John Kendall concludes his long-term test of the BMW iX.

BMW iX xDrive45 M Sport LCI

OTR price: £106,400 BiK: 4% I £71 (20%) /£142 (40%) Efficiency: 3.0-3.4mpkWh  Official range: 321-367 miles  Miles as tested: 280-330 miles

Final Report:

The iX has left us and it is certainly not your average fleet car in any sense. Most of us don’t get the opportunity to drive around in a car with a £100,000 price tag for a start. The question I always ask myself is how much better is it than a more ordinary car? Inevitably that depends on your priorities. For instance, I think that 22kW three-phase AC charging capability is a smart thing to build into a car, but since I don’t have access to three-phase power, being able to charge in around four hours instead of 13 hours isn’t something that I can assess.

I have mentioned many of my likes and dislikes. Driving the car is simple thanks to straightforward controls for starting, drive selection, drive mode selection, and the all-round camera system. The car is whatever you want it to be – luxury limousine, thanks to superb ride comfort and low noise, capacious transport for a family or a high performance 4×4 model that can be shockingly quick when you want. Of course, being a BMW means that it handles very well too, quite something for such a large and heavy car.

Its size can be a handicap too. It’s not the best choice for narrow country lanes because of its width and there are plenty of them around where I live. I have moaned about the lack of regenerative braking choice before. B mode can be fine on a twisty road, but given the car’s broad capabilities, it would give a performance conscious driver more control and it is a performance car.

Make no mistake though, living with the iX has been a great pleasure. It is one of the best electric cars I have driven and passengers have loved it for its space and comfort. If a large, highly capable electric SUV is on your choice list and price is not a deterrent, the iX ought to be on your shortlist.

Report 3:

Car apps really come into their own when it comes to electric vehicles. The ability to control the charging from your mobile phone is particularly inviting, especially given the prolonged wet weather that the winter brought us. The “My BMW” app can do much more than that, but I suspect that charging is what most owners of BMW EVs will make most use of.

Inevitably, a battery with good range has a large capacity, so charging it on a 7.4kW domestic charger is going to take some time with a 94.8kWh battery. In fact the maths is easy, it would take 94.8/7.4 hours – 12.8 hours, assuming constant charge rate, for a complete re-charge. Charging for 13 hours straight means it is impossible to take advantage of off-peak electricity rates for a full charge. Practically, it will be a bit less than that, unless you really have run the car to a standstill.

Where possible, if I’m not using the car intensively, I will charge for six to seven hours on two nights. Also, if I’m not using the car intently, I will follow the recommendation and only charge to 80 per cent capacity to relieve battery stress. This can all be set up easily using the app. On a cold dark night, being able to do that while sat in a warm room rather than a cold car is very helpful.

At the same time, you can make sure that the car is de-frosted and warm at the time you want to leave. No scraping ice off windows and climbing into a chilly car. Arguably the real value of that is that warming the car while it is plugged in to charge is not going to take a bite out of your battery capacity and hence range. That is much more of a necessity than a luxury in my view and it all helps to make driving EVs a pleasurable experience.

Report 2:

The cold weather has undoubtedly reduced the iX’s range, but I have found that its range prediction is more accurate than many other EVs I have driven, particularly on a long journey.

For example, recently, I fully charged the car at a motorway service area 260 miles away from home. Initially the navigation system reckoned a further recharge would be needed to get home, but as I crunched the motorway miles, the remaining range began to exceed the distance home by up to 40 miles. Given the choice between a top-up charge at 89p/kWh and charging at home, I thought it was safe to forego a charge.

The excess range dropped back to around 20 miles. I had already selected ‘Efficiency’ mode to maximise range, but decided to select ‘Maximum Range’ as well to be on the safe side, which limits top speed to 60mph. I got home with miles to spare. It wasn’t a case of turning off all creature comforts either, I still had heating on a chilly day.

Perhaps needless to say, but its long-distance abilities really do impress thanks to the low noise levels, comfort, spaciousness and ease of driving. I still think that the controls for regenerative braking are a little out of date. Selecting B mode in driving provides one-pedal driving with regenerative braking on lift-off, which is fine for driving on a twisty road, but it lacks the selective levels of regeneration from steering wheel paddles. Small matters in a car that otherwise does everything so well, but the best could always be better.

First report:

The iX has replaced our agile, quick, fun-packed Mini Cooper S JCW Electric. For all its virtues, the stiff ride was not a great choice for a long journey, even if the drive was extremely rewarding.

In many respects, the iX is its polar opposite, apart from the performance. More than 400hp – 408hp to be exact – even in a 2.5-tonne car is enough to provide what another BMW brand might describe as “adequate” performance. Comparisons with the built-in-Britain brand are quite in order in other respects too. The ride quality bears more than a passing resemblance to a Rolls-Royce, which makes it an extremely comfortable long-distance cruiser. It’s serene, if not quiet enough to hear the digital clock ticking, but RR owners might consider the illuminated snout a touch vulgar.

In fact, its design has proved to be rather divisive. It’s a large, spacious, five-seat SUV with plenty of road presence. The large, illuminated double kidney grille is not subtle. It’s much more subtle from the side, rear three-quarters or rear, though. BMW has opted for frameless windows each side, but as you would hope from a car with such a price tag, the sealing has been done properly and the structure suitably braced to provide the stiffness and silence required.

I have already covered some miles in the iX. I’ve travelled from Bath to Edinburgh and back, and to Bury St Edmunds and back – both suitable tests of range, particularly as temperatures have fallen and winter weather arrived. There’s more to come this side of Christmas too. The cool weather has seen range tumble from around 330 miles to around 280, but the return trip to Scotland involved no more stops than I would have taken in an ICE-powered car. Food, drink and comfort breaks are just as necessary whatever you’re driving and lunch stops are great for charging. We did have to queue for charging – but not for long – at a Starbucks on the edge of Carlisle, but otherwise it was a case of pull up and plug-in. The charging network is chalk and cheese compared with a similar drive I made four years ago.

Our test iX comes with a lengthy list of standard equipment, including excellent adaptive LED headlights, a personal eSIM and Live Cockpit Pro with head-up display. In addition, it is fitted with a list of options and packages including a Sky Lounge Panoramic Sunroof (£3,200) and Comfort Pack, which includes ventilated and electrically adjustable front seats. There’s also a Technology Pack, which adds 22kW three-phase AC charging, Driving Assistant professional and Parking Assistant Pro. Altogether, these options add £13,800 (ex-VAT) to the list price.

No surprisingly, it’s a very pleasant way to travel, offering comfort, low noise levels, a refined ride and rapid performance when wanted. There is space for five adults – four would be the most comfortable option – and the large boot provides plenty of luggage space too. If an iX were on your options list, it would have to be a serious consideration.