The Drive Report : BMW iX1

The iX1 packs a 64.7 kWh battery that sits between its front and rear axle, both of which feature an electric motor that can provide 190 hp each.

Conventional wisdom suggests that market penetration of EVs will be higher in the luxury segment and it’s easy to see why when behind the wheel of a car like the BMW iX1. Just look at the figures: nearly 500 Nm of torque and more than twice the horsepower when compared to both the petrol and diesel variants of the ICE X1. What started off as a work-in-progress back in 2009 has in 2024 reached near-perfection, because the iX1 is the greatest iteration of the X1, thus far.

I had the opportunity to drive the new X1 a few months ago, and the improvements over the previous versions were immediately apparent. The 2024 car had a fantastic, ergonomic interior, the ride quality felt even more well calibrated and supple, and despite being down on power (the petrol version), felt more dynamic than before. The iX1 is not down on power, though. In fact, it’s a challenge to find any flaw in the intuitive, almost synaptic manner in which it delivers power to all four wheels.

Performance and handling

The iX1 packs a 64.7 kWh battery that sits between its front and rear axle, both of which feature an electric motor that can provide 190 hp each. With nearly 500 Nm of torque, this thing accelerates in a manner no stock X1 ever has. On the whole, the iX1 offers 309 bhp of power, as opposed to the 148 bhp offered by the petrol model. The claimed 0-100 kph figure is 5.9 seconds but in the real world the iX1 feels much quicker. Even the faintest trace of lag is obliterated as you press the throttle and find yourself instantly rewarded with a surge of linear speed. This is in “Efficiency” mode, mind you. Switch to “Sport” and there’s a noticeable uptick in acceleration. Press the “E-boost” paddle behind the left spoke and the graphics on the gauge cluster change, offering a 10-second window into warp-like performance. The iX1 is thrown forward, pushing you and everyone else in their seats in a surprising show of accelerative prowess. It goes without saying that the function does eat away at your range, which, under the best of conditions, is about 30 percent less than the claimed 417 km.

With a level of regen that’s not overzealous and is just enough for single-pedal driving in light traffic, the iX1 has an intuitive approach to city driving. Although you can change regen levels via the touchscreen, for the most part, BMW gives you adaptive regenerative braking, which, thanks to the car’s Level 2 ADAS capabilities, intuitively dials up the regen level when approaching an obstruction. You can’t calibrate the level of driving fatigue that it takes out of the equation. Not by reading about this adaptive regen feature. It has to be experienced over consistent, day-after-day driving. Then switch to a vehicle without it and you realise how transformative this technology is.

Enthusiasts might disagree but there’s something about the sheer hassle-free and ready nature of this EV’s acceleration that you can get used to very quickly. No, it doesn’t ask much in terms of driver engagement and that—as those accustomed to the rigours of modern-day city traffic will tell you—is the point. There’s no lag, no turbo spooling,  no constant pursuit of the meat of the powerband —there’s just instant, press-and-go power and an unhesitating but manageable momentum at the tap of the throttle. It’s the sort of performance that is perfectly reflective of our age of instant gratification. And there’s no going back.

Another benefit is the way the suspension on the iX1 is set up. The ICE X1, to deliver on that trademark BMW driving dynamism, has a slightly stiff suspension set-up that goes against the tenets of compact, family SUVs. That’s not the case with the iX1. Given its already low centre of gravity, it corners reasonably sharply without wallowing about, and it does absorb the bumps a lot better than the X1 particularly at low speeds.

Design

Save for the closed-off kidney grilles, which bring down the drag coefficient to 0.26, this looks identical to the current-gen X1. The same sharp angles, the slightly oversized grille, the not-quite-proportionate-yet-captivating flow of lines—the iX1 has it all. Even on the inside, you’re treated to the same curved screen display, with multiple visual modes. But while benefiting from the same offerings as the ICE models in terms of top-shelf materials and impeccable build quality, to name but a two, the iX1 also has the same drawbacks as its fossil-fuel siblings. Every single function has to be performed/accessed via the touchscreen including temperature control and a laundry list of other functions that include but aren’t limited to massage settings and fan speed. And in a heat wave, the automatic mode of the aircon is either too eager to please or not so at all. It never seems perfectly calibrated.

Any other drawbacks?

Only the lack of room for the standard space saver tyre that gets its own little cavity in the ICE X1.  This is an ICE car that’s been converted into an EV. Thanks to a rear-axle mounted motor and accompanying electronics. The iX1 also doesn’t utilise the freed-up space in the bonnet but then, few ICE-to-EV conversions do.

Verdict

Much has been said about the long-term viability of EVs in the realm of private transport, and much needs to be uncovered still. But vehicles like the iX1 demonstrate perfectly the virtues, thrills and unmatched convenience of an EV. That’s because it has a direct ICE counterpart that it surpasses on every possible metric. At nearly Rs 67 lakh, the iX1 is nearly Rs 20 lakh more than the petrol and Rs 14.5 lakh over the best-selling diesel X1, the iX1 makes it relatively easy to recover the initial purchasing costs. Especially when you take into account the low maintenance costs, thanks to a sealed, airtight motor, practically impervious to dust. While that may seem like a considerable premium, the iX1’s performance puts it in a very different league. One of the finest EVs in the market, it can hold its own against more expensive EV models in the market. There is a reason the iX1 was sold out within minutes of its launch in the last financial year. Because when you add up everything it offers, it is, without a doubt, the greatest version of the X1 ever made.