BMW iX5 Shines With Agile Handling and a Huge 528-Mile Range

Big, brawny and surprisingly light on its feet. That is the verdict on the new BMW iX5 from Auto Express deputy editor Richard Ingram, who has just driven the first all-electric X5. The magazine awarded it four out of five stars. Ingram found the SUV amazingly agile for something so heavy. One twist remains, however, and it lurks inside BMW’s own showroom.

Launch duties fall to the xDrive60. Two motors combine for 570bhp, catapulting the iX5 to 62mph in 4.6 seconds and on to a 130mph top speed. A colossal 141kWh battery delivers up to 528 miles of range in M Sport trim. Plug into an 800-volt charger capable of 460kW, and a 10 to 80 per cent top-up takes as little as 23 minutes.

Corners are where the iX5 really bares its claws. Ingram rated its handling as class-leading, with direct steering, excellent body control and a ride that stays composed on twisting roads. He ranked the adaptive suspension among the best he has ever tried. At 70 mph, the big BMW feels stable and refined, though it rides more firmly than a Volvo EX90. Some wind whistle around the door mirrors also creeps in.

Inside, the tech dazzles. The dashboard borrows heavily from the iX3, and the Panoramic Vision iDrive display stretches along the base of the windscreen, keeping key information in sight. Ingram called the technology first-rate and praised the soft, tactile materials. Not every gadget convinced him. The optional passenger screen felt distracting, the automatic doors proved unreliable, and the regenerative braking settings hide deep in the menus.

Practicality is strong too. The boot holds 650 litres with the seats up and 1,850 litres folded, a 53-litre frunk sits up front and the towing limit stands at 2,700kg. Families wanting seven seats must look elsewhere, though. Ingram’s biggest warning concerns the smaller iX3, which delivers much of the same experience in a more compact package. Try both, he says, because the gap between them has never been narrower.