BMW iX5 Silences the Petrol X5 with Effortless Electric Calm

BMW has never flinched on electrification, and the 2027 BMW iX5 is proof. It is the first fully electric take on the brand’s big family SUV, and it lands with a cheeky claim. After back-to-back runs against the petrol X5, the battery car came out ahead. That is not just down to raw pace. The iX5 feels calmer, smoother and far more convincingly luxurious than you might expect.

Under the skin sits a 144kWh battery feeding two motors, with drive to all four wheels. Output is a hefty 570 horsepower and 593 pound-feet of torque. The sprint to 60mph takes 4.4 seconds, which makes this the swiftest X5 outside the M division. Rapid charging peaks at 460kW, so a 10 to 80 per cent top-up should take around 20 to 24 minutes. BMW is promising more than 450 miles on a full charge, although official figures have yet to be published.

Despite those numbers, the delivery is gentle rather than savage. The shove is instant, yet it arrives with the hush of a limousine pulling away from a hotel. Then there is the bulk. The iX5 weighs just over three tonnes, yet it hides that mass beautifully. It turns in keenly, finds plenty of grip and feels much lighter than the scales claim. The ride is softer than in the outgoing X5, and even Sport mode never pretends to be an M car. A faint electric whine adds a dash of character. The brake pedal is the one real flaw. It demands a firm push, and then the full weight seems to arrive at once. Slowing from 50mph for a red light can feel rather abrupt.

The cabin has been reimagined from scratch. A compact single-spoke steering wheel carries a crowd of touch-sensitive controls, and it feels too small for a vehicle this size. A 17.9-inch central screen runs nearly everything, with no physical switches for climate or drive modes. Even simple tweaks can mean a trek through menus. The optional passenger display feels like a gimmick, despite a neat privacy trick that blanks it when the driver glances over. Panoramic iDrive, the slim display along the base of the windscreen, is the real hero. The new voice assistant fumbled basic navigation requests, though, and the maps once steered the car towards private driveways. Material quality is where the iX5 shines. Alcantara, crisp stitching and the Slate package look wonderful, and the heated, ventilated, massaging seats make long journeys a joy.

Styling is more divisive. The optional X-shaped headlights and wing-style door handles look slick, yet they sit awkwardly on this body and are fiddlier than a traditional handle. The optional powered doors sometimes needed a second tug before they opened. The split tailgate has vanished too, a change BMW puts down to customer feedback. Even so, the iX5 feels like the finished article. It is the quicker, quieter and more refined choice, and the true flagship of the X5 range. Sort out the software irritations, and BMW might even win over those who still dislike the looks.