BMW iX1 Review 2024

The new BMW iX1 is a fully electric SUV with a premium and practical interior as well as a very useable 272-mile range. We like how it looks while it's also great to drive - which puts it in good stead against rivals including the Mercedes EQA, Audi Q4 e-tron and Volvo XC40 Recharge.

There are two very different schools of thought about how electric cars should be sold. One tactic is to offer EVs as standalone models (e.g. the Nissan Leaf or Jaguar I-Pace), while the other is to simply sell EVs as electric versions of existing cars (such as the Volkswagen e-Up).

The old BMW i3 was very much in the former camp; an innovative electric car developed from day one to run on electricity. You can no longer buy a new BMW i3 - it's been replaced, indirectly, by this - the BMW iX1. As you might have guessed by its name, the iX1 takes a much more mainstream approach to the i3 - it's essentially the latest BMW X1, albeit with a battery and pair of electric motors rather than a fuel tank and petrol or diesel engine.

Let's start with the interior, which feels just as classy as you'd expect for a baby BMW. A highlight is the infotainment setup, which uses the same displays as the much pricier BMW iX, although it does without the rotary controller used in other models. We think that's a shame but, due to the iX1's smaller cabin (and thus, the infotainment's in easy reach), BMW reckons it's not warranted.

The BMW iX1 might be the smallest electric BMW you can buy, but it's actually quite a practical family SUV. Sure, the BMW iX3 might be a better option if you're planning to carry two young kids and a pair of pushchairs, but the iX1 feels more spacious inside than a Mercedes EQA.

Its boot is only marginally smaller than the regular BMW X1, while the positioning of the batteries under the floor also mean you sit fairly high up in the iX1 - a desirable feature too many SUV buyers.

Many will also appreciate that the BMW iX1 doesn't feel particularly weird inside, nor is it too peculiar to drive. If you're trading in your petrol or diesel car, it's not going to take a huge amount of getting used to. We've only driven a prototype example so far but can confirm, the thing that'll surprise most buyers is how rapid it is. Not quite as outrageously quick as the Volvo XC40 Recharge, perhaps, but it'll scamper forwards rather urgently - especially if you press the 'boost' button.

If you're new to electric vehicles, you're probably more concerned about how far the BMW iX1 will travel between charges. Officially it has a range of up to 272 miles, while a more affordable single-motor variant is expected to arrive in the near future.

While we'll miss the quirky i3, it's easy to see the business case for the new BMW iX1. The biggest minus point we can see is the price. It starts are more than £50,000 - which is substantially more than an equivalent petrol or diesel BMW X1. But, once you factor running cost savings into the equation, it starts to become a little easier to justify. And if you're willing to overlook the hefty price tag for a minute, we reckon the BMW iX1 could be one of the most desirable small electric SUVs on sale.

BMW makes some of the most enjoyable driver's cars on the market, but even it struggles to give a heavy, electric SUV a sense of fun. That's not necessarily a bad thing (the overly harsh Ford Mustang Mach-E is a prime example of what happens when a manufacturer tries to make an electric SUV sporty), but the petrol BMW X1 certainly feels lighter and more agile.

All models come with adaptive suspension, which means you can firm it up to suit your tastes. Our BMW iX1 M Sport test car was fitted with 20-inch alloy wheels which had a tendency to transfer every bump into the cabin - with that in mind, you might want to buy an iX1 with the smaller 19-inch alloys if you're looking for a comfortable family SUV.

The first BMW iX1 to go on sale in the UK is badged the 'xDrive30'. With an electric motor powering each axle, this four-wheel-drive iX1 has a combined 313PS and 494Nm of torque, taking it to 62mph in just 5.7 seconds and on to a top speed of 112mph.

Even by electric car standards, the iX1 feels pretty sharp off the line. It'll surge forward as soon as you floor the throttle, while there's even a 'boost' mode enabled via a paddle behind the steering wheel. This can provide even pacier performance for up to 10 seconds - a bit of a gimmick, perhaps, but time it right and it could come in handy for a speedy overtake.

While there's obviously no conventional engine noise, BMW has worked on a special soundtrack (with the help of composer Hans Zimmer). We think this sounds a bit naff, if we're brutally honest, but you can easily turn it off in the settings menu on the infotainment display. With that taken care of, the BMW iX1 is uber quiet, even at motorway speeds - you'll only notice the slightest hint of wind noise coming from around the door mirrors.

If you're not fussed about having the fastest BMW iX1 on the market, a single-motor two-wheel-drive variant is expected to follow sometime in the near future.

It's safe to assume the BMW iX1 is going to be a pretty safe family SUV, while there's lots of technology available to help you prevent an incident in the first place. It'll be able to keep in its lane on the motorway, for example, as well as a set distance from the vehicle ahead. BMW's Reversing Assistant is a pretty cool feature, too - it remembers the steering inputs for the last 50 metres and, at the touch of a button, can retrace them in reverse (helping you get out of a situation - a tight parking space, for example).

The BMW iX1 might be the smallest electric SUV the brand sells, but it's practical enough to use as a family car. The 490-litre boot is much bigger than the Mercedes EQA's and only 50 litres less than you get in the regular BMW X1.

There's space enough for three adults, at a push, while the outer seats are fitted with Isofix child seat mounting points. Unfortunately the seatbacks don't slide backwards and forwards like they do in the X1, although you can adjust the level of recline. They drop flat, too, providing a useful amount of space for lugging bulkier items.

The BMW iX1 feels spacious in the front with a floating centre console creating an 'open plan' kinda vibe. You get a pair of pretty big cupholders and some generously large door bins.

As you’d expect for a premium electric SUV with a £50,000 plus price tag, the BMW iX1 feels pretty plush inside. You might find some hard plastics low down in the cabin, but these should deflect kicks from dirty shoes well.

The BMW iX1 gets the brand’s latest infotainment setup, pairing a 10.7-inch touchscreen display with an impressive 10.25-inch digital driver display behind the steering wheel. It looks smart and is easy to use, although it doesn’t, unfortunately, come with a rotary controller like you get in the latest BMW 3 Series. That means you have to reach forward to scroll your way through menus or even adjust the temperature of the climate control - no, there aren’t separate buttons for this.

It’s not as much of a faff as it sounds and you can always resort to shouting ‘hey BMW’ to wake up the in-car personal assistant. This is actually one of the better voice-activated systems on the market. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard, too, so you can always just tell Siri to play your favourite Spotify playlist or use Google Maps for directions.

With prices starting from around £53,000 for the BMW iX1 xLine (and more than £56,000 for the M Sport), it's certainly not a cheap electric car. It's priced competitively against the Audi Q4 e-tron and Tesla Model Y, though, while we'd struggle to overlook the excellent Kia EV6 for this kind of money.

It's clear where your cash has gone, at least, with a quality interior and extensive list of standard equipment. It's more affordable than the bigger BMW iX3, too, and think of the cash you'll save in running costs...

When it comes to electric cars, it's all too easy to assume you need the biggest battery available as you want to travel as far as possible between charges. But we'd suggest doing some rough calculations to work out how much range you actually need - otherwise you're paying for (and carrying around) a big battery that you don't necessarily need.

With its 64.7kWh battery, the BMW iX1 is at the bigger end of the battery scale. It has a range of between 257 and 272 miles (depending on options), which is less than the 77kWh Audi Q4 e-tron but about the same as you'd get from a Volvo XC40 Recharge.

If you can find a rapid enough charger, the BMW iX1 can be topped up from 10 to 80 per cent in less than half an hour. A 7kW home wallbox is likely to be the most economical way of charging the BMW iX1 - expect this to take overnight, although BMW is yet to confirm exactly how long it'll take.

The BMW iX1 xLine comes with 18-inch alloy wheels and adaptive M suspension. Inside, the entry-level BMW iX1 comes with the brand’s sustainable Sensatec faux-leather trim, high-gloss black interior detailing and a 10.7-inch curved infotainment display along with a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster. The BMW iX1 xLine also comes with the brand’s Parking Assistant pack (including the reversing assistant, parking sensors and a reversing camera).

The BMW iX1 M Sport adds 19-inch double-spoke bi-colour alloy wheels, M roof rails, an M leather steering wheel and the Technology Pack (including comfort access, folding door mirrors, adaptive LED headlights, high-beam assist and wireless phone charging).

On top of these trim levels, you can also get a number of desirable option packs. These include the Technology Plus Pack (with comfort access, folding door mirrors, adaptive LED headlights, BMW Live Cockpit Professional and wireless charging) as well as the Comfort Pack (with heated steering wheel and electric memory seats) and M Sport Pro Pack (with 20-inch alloy wheels, Harmon Kardon sound system and high-gloss shadowline exterior trim).