The BMW IX is a controversial car since it was first launched in the 2022 model. Much of it has to do with that love or hate styling, and that's too bad. No matter what you think about the IX look, it's hard to argue that BMW's EV flagship isn't really a nice luxury car. In 2026, BMW decided the IX needed a bit of nip/tack work and a new base model to entice buyers in the ever-expanding luxury EV crossover market. The design hasn't changed significantly from what it used to be, but I think the changes BMW made in the new model year have helped turn the already high-end luxury electric SUV into an even more serious competitor, increasing its power and range without increasing the price too much. In terms of styling, you won't notice the big difference between a 2025IX car and a 2026 car.
On the outside, you're going to find a slightly remade front fascia with body-colored inlays (not black), redesigned headlights, different wheel designs that go up to 23 inches, and also an all-important light-up kidney grille that gets a different inlay pattern depending on your trim level. If you want something a little hard edge, the M-Sport exterior option ($4,500) BMW is also adding a trio of new paint colors to make the car look more aggressive with added vents and different body side molding. Sure, it's BMW's bold design, but there's no argument that it doesn't have a real presence, especially when it's behind you on the highway.
You'll find it hard to find many differences inside either. Few cars use more interesting shapes, colors, materials and overall design than IX .Depending on the specifications of IX, you can get everything from vegan materials and genuine leather to suede everywhere and crystal accents on switchgear. It's pretty nice In many ways. It feels like an interior from a concept car. You know you're off to a good start when you add to the fact that it's very spacious for five-person-sized passengers inside. My only real complaint with the IX interior is the door sound and door opening mechanism when you close them. It sounds desperately puny and cheap. I'm not sure exactly if this is the case, but if I have to guess, it's a combination of carbon fiber body structure and frameless windows that's a small price to pay, I think.
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The internal technology is also mostly inherited from the old car. Control system features a curved display that combines a 12.9-inch range and a 14.9-inch touchscreen in the center. Like any other BMW car, the iDrive 8.5 takes some time to get used to, but once you get the hang of it, it becomes very easy to use thanks to the crystal steering handle. If you don't want to mess up the screen at all, the car speech recognition system is very comprehensive and works well, and if you don't want to bother with the BMW interface at all, you can hook up Android Auto with wireless Apple CarPlay that will project the map right into your gauge cluster. The head-up display (optional on the xDrive45 and XDrive60) is also the best in the industry.
When it comes to driver assistance, IX picks up what many other BMW have: the Driving Assistant Plus.Despite the fact that BMW weighs about 5,600 pounds, it can sprint from 4.9 mph in an incredibly tolerable 0 to 60 seconds, and if you take it easily you can get a range of up to 312 miles. With such numbers, it's not surprising to know that BMW expects this to be the best-selling IX. As standard for the XDrive45, you get all sorts of gorgeous details: 20-inch wheels, heated steering wheel, heated front seats, all sorts of active safety features and BMW's gimmick (but fun) iconic sound system. You also get a Harman/Kardon sound system and a wireless phone charger.
If you want more juice and a longer range, you can bump into the middle kid XDrive89 at the starting price of $89,675. With a handful of options, the car I drove came in at $110,975. Here you get 536 horsepower (20 horsepower bumps) and 564lb-ft of torque, but with a larger 113kWh battery, you actually get more range. BMW says the XDrive60 can go up to 364 miles on a single charge. Obviously, with a full effect of 4.4 seconds for 0-60 hours, you will lose some range, but don't worry. BMW says it can charge DC fast at up to 195kW, which will be between 35% and 10% in 80 minutes. When you jump to the XDrive60, you get everything from the 45plus panoramic roof, 4-zone climate control and LED cornering lights to all the extra power and range you can move along.
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I hear you are all about speed. Hot, nasty, badass speed. Well, BMW made the IX just for you, and it's called the M70, and let me say: It's a beast. The power from the 2 motors will be boosted to 650 hp and 811lb-ft of torque, and I wouldn't be surprised for a moment if it was making even more power than that. It has brutal EV acceleration comparable to the best of them, moving this 5,850-pound monster from 0 to 60 in 3.6 seconds. Even if you're past 60, it keeps pulling and if you keep your feet on it, you'll hit a top speed of 155-mph. Not too shabby. Of course, with this added power and the same battery as the XDrive60, the range drops to just 303 miles, the lower limit of where you really want to see an EV starting at just $112,675.
As with the battery, the charging speed is the same between the M70 and XDrive60. With the M1 that came in at $122,675 as tested on the 70, you are given access to everything from the car under it, plus even bigger wheels, Aasa You also have a more sporty design outside, so that everyone knows you paid for the Big Daddy IX. Get a bunch of online clues. Regardless of trim level, the BMW IX is a perfect example of what a luxury driving experience is like. Even with the M70's 23-inch wheels, it was a wonderfully enjoyable experience behind the wheel. That's enough exercise for something this huge — it can turn a corner with too many body rolls and you're out and Hans Zimmer's sound from XDrive45 to M70, the IX never felt unwieldy on the narrow roads of the Hudson Valley.
It is an ultra-balanced car with a weight distribution of almost 50/50 regardless of trim level. But it is not perfect. The feel of the steering is almost non-existent, as you might have expected. To be fair, though, you probably didn't buy the IX because of the feel of the steering. This 1 drawback is composed by the fact that it is very maneuverable thanks to the standard rear wheel steering system. The real highlight for me is how well the suspension is adjusted, regardless of the trim. Even on a very rough northeast pavement, the IX did a great job of making me think it was on a smooth piece of the newly laid blacktop. BMW is not alone in this, but it has a real habit of making its m-adjacent cars bone-crushing on rough pavement. Even if it took the designers a bit of driving power,
I'm glad they escaped IX from this fate. IX is a seriously awesome little cocoon when you're down the highway. With the driving assistant plus active (and looking at you like a hawk), it's easy to bite the hell out of a lot of miles in the very comfortable seat of the car. The BMW engineers did a really great job of keeping the outside, well, out. If you weren't a fan of BMW IX before, its slightly tweaked looks aren't really going to move the needle for you. But without delving into the look, one can't deny that as a car it's very good at what it does. If you're a fan of state-of-the-art technology, high efficiency and a nice driving experience, you should be able to see past the IX look. I'm sorry if you can't do that, but you're seriously missing a good car. IX has mastered what a luxury EV should be, and it may not be anyone's tea, but anyone who knows how good it is will appreciate it even more with these subtle updates.
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