THE ULTIMATE X-FACTOR(some text hidden)

By Jonathan Crouch

Ten Second Review word count: 54

BMW now has a full-electric flagship model of fitting stature in its 'i' range of designs, this car, the iX. It's a large luxury SUV aimed directly at the Audi e-tron and the Mercedes EQC and it showcases everything the company knows about Zero Emissions motoring. As it turns out, that's quite a lot.

Background word count: 204

BMW's all-electric model line-up, for years solely carried by the little i3, is now taking shape. We've already been introduced to the i4 sports saloon and the iX3 mid-sized SUV. And beyond that, there's this car, the iX, a large luxury SUV which the Munich maker hopes will move the game on from the standards already set in this segment by direct rivals like the Audi e-tron and the Mercedes EQC. The company claims the iX to represent the pinnacle of its electrification strategy. It's certainly the brand's first 4WD EV, it uses the fifth generation of the Bavarian maker's e-motor and battery technology and the carbonfibre-rich structure is more innovative than anything we've seen from the company since the i3. But there's still plenty of conventional design from combustion models in the 'CLAR'-influenced platform. And there's no sign here of the advanced 800-volt fast-charging infrastructure that you'll find on top VW Group EVs. Despite all that, you'll certainly feel that you've got the market's most advanced luxury EV if you own one of these - when you look at it in your driveway or slip inside the futuristic cabin. But does it - will it - work as an ownership proposition? We'll see.

Driving Experience word count: 306

There's a choice of three iX variants, all using the same twin-motor four wheel drive configuration. Things kick off with the iX xDrive40, which has 326hp, a 71kWh-plus battery pack with a 257 mile range and, when driven less frugally, a rest to 62mph time of just 6.1s on the way to 124mph. The alternative iX xDrive50 flagship model has 523hp, a 105.2kWh battery pack with a range of up to 380 miles and can get to 62mph in 4.7s en route to the same top speed. The summit of the iX range is marked by the M60 version, which uses the same bigger battery as the '50'-series model but mates it with an even more powerful 619hp electric motor total output, delivered with up to 1,100Nm of torque. The range reading - 357 miles - is still acceptable and 62mph flashes by in just 3.8s on the way to an electronically limited maximum of 155mph. BMW wants to set a fresh handling standard for large luxury EV Crossovers in this class, so great efforts have been made to trim weight from the aluminium-intensive chassis, which features double wishbone (front) and multi-link (rear) suspension and can offer active rear wheel steering. On the move, there are 'High', 'Moderate' or 'Low' Brake Energy Regeneration settings. Plus activating driving position B with the selector lever generates so much off-throttle retardation that you'll virtually never have to use the brake pedal except when coming to a standstill. Using the alternative 'Adaptive' regen setting, the iX can also manage its own levels of brake recuperate to charge its battery on the move. When approaching a junction for example, the degree of recuperation will be increased. On the open road meanwhile, the coasting function sees the car 'freewheeling' with no drive power whenever the driver takes their foot off the accelerator.