BMW iX1 eDrive20L review

Only available with the M-Sport package, the iX1 eDrive20L (yes, that is the official badging) adds the requisite dose of elements that make it stand out in a parking lot full of “regular” X1’s. The mesh pattern in the faux kidney grille looks smart with the satin aluminum surround and the more aggressive front apron adds a butchness to it. Of course, most of it is for aesthetic purposes, but the iX1 LWB does get camera and radar-based ADAS Level-2 and these elements hide a lot of that hardware.

18in M alloy wheels, M projections on door opening, M steering wheel…you’ll have no dearth of bragging rights to your friends, inside or out. Its cabin is largely similar to the X1 but the seats feel even more luxurious with the sustainable veganza upholstery and the huge panoramic glassroof that spans almost the entire 9 sq.ft area of the roof. Up front, the floating centre console is indicative of its electric drivetrain and thoughtful touches like the upright wireless phone charger, concealed storage in the armrest, ergonomic cupholders and the inclusion of a digital key can make your life easier. Or for up to three other drivers besides you. You could use your NFC-enabled smartphone, BMW key card or the default key fob and it’s great to have all these choices.

Some notable omissions are seat ventilation, even though they are perforated and a front camera, both of which are shocking at this price. Especially for a car that is being made in India.

Sticking to Harman Kardon to provide in-car entertainment, the 12-speaker 205W audio system sounds well tuned, balanced and distortion free, even at maximum volume. It’s devoid of fancy DSP or sound modes, but it does have “enhanced” that is Harman Kardon for 3D surround (erstwhile Logic 7) and it helps in enlarging the soundstage by de-centering the vocals and it works well in making the cabin sound larger than it actually is. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is definitely a bonus but strangely in our test car, the connection automatically dropped every time we switched the car off. This meant reestablishing a Bluetooth connection before every drive and giving it access to us CarPlay. This could easily be fixed via an OTA update if it is indeed a bug.

What hasn’t been fixed, surprisingly, is the mapping of the steering mounted controls for media. The scroll wheel, which intuitively would be used to turn volume up/down has been assigned the track change or option select functions while volume changes require countless +/- presses of the buttons right above it. Why can’t BMW allow users to map these to their liking? Similarly, while the graphic quality on the twin 10.something screens is very high, the information isn’t always presented in a logical fashion and certainly has a learning curve.

Perhaps the biggest change in the LWB version of the iX1, yes even bigger than the wheelbase itself, is the change in powertrain. Down from a dual motor AWD set-up to a single motor Front-wheel drive configuration, what the iX1 LWB loses in power, it gains in range. 204hp/250Nm are still strong numbers for a compact SUV and while BMW officially claims a range of 531km (MIDC) from its 66.4kWh battery pack, after a week of home-to-office commute (52kms round trip everyday), the iX1 LWB still had 52% left in its cells!

BMW is kind enough to offer a complimentary 11kW home charger for buyers and it should get it juiced in under 7 hours. If you’re out and about planning a quick dash up the Rann of Kutch, it will also support up to 130kW fast charging, although to track this unicorn of a charger, you will have to call upon the expertise of the BMW Charging Concierge. A thoughtful service that will plan your trip, activate charging and even pay for it, all remotely on your behalf.

Off the line, the iX1 LWB is quick. Not “eyes back in the sockets” quick but that’s just fine for the kind of car it is. BMW hasn’t bothered giving paddles to control brake regen levels on the fly either. Instead, you get the Drive Modes labelled as “moods” like Sport, Relax, Digital Art etc. There’s no air suspension on offer, but the ride on the 18in wheels is quite impressive, striking a good balance between absorption and firmness, depending on vehicle speed and severity of the blemish.

Handling is predictable and of course, not as sharp as a 330Li or even a 2 Series Gran Coupe, but it’s quick and that’s fun enough in the city or open highways. There is no wheelspin even when you put your foot down for a 0-100 sprint and virtually no signs of torque steer, which is impressive given that this is a front-wheel drive BMW. Ground clearance was never an issue despite the longer wheelbase and the rear-seat comfort on account of it has clearly improved significantly. The seat cushion itself is a bit too firm, but the legroom and kneeroom leave nothing to be desired.

But above all else, it’s the serene and quiet experience of driving this EV that stands out more than anything else. Just brisk progress without any of the drama, if you like that sort of thing and the more I drive EVs, the more i’m becoming a fan. Set-up the adaptive regen levels within the BMW OS9 system right and you won’t have any head nod when you lift off the throttle, or alternatively, switch the drive selector to B and you can have single pedal driving in stop-go traffic.

Without the sticker shock usually associated with luxury EVs, the BMW iX1 LWB carves an instant niche for itself as a value-for-money proposition in this segment. Sure, it does miss out on a couple of essentials like a front camera and seat ventilation, but it makes up for it with the generous range, a high quality cabin and a spacious second row. Perfect for those chauffeured daily commutes.