Car Review: BMW's iX converts an electric-car sceptic

The interior of the BMW iX is an oasis of calm. (Photo: BMW)

1/3

Less contentious would be the interior. It is an oasis of calm, more home-like than car-like. You unlock it with your smartphone, through which you can also cool the cabin before you arrive and toot the horn remotely, just for fun. The armchairs are plush and, while not quite Osims, offer light massages. The curved display forms the centrepiece, perched on the dashboard like a living room’s widescreen TV.

This is the nerve centre, running on BMW’s latest Operating System 8, which you operate using touch, voice and — mercifully — a cleverly curated selection of physical knobs and buttons made of faceted glass and open-pore wood. In too many cars, frequently accessed functions are buried behind layers of menus, but not here. Particularly impressive — albeit a tad laggy — is the voice-activated commands. Simply say “Hey BMW, I’m warm” and the computer will boost the AC.

Another fun feature is the display’s augmented reality navigation system that overlays arrows on a livestream of the road ahead, so you can see where to turn.

While the BMW iX is roughly the same size externally as its sibling the X5, it has more spacious interior thanks to its fewer mechanical parts. (Photo: BMW)

2/3

The iX is loaded with no fewer than 22 sensors and cameras that detect everything from pedestrians to road signs. As you turn right, it warns of potential collisions with oncoming traffic. It also picks up on cyclists before opening the doors. Active cruise control with steering assistance is standard and – in yet another tech-inspired trend – the car can be upgraded over the air, potentially unlocking higher autonomous driving in the future.

How is it to drive? On paper, the iX is heavier than the X5 by 300kg. Yet in practice, the iX feels more planted than its similarly sized sibling. This is thanks to the use of lightweight carbon fibre in the roof and the battery’s under-floor location, which all work towards lowering the car’s centre of gravity.

Likewise, the car moves with urgency. The 6.1-second century dash might seem merely adequate in this day and age, but the 630Nm of torque arrives neck-snappingly fast, courtesy of a new motor design. Without a doubt, the iX can be driven hard, but it is in its element when wafting. The ride is serene, with minimal noise intrusion; bumps are deftly absorbed by the well-sorted suspension. Rolls Royce could learn a lesson or two here.

BMW iX (Photo: BMW)

3/3

BMW has tweaked the one-pedal style of driving. An electric car slows down significantly when the driver lifts off the accelerator, converting energy back to the batteries instead of losing it as heat in the brakes. In the iX, the deceleration is variable: it increases when you are nearing an intersection and decreases when you are coasting on highways. Remarkably intuitive, it eases the transition from a regular to an electric car.

The iX has an official range of up to 425km, so in theory, you could drive to Kuala Lumpur without refuelling. During my testing, however, the usable range was about 300km, which wasn’t too shabby.

Let’s talk about sustainability. BMW says it aims to cut emissions by 40 per cent over the vehicle’s lifetime by using recycled and secondary materials in production – which, incidentally, is powered by local renewable energy. The previously mentioned motor eschews the use of rare earth metals, a vanishing resource. Its interior uses FSC-certified wood, leather tanned using olive leaf extracts and the floor coverings and mats are made of recycled fishing nets. So is the iX really what it is touted to be? I was sceptical at first, but let’s just say driving my petrol gas guzzler afterwards felt like switching from a smartphone to a typewriter.