2024 BMW iX1 review, road test - the small BMW SUV to get?

Tuhin Guha Published: March 06, 2024, 12:40 PM IST

By keeping things simple, BMW seems to have found a way to make this entire shift towards EVs work for itself. Most of its EVs share quite a bit with their ICE counterparts but are also fairly effective in bringing you all that you want from this new fuel type. The company is the largest seller of luxury EVs in India probably because of this. The BMW iX1 follows in this vein but holds more potential with its approachable pricing. It also seems to round off some of what we found missing with the X1, so could this be the small BMW SUV to get?

2024 BMW iX1 styling, boot space

Following the theme of not jarring you into this new form of mobility, you'll be hard-pressed to tell the BMW iX1 apart from the regular X1. Looks closer and the giveaways are the blanked-out grille, which in this M Sport version still mimics that of an ICE BMW, and the blue outline for the BMW badges.

So like with the X1, this EV too carries a good deal of presence with its upright stance and expressive face. But you do notice the 13mm reduction in ground clearance in the way the SUV feels a touch more hunkered down.

This effect seems to go well with the simple but crisp bodywork. At the rear, the 3D detailing of the lights is still quite eye-catching, and like the front, the contrasting black surfaces seem to cut down the IX1's mass to good effect.

So it's an electric SUV that manages to exude a degree of sportiness, helped by the quite traditional M Sport alloys. Yes, the reduced ground clearance means you will have to be careful over the largest speed breakers and the spare wheel is now just packed into the 490l boot, eating into space.

2024 BMW iX1 interiors, space, practicality

As with the outside, there's little to tell the BMW iX1 apart from the X1. Aside from the blue badges and the small B mode for the gear selector.

So you still get one of the better-executed cabin experiences at this price point. The asymmetric shape of the dash makes for a fresh feeling, although as we noted with the X1, the vent placement may hinder rear cooling. But here, in this electric version, the light and open feel in the cabin feels more natural. The light beige upholstery here has something to do with this but the open centre console design has a role too.

This car was always meant to have an EV version, so the two-layered look here fits in naturally. The touch-heavy interface leaves a few buttons here but as we noticed earlier, there is a lot of space for storage but not much of it is secured. The closed compartment in the top half is also not deep enough to hold large items. But look past this, and there's quite a bit of practicality. The vertical wireless charger has been done quite thoughtfully, it keeps your phone in sight and held in place by a clip. There's a good smattering of charge ports and deep storage pockets in the doors.

But really, the highlight continues to be the quality of materials and finish in the cabin. The soft surfaces feel softer than usual for this segment and most of the metallic surfaces have unique textures to set them apart, like the dotted feel on the dah, the grating on the speaker covers and the chamfering on the gear selector. The few switches that are there also feel tactile.

The tech set-up is also shared with the ICE X1. Yes, the 10.25-inch driver's display sees some change with EV-specific information but this is presented quite neatly. Again, the idea seems to be to ease you into electric mobility naturally. This screen is easy to navigate and customisable to a reasonable extent.

The 10.7-inch touchscreen continues with its touch-heavy interface. Most of the bugs from earlier seem to have been fixed. So while it does take a while to get used to some functions like the climate control and drive modes, it's not as difficult as some other such systems. The wireless Android Auto/Apple Carplay also works more seamlessly now.

BMW has also done well to not compromise rear seat comfort all that much with this shift to electric. Yes, the floor is slightly higher but this only marginally compromises thigh support in relation to the ICE version. So the iX1 continues to offer one of the better backseat experiences at this price point. There's a spacious feeling here, the windows and the especially large quarter glass play a part in this. The seats again have dense but comfortable cushioning that holds you in place well, the backrest also reclines in good increments. Outright leg and headroom are also adequate for most adults. You don't get a flat floor, but an occasional third passenger won't be much problem given the way the seat is contoured. But we wish there was a better arrangement to put your phone in the centre console.

2024 BMW iX1 features, safety

The BMW iX1 gets the same features as the regular X1. So you have massaging front seats, a panoramic sunroof, 12-speaker Harman Kardon audio, leather upholstery, ambient lighting and connected features.

There's a good deal of safety equipment too. You have emergency braking and lane departure warning as well as a brake-based differential locking function and hill-descent control. There's also an active park feature but we would have also liked blind-spot monitoring and 360-degree cameras.

2024 BMW iX1 battery, real-world range and charging

The iX1 is powered by a 66.4 kWh lithium-ion battery pack with 64.7 kWh being usable. The WLTP range is up to 440 km, and in our real-world testing, we found that it gets quite close to this figure. We managed 431 km in the real world.

One of the factors helping this is that the iX1 seems to have quite an efficient regen program, being able to recuperate quite some energy in even the lowest mode. The Eco mode too is well-calibrated enough to be used as a default mode. A further advantage seems to be the high operating range, the iX1's efficiency doesn't plummet at highway speeds. The motor's sizeable outputs and the good 0.26 drag coefficient may be factors helping this.

Charging speeds are also reasonable, if not class-leading. The BMW will DC fast charge at up to 135 kW which needs 29 minutes to get from 10 to 80 percent. The 11kW AC charger takes 6.3 hours to fully top up the battery.

2024 BMW iX1 driving impressions, tested 0 to 100 kmph

You don't sit too high up in the iX1, but it's still enough for you to feel like you are in an SUV while still being connected to the car. This is a good thing since the iX1 has a surprising amount of engagement to offer you as a driver, given that it's an electric SUV.

Much of this is down to the fact that it puts out 313PS and 494 Nm, this is via an AWD setup through a motor on each axle. This immediately seems to correct some of the misses we felt with the diesel FWD iX1.

Our tested 0 to 100 kmph time of 5.3s will have this SUV leave quite some serious performance cars for dead. But what's equally effective is the way it keeps building speeds, its rolling acceleration times are some of the quickest we've seen at this price point. The boost mode is also more effective here than in the ICE version. It gives you the full stock of performance in 10s bursts that amp up excitement.

But the great thing is that all this performance never feels unmanageable. The Eco mode is enough to keep the iX1 perky in traffic as well as on the highway. In the other modes, the drivetrain does start to feel less shackled but it must be said that power always comes in a linear swell that's never jarring. Also unlike many EVs, the iX1 continues to pull right up to triple-digit speeds, which makes for easier driving.

In more mundane city driving, the B one-pedal mode is great once you get used to it. The iX1 will come to a complete halt in this mode but it's best used in flowing traffic, gridlocked Mumbai traffic can take a toll on efficiency since you can't creep in this mode.

We only wish BMW had kept the sound effects we saw in the i4, the silence is probably the only real aspect that takes away some of the excitement. We also like that the regen modes are well-judged, especially since switching between them is a pain. Level 2 is quite close to the engine braking effect you find in an ICE car.

But a great complement to the iX1's performance is its ride and handling charter. Unlike many EVs, BMW has managed to retain a good balance of comfort and control in the iX1 suspension. Yes, it's a touch firm over broken roads, but no more so than the regular X1. So you have a soft edge to the ride which then turns into a solid, plaint feel as speeds rise.

But this compliance doesn't come at the cost of sharp handling. Yes, that fluid, balanced feel from a rear-drive BMW isn't quite there but the iX1 still feels cohesive and communicative around bends. Like a good BMW, you can push this car to its limits easily but this doesn't come with unpredictability. This is quite unlike the diesel X1 which runs out of grip around bends when pushed harder than usual.

The EV architecture also means that there's not a lot of roll although around tight bends the iX1's weight does catch up with it. This good experience is complemented by quite direct steering. So this isn't too cumbersome in traffic but is also well attuned to the rest of the driving dynamics. The braking too feels linear and natural.

2024 BMW iX1 price, verdict

Priced at Rs 70.70 lakh, on-road Mumbai, you pay about Rs 7 lakh more for the BMW iX1 over the diesel X1. We think this makes it a great pick if you are looking for the added performance and handling chops, the usual EV positives aside.

You don't have the immense range of the diesel X1, but the iX1 is arguably more engaging to drive without sacrificing on comfort. You also don't lose out on practicality or equipment.