BMW has fallen behind in the global race to develop the next generation of electric vehicles. Yet with that said, the emergence this year of the 2022 BMW iX is hopefully a positive sign the company is moving forward.
Most industry experts marvel at the interior makeup of the iX and applaud BMW for other facets as well. It has excellent performance, terrific overall range (approximately 324 miles), offers superior comfort, and has plenty of bells and whistles that will please any tech-savvy individual.
BMW has done a fabulous job of creating a comfortable, spacious cabin that’s modern, has a clean layout, and is very functional. The SUV seats five passengers and has standard all-wheel drive. It has essentially the same measurements as the popular gas-powered BMW X5.
While the interior is top-notch, not everyone is enamored with an exterior that features a dual kidney grille and slender twin headlights. The exterior look is subjective, but most people will like the clever idea of making the BMW logo, located above the grille, open up and double as a place to refill the wiper fluid.
Before we go any further, note the iX sticker price begins at $83,200, one of the highest starting prices in the luxury electric SUV class. For now, it has one trim model – xDrive50. The M60 model arrives in 2023 and will have a whopping 610-horsepower.
The iX is the first BMW to be equipped with the iDrive 8 infotainment system. Among the features are a user interface, user profiles with customization, and voice controls that can be extremely helpful and used to control much of the system.
If voice controls aren’t your thing, it will be good to know the user-friendly, 14.9-inch touchscreen controls much of the system (including climate control) and is intuitive. There’s a long list of standard features, including satellite radio, six USB ports, 12-speaker audio system, wireless phone charging pad, and wireless connectivity for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration.
There’s also a very cool standard panoramic sunroof that provides electro chromatic shade tinting, activated with the mere press of a button.
Comfort is in abundance for all five passengers. The iX has simulated leather upholstery and the front seat comes with a range of adjustments, including seat heaters and cooling. A flat floor (there’s no center hump) contributes largely to the spacious rear seating that allows even three adults good head and leg room. The sizable cargo area is 35.5 cubic feet and expands to 77.9 cubes with the second row down.
AT A GLANCE – 2022 BMW iX
- Performance: two electric motors, 516 horsepower
- Price estimate: $83,200
- Warranty: 4 years/50,000 miles; powertrain: 4 years/50,000; roadside assistance: 4 years/unlimited; corrosion: 12 years/unlimited; battery: 8 years/100,000
The iX is the first BMW to be equipped with the iDrive 8 infotainment system. The iX is equipped with voice controls that can be extremely helpful and used to control much of the system.
Be prepared for some serious fun when driving the BMW iX. It’s been clocked going 0-60 mph in 4.4 seconds; impressive for an SUV that weighs 5,659 pounds. It has an electric motor at each axle and combines to generate 516 horsepower and 564 pound-feet of torque.
The acceleration is rapid and the handling is good as well. The iX has a low center of gravity that allows it to maneuver well in tight turns and most other driving situations. We’re a fan of regenerative braking and enjoy having four settings – three manual (high, medium, low) and one-pedal driving. We didn’t like that the brake settings were frustratingly hard to find in the touchscreen menu.
Standard safety driving features include forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, lane keep assist, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, driver drowsiness monitoring, and vehicle exit warning. Options include surround-view parking camera system, traffic jam assist and evasive steering assist. Advanced driver assist systems are a separate purchase.
The iX has a 106.3-kWh battery pack that can be charged quickly via DC fast-charging, going from 10 to 80 percent in around 35 minutes. On a Level 2 home charger, a full charge takes just over 10 hours.
Although the wait has been much longer than expected, the German automaker has produced a great SUV in the new 2022 BMW iX. With its top-notch interior, performance and range, right away the iX becomes a serious rival for luxury electric rivals like the Audi e-tron and Tesla Model X.
Weidel on Wheels is featured regularly on www.tahoeskiworld.com. Auto writer Jeffrey Weidel can be reached at skiweidel@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter at @jeffweidel.
