advantage of the electric iX’s EV layout by making the M50 model’s air springs and adaptive shocks standard, tuning both for quicker responses. Ditto the anti-roll bars, which are 10 percent stiffer in front and 20 in the rear than those in the M50. Read between the lines of the M60’s OK handling figures, and the iX is properly fun to drive. That stiffer rear anti-roll bar certainly plays a role, helping keep the M60 neutral; boot the accelerator, and you can drift this electric luxury SUV all day. It truly feels like a taller, more powerful M3 Competition, so soccer practice runs will be anything but boring.
Brake feel, a typical sore spot on EVs with regenerative braking, is consistent and reassuring. You won’t be able to detect where the computers hand off decelerative duties from the motors’ regenerative function to the mechanical brakes, which, aside from tuning, are shared with the iX M50 model.
M-Brace The Weird?
In our first drive story for the M60, we questioned whether it was good enough to wear even BMW’s starter-level M Performance badging. Our test figures, while not exceptional, don’t really dispute our prior conclusion: that it is a surprisingly fun electric SUV to drive. It also lacks any major compromises in pursuit of Ultimate Driving Machinations. The ride is comfortable, even in the Sport and Sport Plus drive modes, and the iX is very spacious and deathly quiet. We rather enjoyed the Hans Zimmer-composed zoomy noises you can choose to have play every time you press the accelerator. It makes you feel like you’re revving an alien orchestra, which is interesting, if not as thrilling as listening to one of BMW’s inline-sixes or V-8s.
The rest of the cabin is just offbeat enough to signify how different this vehicle is, as if the exposed carbon-fiber sections of the body structure visible in the door jambs weren’t enough. We loved the available $500 “Titanium Bronze” window and bumper trim; ditto the similar color metal trim inside, as well as the $1,150 Luxury package’s glass iDrive knob and center console buttons integrated into the surrounding wood trim. BMW’s proliferating dual curved displays float on thin stanchions above the dashboard, offering sharp graphics and a somewhat fussy row of menu tiles you can swipe through left to right, along with voice controls and some gesture response.
BMW isn’t shy about charging big money for the iX M60’s appealing blend of handling, power, and luxury. The spicier iX starts at $106,095, and our modestly equipped test model rang in at $109,945. Even so, a Tesla Model X Plaid starts at just over $140,000. Whether you can tolerate its mediocre build quality or need its 333 miles of range and Tesla’s Supercharger network is up to you. The iX M60 features decently quick charging at rates up to 250 kW and gets an EPA-estimated 288 miles of range. And it’s built exceptionally well. We should point out that—as with any vehicle—you can’t see what it looks like from behind the wheel.
