2026 BMW IX LOOKS BETTER, GOES FASTER AND DRIVES FURTHER ON A SINGLE CHARGE
The iX was always sort of a rolling lab for BMW. It signaled the carmaker's first true electric vehicle (EV) built on an EV-dedicated platform, and it spearheaded BMW's entire love-it-or-hate-it design language that has since trickled throughout its lineup. Interestingly enough, it was the iX's manufacturing approach that had BMW rethink how it will build EVs in the future, choosing, rather, to have them built on multi-energy architectures rather than EV-dedicated platforms. This has allowed BMW to sell the same car, but with the choice of either electric or gasoline propulsion. So the iX is the only EV of its kind at BMW.
But while it was always a little weird, the iX was also always a competitive EV, something I discovered myself after driving the high-performance M60 version back in 2022. In order to give it an infusion of fresh air, and to harmonize it better with BMW's latest models, the iX gets a thorough overhaul for the 2026 model year. It finally looks alright, and the technical upgrades allow it to become an even better EV.
2024 BMW IX: It Just Makes More Sense Than BMW's XM
Hear me out on this one... BMW might have nailed the electrified SUV the first time. When the XM is just too much, don't forget about BMW's own IX.
Improved Battery Efficiency And A Reshuffling Of The Available Trim Levels
Aside from the restyled front and rear fascias, new wheels, and paint colors, the iX gets a revamped trim hierarchy, new nomenclatures, and a third trim level. Past iXs in the U.S. were sold under the xDrive50 and M60 versions, but for 2026, BMW's midsize electric SUV can now be had as an xDrive45 ($75,150), xDrive60 ($88,500) and M70 xDrive ($111,500).
Powering all models is still a liquid-cooled, lithium-ion battery whose usable capacity changes according to the trim level chosen, but with "new cell technology", as well as an improved battery management system. BMW also prides itself on having engineered a more predictive heat pump function that predicts the battery's heat management more efficiently.
It goes further than that. Wasted heat from the electric motors can be redirected to heat up the cabin, as well as the traction battery. BMW also added a storage heating function that optimizes the pre-conditioning of the high-voltage battery for optimal DC fast-charging performance. The end result of all these improvements translates into more range, improved energy consumption during cold-weather driving, and better performance across the board.
The new M70 performance model also puts down insane numbers, like up to 811 pound-feet of torque when activating launch control, and a 0-60 time of 3.6 seconds. Not bad for a vehicle weighing 5,800 pounds.
Although the iX has evolved from a technical standpoint, it's still not equipped with a North American Charging Standard (NACS) charge port. So, while this vehicle is compatible with Tesla's Supercharger network of fast chargers, owners will need to rely on an adapter to make it happen.
2026 BMW iX Technical Specifications
| xDrive45 | xDrive60 | M70 | |
| Battery Type | Liquid-Cooled Lithium-Ion | Liquid-Cooled Lithium-Ion | Liquid-Cooled Lithium-Ion |
| Battery Capacity (Usable) | 100.1 kWh | 113.4 kWh | 112.8 kWh |
| Electric Motor Type | 2x Current Excited Synchronous | 2x Current Excited Synchronous | 2x Current Excited Synchronous |
| Horsepower (Combined) | 402 hp | 526 hp | 570-650 hp |
| Torque (Combined) | 516 lb-ft | 564 lb-ft | 749-811 lb-ft |
| Curb Weight | 5,567 lb | 5,692 lb | 5,849 lb |
| Range (Carmaker Estimate) | 312 mi | 340 mi | 302 mi |
| DC Fast Charging Rate | 175 kW (10-80% in 34 min.) | 195 kW (10-80% in 35 min.) | 195 kW (10-80% in 35 min.) |
| Onboard Charger | 11 kW (0-100% in 9:30 hours) | 11 kW (0-100% in 10:45 hours) | 11 kW (0-100% in 10:45 hours) |
| 0-60 mph | 4.9 Seconds | 4.4 Seconds | 3.6 Seconds |
| Towing Rating | 3,500 lbs | 3,500 lbs | 3,500 lbs |
The Interior Design Was Also Updated And It Looks Better
One area where the iX was always bizarre was in the way its interior was designed and decorated. The entire front leg space also felt like you were sitting inside a cargo van, and the dashboard was installed way high in the cockpit. That all seems to still be the case, but the materials used now appear considerably more mature and less like they were taken from a 1970s discotheque.
The quilted leather seats look fabulous, while the floating center console now includes the more conventional BMW buttons and knobs, including the iDrive knob dial that BMW said it would soon get rid of. The steering wheel was also redesigned to look sportier and, well, round and no longer square. It actually looks like the old wheels BMW used to fit inside its sports sedans.
Since the iX was the first model at BMW to essentially get a full tablet as a dashboard, the 2026 model continues in that direction. The screen itself still sits on the dashboard thanks to elegantly styled foot stands, while projecting the carmaker's latest iteration of its operating system, in this case version 8.5. Compatible with over-the-air (OTA) updates and active voice commands that use artificial intelligence to learn more about the driver's preferences, BMW's latest iDrive setup is relatively easy to comprehend and operate, but remains packed with technology and features, requiring some time to get used to.
In its press release, BMW says that production of the 2026 BMW iX will begin in March at its Dingolfing plant in Germany. The carmaker confirmed that deliveries are expected to begin in the second quarter of 2025. When the new iX arrives here, we'll try to get our hands on a press unit and will report back here with our full driving impressions.
2025-01-29T11:08:45Z