BMW iX50 First Drive Review

BMW’s flagship electric SUV is back in India, but now with an increased range and faster charging capacity, in addition to the big presence and a claimed supercar-like 0-100kmph time. Appearance-wise, nothing much has changed from the iX40. You get the EV version of BMW’s signature kidney grille while the wheels are massive 22-inch units with a very fancy-looking star pattern that gives the car a futuristic appearance.

Finally, at the back, you get the BMW signature wrap-around tail lamps but in a slim avatar and, of course, as full LEDs. The badging is minimal but given the car’s size, you are never going to doubt what vehicle you are looking at. While some of the earlier BMW electric models had elements of its ICE legacy mixed with electric elements, this one is all-electric and gives us a nice insight into what to expect in BMW’s future electric division.

As is the case with any new BMW, especially one that’s a new generation and a new class of vehicles, it’s a veritable tech fest. What’s more, this tech fest is wrapped up in a new philosophy of minimalism that looks amazing, but it hasn’t translated particularly well in a few quarters – especially when it comes to man and machine interaction.

Let’s start with what works and that’s the overall appearance. It’s almost what people would have imagined future cars to be like — with fewer interface elements to cover all the functions of the cabin. The seats, dashboard, or, for that matter, all the touch surfaces have been trimmed out in high-quality materials, all made from recycled items as has become the norm and fashion, especially for luxury manufacturers. Everything looks and feels nice to touch and has an air of futurism to it. We, at some point, imagined that the future would be all about bland colours and sterile surfaces but BMW’s approach paints quite a nice picture. Space is not an issue for any of the four occupants as you get more than enough headroom, legroom, and shoulder room. The floor, despite having a massive battery pack underneath, is not high and you have a decent level of under-thigh support.

In past BMW layouts, most of the functions would have had buttons of some type. Now they have been