New BMW iX4 arrives with gift of a hot M60 xDrive version for its iX3 sibling
The inevitable coupe SUV version of the BMW iX3 has arrived but the iX4 has come bearing M Performance gifts
BMW’s iX3 electric SUV family has grown. Not only are buyers set to be confronted by a sleeker iX4 coupe SUV variant, new M60 xDrive flagship versions of both models are also out of the traps.
The iX4 range is on sale now. Priced at a hefty £4,500 premium over the equivalent iX3, it’s just over £60,000 for the base 40 xDrive model. Prices for the M60 variants are yet to be confirmed.
We’ll start with the new BMW iX4, effectively an additional bodystyle for the iX3 that will roll off the same production line in Debrecen, Hungary. Leaving the keyboard warriors to debate the merits of applying the often jarring ‘coupe SUV’ formula to a Neue Klasse BMW model that hasn’t gained unanimous praise for its aesthetics thus far, we can say that the two models are identical back to their B-pillars. There, the roofline of the iX4 takes a downward turn mirroring what we’ve previously seen in cars like the BMW X4 and X6, which the German brand likes to label its ‘Sports Activity Coupes’.
The iX4 cabin is lifted wholesale from the iX3 with the same domineering 17.9-inch touchscreen display and the supplementary Panoramic iDrive driver’s display running in a continuous band along the base of the windscreen. The awkward steering wheel that could have been the victim of an axe attack is carried over, too.
Behind the front seats the impact of the swooping roofline is felt. BMW claims that its cell-to-pack battery design has allowed designers to keep any rear seat headroom reduction to a minimum. We’ll have to judge that later, but there’s no doubting the 30-litre drop in boot space to 490 litres or the 150-litre drop to 1600 litres with the seats down.
There are no rear-wheel drive variants being offered in the BMW iX4 so the 40 xDrive opens the range. Two motors and a 87kWh battery deliver 369bhp and 520Nm with a 0-62mph time of 5.6secs. The combined WLTP range of 396 miles can be replenished by 300kW charging so you could get 187 miles in 10 minutes if you were lucky enough to find a suitable charger.
The iX4 50 xDrive gets the 113kWh battery but the associated weight penalty means it’s not a lot quicker. 0-62mph takes 4.9sec in this 462bhp model with 645Nm but the range jumps to 514 miles and there’s 400kW charging potential.
BMW iX4 and iX3 M60 xDrive
Finally, the new flagship. The M60 versions of the iX4 and the iX3 get the new M Performance powertrain. That means the 113kWh battery but an increase to 604bhp and a stonking 875Nm of torque. It’s enough for 0-62mph in 3.9sec in both bodystyles with a 149mph top speed. Official range numbers drop to 460 miles in the iX3 and 483 miles in the more aerodynamic iX4.
The full-blown iX3 M and iX4 M are expected to be along shortly, potentially borrowing the formidable 1,000bhp+ quad-motor powertrain and chassis modifications from the new electric M3. For now, the M60s fill the void with the usual M extras and upgrades. There are bespoke spring and damper settings for the M suspension, upgraded M Sport brakes and variable ratio steering. An M-differential helps the rear electric motor get its power to the road.
In terms of design upgrades, M badges on the doors, aero mirror caps and a subtle roof spoiler feature as well as the M60 badge on the back. Meanwhile, the cabin benefits from M Sport seats and an M Sport version of the standard steering wheel that follows the same unusual basic design but adds a 12-o-clock marker and buttons to select the M Sport and M Sport Plus modes.
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