BMW iX: The UGLY Truth

On the basis of its styling alone, the new iX is surely one of the more controversial new EVs of the year. That’s before you get to it’s £115,000 price tag and excessively enormous dimensions. But what intrigues us isn’t the car itself, but it’s bones. Because beyond that troubling face lie many clues as to what we can expect from an imminent generation of smaller, cheaper electric BMWs. So, are the signs good or bad? Jack spent a week with the iX to find out.

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[fullychargedshow]

What do you think about the iX? Tell us below...

[swisstrader]

Absolutely love my ix 50. Easily the best driving experience I’ve ever had.

Don’t really get him saying the car is enormous. For me it drives like a sedan and just super roomy and comfortable inside and yet shorter than my 7 series was.

Cabin is stunning…feel like I’m in a spaceship and all buttons perfectly placed. Quality materials all over.

And crazy acceleration and EV range. This thing is a rocket ship.

[LAZARUSLNG]

This car is truly innovative. For instance, ‘Carsickness’. Before this car, the term only applied to people inside the vehicle.

[lukasmurmann]

I love how Jack is making a big deal out of how big the car is, meanwhile Americans call it a "midsized SUV"

[dalstein]

The grille is self-healing, so even if you decide you've had enough and make a dent in it, you're still stuck with it.

[gothmog]

“the Ultimate Tailgating Machine” - I laughed out loud. They should make that the tag line to their ad campaign. Genius

[jochem]

The styling is approved by executives of the brand. Don't think for a second that designers have the final say. All they do is come up with and refine proposals, and hand a finalized Class-A model over to the engineers.

[YourFinancialIndependence]

As a past owner of two i3's both with a range extender, I have been dismayed at BMWs lack of progress over the last 5 years. For anyone who had a i3 and just wanted something with more range, some normal doors that worked in carparks and 5 seats instead of 4. That is a car that would be suitable for a family... They totally and utterly failed to deliver. In addition to that, they actually made the i3 worse by dropping the range extender which was a God send for those of us who wanted to do the extra miles. Such a long wait for a stupidly overpriced car. I wont be buying BMW electric again ever. They simply do not care about their EV customers. They have spent the last years flogging a range of plugins for their existing range that have a pitiful mileage range on the electric charge. They are not to be trusted and don't deserve our business.

[mikadavies]

Lovely interior. But big outside and tiny inside. Useless boot space. Fantastic for people that love people to look at them.
The only positive is that it was designed from the ground up as an EV.

[timmurphy]

I was at Nokia in Ulm many years ago when BMW came to hire us as we were about to be laid off. They wanted to get started on advanced computing - developing a linux based OS for their cars. I wonder if that maturity is what makes the difference regarding responsiveness.

[steveb.]

Jack is OUTSTANDING at the way he presents a car. that is outstanding... More Jack please...

[andrewcumming]

I can't come at the price. I don't see the point of it. There again I'm an old geezer who wants a small electric car for under £10000. I enjoy Jack's approach to his job. He puts so much thought into his presentations.

[caryoutismusic]

I imagine jack sneaking up behind unsuspecting vans all afternoon to test the adaptive cruise control theory, causing many of the drivers to resign from the job and receive counselling

[hamshackleton]

Another ridiculous Teutonic Tank that the owner will think is a Formula E car, and try to drive it like one, barging through traffic like Michael Schumaker used to do on the race-track.

[SierraLimaOscar]

I didn't find the exterior nearly as offensive as you did - but I get your point.
Philosophical arguments about what an EV should be aside I am only going to say this: I loved every minute I spent behind the wheel of this car. I was lucky enough to be invited to drive the same fully laden e50 model. It is over the top, too big, ostentatious and exaggerated, but boy do I want one!

[GaryJohnWalker]

Then again, I and quite a few others had a similar reaction when Chris Bangle's efforts were launched 20 odd years ago. Biggest negative for me on this is that it's another very big SUV.

[Tysto]

13:00 “Naught to 60: 4.6 seconds. That doesn’t sound *that fast*…” Tesla has spoiled us. A 2005 Porsche 911 could do it in 4.8 seconds. A BMW X5 took 7.2 seconds.

[stuartbrown]

I've been following the development of this vehicle for some time. The external appearance looked terrible at first, but it grows on you. Most car manufacturers play this game. But I agree with everyone else, that the thing is excessive . I suppose that';s what the X means. With the i3, which also looks unconventional, BMW had a vision for the future - light, small, efficient. That's what the world needs.

[jaymillx]

I could listen to Jack say "Bespoke EV architecture" all day.

Interesting vision that BMW is taking for their electric future. Can't wait to see what Jack things about the i4 sedans!

[delboy]

The bit that made me laugh, Jacks comment about the indicator stalk.... We all know that they don't get used....!!!