2026 BMW iX Reviews, Pricing & Specs

The 2026 BMW iX lineup includes the xDrive45, xDrive60, and M70 xDrive. Prices range from $93,592 to $140,310, including BMW Canada’s $2,555 destination charge, additional fees and, on the latter, the estimated federal luxury tax on the portion of the price above $100,000. All three model designations are new for 2026.

The iX xDrive45 is the entry-level model and costs about $8,000 more than last year’s xDrive40. The mid-level model is the iX xDrive60, which replaces the xDrive50 and adds 20 more horsepower and up to 65 additional kilometres of range. At the top of the lineup is the iX M70 xDrive, which replaces the former M60 while gaining 40 hp and up to 38 km of range.

Glance at the 2026 BMW iX and you might wonder what has changed. The controversial interpretation of BMW’s twin-kidney grille remains so, but it’s now equipped with a new pattern. Updated headlights, restyled lower portions of the front and rear bumpers, and revised wheel designs round out the (very subtle) styling changes. The more affordable versions of the iX are also available with the M Sport Package, and BMW offers five new paint colours including Arctic Race Blue, Dune Grey, Carbon Black, BMW Individual Frozen Pure Grey, and Tanzanite Blue. A BMW Individual Exterior Line in Titanium Bronze is another new option.

Our test vehicle arrived in the xDrive45 spec. Featuring the new Dune Grey paint colour, it was loaded with equipment, including 22-inch wheels, a panoramic sunroof, and multiple option packages. In Canada, options include the M Sport and M Sport Pro packages, Advanced Driver Assistance package, Dynamic Handling package, Premium Essential package, and Premium Enhanced package.

From a styling standpoint, people either love or hate the BMW iX. Regardless of which camp you find yourself in, there’s no denying its design is what helps it to stand out and make a statement. Fortunately, once you open one of the doors and get inside, the iX is broadly agreeable in its layout and materials.

Our test vehicle’s M Sport package dressed the interior with dark silver trim, M pedals, an M steering wheel, and high-gloss black trim. Though fabric was the dominant material, the cabin looked and felt high-quality, and the available Sky Lounge panoramic sunroof with electrochromic shading bathed occupants in natural light.

The doors sound loose and clunky when you close them instead of robust, although the Premium Enhanced Package’s soft-close doors eliminate that issue if you remember to use them. Also, people who rode with us after dark universally complained about the ambient lighting strips running along the tops of the door panels, saying the reflections on the window glass were distracting.

All iX models have a dual-motor, all-wheel-drive (AWD) powertrain. In our iX xDrive45 test car, the two electric motors deliver 402 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque with a maximum driving range of 502 kilometres. Our test vehicle’s optional 22-inch wheels reduced the range to 449 kilometres. Depending on the model, the 2026 BMW iX provides a Natural Resources Canada-rated 449 to 586 kilometres of range, depending on powertrain choice and wheel selection. That’s a genuine improvement over the 322 to 521 kilometres of the 2025 iX lineup.

The battery has a net usable capacity of 100.1 kilowatt-hours, and charging speeds are reasonable considering its size. Recharge the iX at home using an 11-kilowatt Level 2 charger, and it can go from empty to full in 9.5 hours. In the xDrive45, DC fast charging can be done at 175 kW and takes 34 minutes to charge from 10-80%. The other iX models can fast charge at up to 195 kW.

All 2026 BMW iX models benefit from new silicon carbide semiconductors, optimized battery management systems, upgraded adaptive regenerative braking, and a standard heat pump that can now warm the battery more quickly in cold temperatures. The result is improved power output and better overall efficiency, including in cold weather. BMW also claims it has made subtle suspension and chassis modifications and has taken steps to reduce friction while driving to extend the battery range.

According to BMW, our test vehicle could accelerate to 100 km/h in roughly five seconds, and it sure felt quick, especially from a standstill. As speeds climbed, the iX xDrive45 felt less energetic. We used the Personal driving mode during evaluations (the other choices are Sport, Efficient, and Silent). Teenagers riding in the iX liked the digitally rendered sound as the BMW accelerated because it reminded them of a car from the video game Fortnite.

We started with a 55% battery charge and 255 kilometres of indicated range. After 117 kilometres of driving, the iX showed a 24% charge and 109 kilometres of indicated range, which suggests the BMW was less efficient than expected. However, we averaged 4.5 kilometres per kWh, or 22.2 kWh/100 kilometres. The official Natural Resources Canada rating with 22-inch wheels is 25.0 kWh/100 kilometres, so our result beat expectations. In city driving, we did even better, recording 5.0 km/kWh (19.9 kWh/100 km). That’s a significant improvement on the NRCan estimate of 24.6 kWh/100 km.

In urban and suburban driving, the iX feels rock-solid. Equipped with an adaptive air suspension as part of the Dynamic Handling Package, it responded stiffly to speed humps and bumps. The test vehicle’s optional rear-wheel steering and excellent surround-view cameras made it easy to park in close quarters.

On the open road, the iX is remarkably quiet, mostly free of road, wind, and (of course) powertrain noise. It effortlessly soaks up the klicks, but on some bridge transitions it can suffer from a choppy ride. We ran the iX across a mountain road to assess its ride and handling qualities. We did not use Sport mode because it disengages the stability control system, but it didn’t seem to matter because as equipped, our iX xDrive45 turned in a remarkable performance.

In typical driving situations, the somewhat stiff suspension effectively eliminates unwanted body motion and body roll on a mountain road. The steering is sharp and responsive, grip is outstanding, and the brakes are impervious to fade. Though the xDrive45 is the least powerful version of the iX, that matters little on a curvy ribbon of road, and this entry-level model was more than quick enough.

While extremely capable, the iX is also predictable. If you know a back road well, you know how the iX will behave in its twists and turns and over its lumps and bumps. Still, it isn’t as viscerally engaging to drive as a typical gas-powered BMW. There’s a layer that filters communication here, and while that’s disappointing to a driving enthusiast, most iX buyers won’t care one whit about it.

Like many electric vehicles, the BMW iX is roomier inside than you might expect. An airy interior design helps, but so do the comfortable, oversized seats. Heated front seats and a heated steering wheel are standard, while ventilated front seats, heated front armrests, and heated outboard rear seats are optional. Though they’re comfortable, the robust side bolsters can interfere with seatbelt access when buckling up.

A two-tiered floating centre console separates the front seats. The upper level includes the gear selector, infotainment system controls, and a storage bin underneath the centre armrest. The lower level has a wireless smartphone charger, USB ports, and cupholders. Items on the lower level are awkwardly located and hard to access.

The back seat feels mounted too low relative to the side windows, but it’s otherwise comfortable. Generous headroom, legroom, and footroom, combined with supportive lower cushions, ensure passenger comfort underneath the panoramic roof. However, sit back there for a while and you might adopt a splay-legged position.

Open the clamshell liftgate, and you’ll find a nicely finished and practical cargo area measuring 1,005 litres. A storage well under the floor accommodates the portable charging cord and any items you’d prefer remain hidden, and there are hooks for grocery bags. A front trunk (frunk) is unavailable.

The back seat folds down in a 40/20/40 split, so you can carry long items such as skis while still seating two rear-seat passengers. Fold the back seat down, and the maximum cargo space measures 2,205 litres.

The rectangular screen perched on the iX’s dashboard might lack modern wow factor, but we like the simple minimalism it represents. In our opinion, front passenger screens are overhyped, and the BMW Curved Display provides everything you need, including video streaming and in-car gaming via AirConsole (when the iX is parked).

When equipped with BMW Live Cockpit Professional, the iX features a head-up display and a cloud-based BMW Maps navigation system, both of which use Augmented View technology. Augmented View helpfully superimposes navigation directions on a camera view shown on the digital driver display or onto the road ahead via the head-up display.

With BMW Maps, long-distance route planning accounts for charging stops, and as you near one, it checks whether chargers are available and can re-route if they're busy. Before you arrive, the iX automatically preconditions its battery to accept maximum charging as soon as you plug in. The infotainment system is BMW iDrive 8.5 with QuickSelect. In addition to wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, it offers access to SiriusXM satellite radio and the BMW ConnectedDrive Store for entertainment, personalization, and driver assistance software upgrades. BMW ID technology saves personalized settings for different drivers in the My BMW App and can greet them upon entry as it loads their preferences.

The iX also features the BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant, but during the evaluation we received a few “no service connection” warnings on the centre display with a recommendation to use manual controls instead. This happened in a major suburb where you would think establishing a service connection would be easy.

Furthermore, when the technology was working, it suffered a couple of problems we’ve noticed in other BMWs. For example, in response to saying “I need to go to a hospital,” the “intelligent” assistant listed two medical facilities across a border before offering directions to a local hospital located just a few kilometres away. When we requested directions to an exact address, the assistant heard the query correctly as shown on the head-up display but then tried to send us to another location entirely. When we requested directions to a charging station, the navigation map showed ChargePoint chargers that were obviously installed at local residential homes.

As you might have guessed by now, we used the wireless smartphone mirroring technology almost exclusively, and Apple CarPlay performed nearly flawlessly as usual. Also, music streaming from Apple Music to the iX’s Harman Kardon audio system sounded great, though the optional Bowers & Wilkins Diamond Surround Sound system with 4D audio and 30 speakers is likely a sensational experience. Which is as it should be, considering its $4,900 price tag.

BMW equips every iX with Driving Assistant Plus, which includes forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, Steering Assistant (lane-centring assist), and a blind spot monitor that can actively try to prevent an unsafe lane change.

In addition to those features, our test car’s optional Advanced Driver Assistance package equipped the iX with evasive steering assist, lane-change assist, and Highway Assistant, a hands-free driving technology available at speeds up to 130 km/h. According to BMW, Highway Assistant is complimentary for the first eight years of iX ownership. The window sticker for our test vehicle noted that Highway Assistant was available for a “limited term,” but it did not appear to be active in our test vehicle.

Parking Assistant Plus is available with 360-degree view, panoramic view, and 3D view camera modes, a drive recorder, and an anti-theft recorder. You can also control a parking maneuver from outside the SUV using your smartphone with the Parking Assistant Professional feature included with the Premium Essential package. A Maneuver Assistant function can remember the path taken to enter a parking space and follow the same trajectory in reverse.

The standard Driving Assistant Plus collection of technologies worked well during our evaluation. In particular, the steering assist features feel natural to a driver, and when you need to override the automated inputs, it is seamless instead of a struggle. You never feel like you’re fighting with the technology. Instead, you're collaborating with it. Also, the steering wheel rim is touch-sensitive, so the system doesn’t constantly warn you to hold the wheel.

The pace of technological change is dizzying in the luxury EV space. What was revolutionary a few years ago is now common, and automakers who fail to keep up are left behind. For example, Audi quietly paused one of the BMW iX’s primary rivals, the Q8 e-tron, following a short run of 2025 models.

Other German competitors such as the soon-to-be-discontinued Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV and the new Porsche Cayenne Electric are significantly more expensive to start. The Mercedes offers a third-row seat that the BMW lacks, while the Porsche should offer a more exciting driving experience. Cadillac bookends the iX with two compelling alternatives: the Lyriq and the Vistiq. Both offer great looks, easy-to-use Super Cruise, competitive range, and compatibility with North American Charging Standard (NACS) chargers via an adapter.

If you’re willing to take a chance with a startup, the Lucid Gravity and the Rivian R1S are appealing alternatives to the BMW. Both offer impressive power, performance, range, and overall capability. Now old-school, the also soon-to-be-discontinued and aged Tesla Model X is more expensive than the BMW iX, but it comes with blistering acceleration.

Ultimately, the BMW iX is heavily reliant on its design and its relatively low base price to set it apart from this crowd. Since it isn’t a high-volume model, BMW can take risks with this SUV’s look and feel. It has crafted an electric vehicle with a bold and polarizing design inside and out. If you like it, you’ll probably be happy owning it. And if you’re wondering if upgrading to the iX xDrive60 or iX M70 is worth it, we’d say no. Spend that money on xDrive45 upgrades and hang onto the rest.