BMW iX xDrive: a brilliant, beefy blob

The all-electric BMW is a green, oversized, absurdly expensive vehicle, and it thus inhabits a slightly confusing moral space, says Sean O’Grady

The iX, especially on its giant 21-inch wheels, is unapologetic about its size (BMW)

I took possession of this most advanced all-electric new BMW model around the same time as Meat Loaf passed away, and I could hardly avoid listening to his greatest hits on the radio. Nor did I wish to. Meat Loaf’s passing gave me opportunity to enjoy the full force of the BMW’s powerful 12-speaker Harman Kardon sound system, and I’m happy to say that I suffered temporary deafness as a result, just as so many fans at his concerts did. I don’t think it should affect the BMW’s outstanding safety rating though.

Appropriately enough too I was sometimes able to make the iX perform exactly like a bat of hell and at the precisely correct moment in the song, that is if I lined the car up in its full-on Sport setting and floored it. Power from the 71kWh battery pack is transmitted via twin electric motors, one to each axle, thus ensuring that full traction was maintained regardless of the road surface. On the A6 heading towards Kettering, I was gone, gone, gone. A fitting tribute, I think you’ll agree.

The BMW, especially on its giant 21-inch wheels, is unapologetic about its size, again not unlike Michael Lee Aday himself. And why should it not be so? It is a huge beefy blob of an SUV, the kind of vehicle environmentalists rightly look askance at, but it doesn’t boast the usual 3-litre diesel or some rumbling V8 petrol motor under the bonnet; this is a green, oversized, absurdly expensive vehicle, and it thus inhabits a slightly confusing moral space. Given everything, if people insist on such excesses, then they may as well do it with something that emits no carbon dioxide. I guess it’s as simple as that.

THE SPEC

BMW iX xDrive40 M Sport

Price: £86,020 (as tested; range starts at £69,905)

Engine capacity: Twin electric motors, all-wheel drive powered by 71kWh battery

Power (bhp): 321

Top speed (mph) : 124

0-60 (seconds): 6.1

Fuel economy: 132 mpg equiv

Range (miles): 200

CO2 emissions: 0

It’s as space inefficient as any fossil-fuel SUV, but it will still seat five in some opulence and has a reasonable sized boot. As I say, the in-car entertainment is excellent even by premium brand standards, and the interior features the usual high quality materials and solid build quality you’ve every right to expect from a BMW that, well specced and with the biggest battery pack and 300 miles range, will set you back more than £100,000. My version was fitted with the smaller battery and will give you about 200 miles on a cool day and a reasonably brisk style of driving, that is with Classic FM rather than Meat Loaf setting the mood.

The touchscreens work as well as any (that’s to say not much use on the move), but the BMW also boasts a lovely wooden manual control panel between the front seats, complete with exquisite little raised lettering, if, say you need to adjust the climate control or set the car up for economy rather than performance. The computer will give you highly accurate read out of your charge, and, linked to the satnav, advise if you’ve got enough to compete your journey, and indeed start the car up again on a cold morning. Best of all though are the steering wheel buttons, very easy to get along with, and the ultra-clear “head-up display”, so you can change radio stations for example without lifting your eyes off the road. For those who need such things, it’s got 5G and full connectivity.

Well specced and with the biggest battery pack, it will set you back more than £100,000 (BMW)

The in-car entertainment is excellent even by premium brand standards (BMW)

It will seat five in some opulence and has a reasonable sized boot (BMW)

My most bizarre experience came when I accidentally activated the automatic parking assistant. I’ve always been a bit suspicious about these, so using it almost inadvertently was a bit of luck in a way. I happened to be in a cemetery, so there wasn’t much danger of running over anyone (at least in the conventional sense) so I just let the BMW take me on a long, unnervingly swift tour of the graveyard in reverse. It just about managed to detect the muddy verge and found somewhere safe and convenient to park. I don’t know if I’ll ever forget the steering wheel twirling away in front of me, as if some ghost had taken control of it…

I had one gripe, which was that the cup holder is far too low down near the floor for comfortable use. That’s it really. Apart from the premium price, but you could say that about any new electric car, or indeed any new BMW – a double premium in point of fact. I’m not sure Meat Loaf would approve.