This is the best IX review I've seen and I've seen a lot. It is indeed incomprehensible how a ground-up BEV measuring 4.95m could have a boot like a 3 series touring. I also found the seats uncomfortable after my Volvo. And the ix 40 has 71 kw usable battery, smaller than a Tesla Y costing half as much...

I think this is brilliant. Purposefully punish SUV buyers with the most horrendous product possible in order to drive people back to more space and energy efficienct body styles. Well played BMW, well played...

It's a regression. The i3 is one of the best pieces of structural engineering I've seen, making full use of what you can do with an EV. Front-seat space is on par with a 5-series, and you can still fit adults in both rows with the seats moved halfway - despite being BMW's smallest modern car. It has a frunk, which many larger EVs (including this one!) lack. It's by far the lightest >100bhp EV - yet the current version can just about crack 200 miles on a good day. Similar weight to a Mini Cooper 5-door, despite being a bigger car with an electric powertrain. Wheels pushed as far as possible to the edges of the body, tiny turning circle. It doubles up the refrigerant for the powertrain cooling and climate control. It's by far the cheapest car with a carbon fibre chassis on sale. No B-pillars, frameless windows, and the most emphasis on sustainability of any mass-produced car that I'm aware of. Also an extremely modular design, not that BMW took advantage of that at all. Fast forward to today, in which the key people behind the i3 and i8 are gone from the company, and in the interim there was half a decade with what appears to have been an EV sceptic at the helm. The resultant iX seems to be a prime example of how much things have changed at BMW. On paper it has some of the i3's key traits, with the carbonfibre construction, out-there styling and a few little details like the frameless windows... but under the surface... This is a car which has *less* usable space than you'd expect, not more. It has no frunk at all, despite being enormous (I think the iX has a lot more of the CLAR combustion architecture in it than we've been made aware of - otherwise it's just flat-out bad design). The charging port lighting is a flat-out downgrade. And the weight... admittedly this is a 105 kWh luxury SUV, but Tesla's Model X manages less with similar battery capacity, 7 seats, a huge frunk, metal chassis, way more horsepower, colossal HEPA filter and the world's most complicated doors. The price is nuts, too. I don't hate the iX's styling now I've had time to get used to it, but technically it's a step backwards from what they achieved nearly a decade ago.

Jonny's barely contained contempt for SUVs tickles me. It's okay Jonny, let it out - you're among friends here. I can't stand the revolting things either.

"WHY are we buying vehicles like this...?" Couldn't have said it better myself, Jonny - bravo, sir. 👍

Do we start throwing up now, or wait until the video premiers? 😭

The design, the crystal glass, focus on quirks like gesture control and even the steering wheel- you summed it up best when you suggested this is a car designed for the Instagram generation. Great review as always.

former A2 owner here! thank you for the shoutout, loved that car, hugely underrated. (put spacers on it, a whole new world)

As an i8 owner, I find the enormous grill hilarious. They nailed the i3 and i8 designs, this isn't evolution, it's regression

The fact that they’re putting these huge grills on their EVs now proves they’re not needed for performance. It’s just a styling cue they should drop but are holding onto for some reason even though no one likes it.

They reused some of the i3 tech but omitted it's charging light, frunk, interior space and sustainable materials? A decade later and the best BMW has is "I prefer the i3 cockpit, if they were to have scaled up the i3 cockpit I wouldn't have a problem with it".

The front is gopping, the boot is frankly an embarrassment. With the blingy buttons it seems this is aimed at a specific market. Expect to see these outside schools in Chelsea with kids pouring out. Also am I the only one who thinks you can sod off with these sealed off areas like the bonnet? Its my car, I paid for it, I want access to all of it

Back in 2013 the i3 was a ground breaking EV , carbon fibre, great design , great materials , This iX is none of the above , what are they thinking 🤔 😳 ?

The i3 and i8 were unbelievable bits of design, they started off the night looking like that and ended up looking like this.

Woof. That thing fell out of the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down.

As a previous i3 owner I really thought BMW would be doing better than this to be honest. Still think that’s their best EV to date.

Something that would be a welcome addition while reviewing ev's is the software side of things, that covers things like how updates are delivered and for how many years, the ease of use and features built into the system, including the ease of repairablity without having to need access to a bmw dealership. I mention these because it is important that cars do not end up like appliances that become e waste once the original owner is tired of it. For all the claims of better emissions by switching to ev's bring, if we let manufacturers get away with creating cars that are disposable then all our efforts for a greener electric future will be for nothing.

Every time I hear a new dad ask for advice on a new car for the family, everyone chips in an SUV recommendation. It’s utterly bonkers how out of touch people are with the actual interior space available in them compared to any saloon/ hatchback comparable 🤯

Somehow manufacturers conveniently “forget” that in calculating the force the air has on a moving car, the frontal area is equally important as coefficient of drag - and the frontal area of this type of vehicle is massive…

I have a rough idea how big electric motors are, so I'm going to ask... what is going on in the giant inaccessible likely void under the 'factory sealed bonnet'? to save a couple of bonnet hinges, a latch & a plastic moulding, they decided not to offer a 'froot'?

I love it when he gets his book out and talks about serious facts.

List of things I like about the iX. 1. The headlights. Thanks for reading.

This is crazy, my model 3 SR+, has half the battery and similar range, more boot storage, a front boot, comfy seats, a practical charging network, a pleasing look from the front and costs less than half the price! BMW have been selling EVs for years this is atrocious.

During the transition to electric cars BMW has somehow lost the ability to make good cars. They just put some expansive stuff together without any innovation and I am afraid the engineers and designers don't even try anymore to be good. The have all given up.

Yesterday I saw a ‘new’ X5 driving behind a iX , I have to say, the X5 looked ‘20 years’ old…

Great review! Want to like the car as it has the sort of engineering goodness that used to make BMWs great but it’s wasted with 2.5 tons, no third row seats and bonnet with no storage. Such a shame!

Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should! Sometimes with the new electric cars the designers just seem to have a wet dream and style them to the nth degree. What will be interesting is what will actually sell! Do we actually want white interiors, illuminating logos… Great video, always enjoy the honest commentary on the cars!

Great review as always and watching you trying to be objective about this hideous thing was greatly entertaining. I get we are all going EV in the future, but the 3 big German brands seem to be making a right old mess of it especially in the design department with the exception of the E-Tron GT. For me the Koreans and the French seem to be making a much better job of it and from someone who has driven German cars for the last 10 years it brands from Korea and France that’ll I’ll be going to next time round, I wouldn’t have said that 10 years ago!

BMW 2020's EVs: A bonnet you could land a jet fighter on. No frunk.

Imagine having the funds, teams and ability to make an amazing car and coming up with this...

“That’s a boat… we are nowhere near the sea” 🤣 Focus Jonny!

$100 grand is a bit much and this car is a bit late - sorry I’ll have an Ioniq 5 over this any day.

Quote from Richard Porter on the iX from Smith and Sniff Podcast, 16/11/20 "It is the single shittiest, most sloppy, poorly resolved, badly surfaced, badly detailed piece of car design that I seen in, possibly ever. It’s horrific and they should be ashamed of themselves. A Chinese start up run up meth addicts would do better at designing a car. It is

Thank you for an honest & perfectly balanced review. You address the good, the bad & the ugly with no hesitation & it's so very refreshing.

This bloated piece of EV tokenism could have been designed to highlight how good Kia's EV6 is: vastly better-looking, almost as quick in AWD form, even faster-charging and half the price.

after I tested it I bought it. I love it and in 4 days from receiving it I have already drove 1110 km... I love it!!!

Our i3 was and is on the right track. At least this one is ground up EV again. Just imagine a new i3 with a little more boot space, a more efficient motor and 350 km range. BMW have lost their way a bit.

I just don't understand BMW anymore, virtually everything they currently sell is hideous and most people tend to agree. Yet they continue to make ugly, over-designed, awkward looking cars. When I was growing up in the 00s, the then current BMWs were everywhere, but now all I seem to see are older ones, it's mainly new Mercs, Audis, Jags that are around in brum, I very rarely see any new bimmers.

I'd rather put an engine and wheels on a skip and drive around in that.

Ah you hit on a very good question, the answer of which no one knows! “Why do people buy SUVs” Saloons look nicer, People carriers (EG Zafira) have the family space, Pick ups or 4x4 (eg Defender) have the ground clearance or go any where ability.. Estates have bigger boots, are more practical and frankly better looking. For example I own a 2019 mondeo Estate.. 4 adults and camping gear and I still have room… my best friend has a Jaguar XF saloon? When he has his Kids and wife in the car, that’s it, it’s full.. boot has a Push chair in some nothing else fits.. my father has bought the Jag XE saloon, he can’t fit his golf clubs in it with out lowering a seat, which means he then can’t fit the dog in too.. I asked him why he didn’t buy the XE/XF estate and he couldn’t answer me.. I do not understand SUVs they’re not all that practical and while I admit some do look nice, I do like the Mach E, I’d far rather something like an electric Estate

I can remember when BMW made stylish cars.

Just wanted to say you can store the parcel shelf under the false floor in the boot, it pulls up further than it looks. Also you can turn things like the gesture control off.

Forget the iPace or the EQC, I honestly would choose an Enyaq or ID4 over this ... thing. In fact, it's borderline over the £25K MG EVs. Sorry, but this is just so ghastly and feels poorly designed.

Another great review Mr Smith. I think that quiet despondency and despair is how I feel watching this. So many wasted opportunities. There is a lot of design might in BMW. Why can’t they do it properly and while they do focus on cars that most normal people want to use. I would love to have an electric BMW 3 or 5 series equivalent in a touring shape, but for now I’ll make do with a model 3, which has almost as much luggage space as this monster!

Like it or loathe it, I really like the fact BMW have risked being a bit marmite-ey with their latest design story. Makes a really change from all the cars looking the same

I noticed in the podcast you couldn't turn off the traffic announcements. BMW does this weird thing where its a button on the dash with the 1,2,3,4,5... buttons. I have no clue why its not in Radio settings....... Might help you out in future recordings!!!!

What a disgusting thing... I do like the interior. I'd like BMW to go "retro" and bring back a modern take on the E30 and E34 era front end, with round lights set into horizotal slats.... I think that would be a really strong look amongst all the fussy design that you see nowadays...

We got the brand new BMW iX during Christmas time 2021. It is our 4th BMW and we were excited to ride on it. On January 10 2022, the iX made its freeway debut. We would never have thought the first drive would have been a nightmare. My husband drove the iX fine until that moment- about 20 minutes on the freeway. A loud “Bang!” struck us frozen. At that moment, the bonnet hood smashed the front glass! My husband on the driver’s seat, and I next to him, found ourselves being entirely blindfolded by the bonnet hood and were entirely unable to see the traffic. It was a moment of fear, fear of losing our lives.

It shouts, "Look at me!" And some people love that.

It may have a low drag coefficient but still a pretty big frontal area so I imagine it isn't that easy to push through the air. I used to be able to pretty easily tell one car from another but with the rise of the SUV I find it largely impossible without looking at the badges or grille - BMW make it easy in this case if not in a good way.

You'd spend so much time parking in such a way, so that you always approach the car from the rear and not have to look at the front. Ps. Great review as always, give me the tech / ev drivetrain in an estate and I'd be really tempted.

Great review once again Jonny. Beaver Teeth grille...love it! Interesting you like the wheelarch shapes which look a bit Peugeot 207 to me? I'm afraid I have a major downer on how 95% of BMW's are driven and feel/fear this will appeal directly to those who already drive one. I find the huge amount of Tech, even for basic controls, worrying for the driver to play with when - as above - 95% of current BMW (and a huge proportion of SUV) drivers can't find the indicator stalk...or even know what it's for. Interestingly as the level of iDrive has numerically increased, Driver competance within that vehicle has gone in the opposite direction 🤷🤷 The dash bracket that holds/supports the screen on the left....🤔🤔🤣🤣. I think current BMW Design deserves a Renault Avantime, a Pontiac Aztec and would love this to be it...although with the Tax Breaks given and the ability to own/drive it through a Business means it will, no doubt, find a place...which is... probably in the wrong lane of every multi-lane road everywhere. 🤣🤣 On a different note, I would like to see every new car coming with it's Manufacturing Footprint declared and not just it's WLTP impact, which you could then share with us and we could then work out if we could ever pay it back based on our useable mileage.

Another SUV, just what the world needs!!! BMW used to be my favourite car brand (I used to have an e30 touring) now it’s my least favourite brand, when they released the x6 that was when it all went downhill

Un-necessary Evolution. I like that phrase. I can see me using it often. I think it sums up pretty much every new addition to modern cars, that nobody asked for. Keyless ignition, electric handbrakes, electric folding seats, having to talk in an american accent for voice control where, as Jonny states, a button is what you want, not a (will become very greasy) bloody touch screen tv nailed to the dashboard.

An excellent and thoughtful review. For the look/feel of driving something very different, the BMW i3 is still excellent visually and for this kind of money and however technically clever, the Jaguar is still far more stylish. Having said all that, I'm not convinced that the current battery technology is anywhere near right, if you get one lease don't buy seems sensible, you don't want to own any of them when something technically better turns up plus, they are all way too expensive !

I recently saw the ix ( in white) in the back parking lot of my local BMW dealer . I own 2017 i3REX with almost 100000 flawless Km . First impression : its huge... Quality finishes - as expected and Im not put off by its looks. This I say as driver of another styling " freak"..... Because with time , the performance and sheer fun of the driving experience will make it lovable in all aspects .

All of the sensors are conveniently located right behind the front grille plate, guaranteeing a repair will cost 10K+ when you get into even a minor love tap with a car in front of you.

Looks like a Renault 5 at the rear with the tailgate up.

I don't think its any more ugly than the Jag i-pace. Sure "in isolation" the front of the Jag looks nicer, but as a package I think they both look as bad as each other. However the interior of the iX is another level compared to the faux luxury offered by the Jag.

Great review Johnny, especially liked seeing the Allegro steering wheel - I laughed and reminisced at the same time. The tech in these flagship EVs is amazing but leaves me cold. Less is more, except for range where more is definitely more. Keep up the good work - I thought you were the hardest working person on youtube until you introduced me to the legend that is Colin Furze.

Remember: People often think BMW's design language is weird, but then every other manufacturer eventually copies it. You're likely looking at the future design of every other car/SUV on the road.

Despite being incredibly overstyled, it manages to look bland and boring overall. Remarkable really. The hodgepodge of lines on the C pillar also look like a badly played game of Tetris.

I quite like the appearance and the style of it! 👌 I'm sure most buyers don't care about 7 seater anyway. 😄

70-100k. Early adopter territory needs to end pretty quickly if take up of EVs is going to increase.

Hi Jonny. that Bluish shade on the side at the Intro is Genius. much better then Blacked out. Thanks for the Interesting stuff.

Good lord it's fugly, I agree it's got great tech but it's an incredibly comprising package, your honesty is so appreciated, Rj in Oz

Thank you for your honest reviews. I'm perplexed by so much of BMW'S build decisions. I hope they find their space in this electric future. Bring back the BMW design brilliance directed towards the ultimate driving experience. Design that makes sense.

Ok, so handy physical buttons on steering wheel, good. Uh, haptic touch-buttons around the iDrive scroll wheel for fast-access to nav, maps, etc. (honestly, I'm getting a sinking feeling now) Can I have a knob to control the cabin temperature please? NO OF COURSE YOU CAN'T, TAKE YOUR EYES OFF THE ROAD, AND USE THE TOUCH-SCREEN. DON'T WORRY, YOU PROBABLY WON'T CRASH.

The interior looks so futuristic. Its almost as futuristic as my 2018 A Class. BMW years behind by believing they are years ahead again.

Another great review but it’s a no from me. I don’t like the exterior looks, the rear legroom looks no better than our i3 and a huge amount less than our Q7, and the luggage space is far too small for a family car like this. I also think the i3 interior and use of space is very good indeed and I really done see myself buying a BMW again for many many years if this is the best they can do

For first impressions its all about the looks and this looks like a beaver playing Darth Vader dress up games.

OK, I stick my neck out here and say that I have a 2014 X5 40d sport and I test drove an iX 40 at my local dealer and I love it! Anyone that currently have an X5 will be right at home after a few minutes of driving it. Very smooth drive, and quick if you want it to be. The steering wheel is a bit odd to start with but you soon appreciate some of the angels you can hold on to on longer journeys. I don't have an X5 for the boot although it's handy to do the University removal run. I have it because I like not to be blinded because I sit a bit higher up and I can see more of the landscape when driving. The iX is a lovely car and yes I like the front too.

i love that they hid the outlines of a Renault 5 Turbo when you open the rear hatch.

In regards of the design. BMW has a tendency to paint itself into a corner it needs to revolutionise itself out of. When I first saw the iX i got an instant flashback to Chris Bangle. In the day he got critizesed to the extreme, but looking at his designs now, it was a needed change of direction. So older and hopefully a bit viser, I have decided to not make judgements on BMWs new design direction before I understand the direction, and understand in which way it will be developed. So I have endured the M3 and M4, the iX, etc, and then I saw the design concept XM (not in the flesh unfortunately.) I understand the logic of the direction. BMW needs to balance the femenine and the masculine, and it needs to separate itself from its past and at the same time take care of its heritage. I think the XM is a really interesting concept, and as with Bangle, I see how this new direction first will be stirring up the kettle, and then calming down to hopefully generate new BMW classics.

I like the interior with the exception of the steering wheel. The exterior doesn't seem any better in real life than in the pictures which were shocking. Also, how on earth does it weigh 2.5t with so much carbon / composite??!!

Maybe BMW will recognize the brilliance of the iconic i3 design in a few years and pay homage with a scaled-up version. I suspect the IDBuzz may actually end up being that car, but from Wolfsburg, not Munich.

i actually like the big grill lol. Don’t understand the controversy over it. It’s the future.

I would rather have a model Y performance!

Find its mother and ask if she loves it’s face? Or alternatively ring Bodmin and send the beast away, far away, as far as it’s AA battery will propel it

I think the number one reason people don’t like this car is it’s price tag. People expect a 6 figure car to be near perfect. And people are just trying to find things to “hate” because of it. If this car would of cost $30K less all the minor design flaws would be overlooked, because in the performance department this car really excels.

Bland boring side profile, absolutely gopping front end. Massive back end which when opened, I don't know why, literally makes me think Fiat 500!? So pleased you raised the quartic steering wheel comparison too, I've been banging on about it for years now. As for the fixed bonnet, genuine question - what happens if the front motor catches fire? Currently on ice cars, you crack the bonnet and release an extinguisher through the gap? What happens here? Is this an issue for the fire brigade?

Actually passed you in this on the way to Tesco's, I was in the Etron and said to my partner look it's the new BMW. As a BMW fan she immediately said "It's soo ugly" 😂. But, objectively a great car! If you ever wanted to do a comparison test welcome to use my car.

Great review as alwaysJonny, big BMW fan so disappointing that you don’t love it, but X5 does a better job and at a much lower price tag, £100k eek. The Koreans appear to be winning the electric battle at the moment.

I test drove this and the i-Pace. i-Pace's steering is far heavier. To the point I found it annoying and my wife said it would be impossible to live with. The i-Pace also feels like a three year old car inside (which of course it is), where the iX feels properly current-generation. The i-Pace desperately needs an interior refresh to compete. Completely agree about packaging and design - the large bonnet, *especially* given the lack of 'froot', is bizarre in a designed-for-electric body. But the infotainment is incredible, the ride is incredible, and whilst the 50 is not worth an additional £25k over the 40, the 40 is pretty well-priced. And the 50 makes the Model X look vastly over-priced.

I completely agree with what you say, and I hate unnecessary SUVs, but somehow I still quite like the iX. I think down to the bottom of the headlights it's quite handsome, but then below that it all goes wrong. They also clearly forgot to design the rear 3/4 entirely, like an episode of the apprentice where they focus all their branding time on the name and then spend their last 12 seconds in a panic doing the rest. It would be interesting to have a different architecture, but then it might not be an SUV - people like the familiar SUV high seating position, and the safe feel of a massive car and the bonnet. A shorter bonnet might lead to more of an MPV which particularly in the US means you've given up on life and just go to "soccer" practice and Wal-Mart. Personally I can't wait to see that battery and drivetrain in a 5 series estate, although I imagine nobody will buy it as estates are mysteriously unpopular. To be fair, I wouldn't buy it because I don't have £100k to spend on it, but I'll let you know what I think of it in 2035 when I buy one for £10k with a nackered battery and full of dog juices!

Some times what might be bad for you will not bad for other consumers.. I love the gesture controls.. I love the design of the tail gate .. and I love the fact that the car looks unique from every other bmw you see on the road.. over all BMW gave us an electric car with an aggressive touch 👍🏽

I... dear God I don't have the words.. it makes a Ford scorpio look like a DB7 .. It makes me feel physically sick

As anyone who ever read The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy will tell you, "iX" means "A boy who is not able satisfactory to explain what a Hrung is, or why it choose to collapse on Betelguse 7". So this is the BMW A-boy-who-is-no- able-satisfactory-to-explain-what-a-Hrung-is, -or-why-it-choose-to-collapse-on-Betelguse-7. Also, the "grills" always make me think of that wet mark after your bathingshorts, that is left when you sit down on a beach bench after a swim. You will not be able to un-see that now! Also, also: I rather have the i3!! Love that thing!

It's a common misconception that you can't open the bonnet on an Audi A2. You can. It's just that it's not hinged, the whole thing lifts off instead.

Is it really necessary to be so ugly? BMW have really lost their way recently. And what is up with modern LED headlights? They might be fantastic for SUV drivers, but for the rest of us in low sports cars, we get blinded at every turn it’s incredibly annoying and dangerous

Would you really want to spend that much on a car, only to get out and be greeted to shouts of "Nice beaver!" ?

Ribbed rear lights were a Mercedes invention, specifically to still have visible light in dirty conditions.

Such a top journalist !!! Well .. not sure he wants to be called that.. But his views, research and presentation are i think one of if not the best of the motoring "journo's" today !

Why cant EV's look like a normal car? Why do they always need to look like something out of the future? They will appeal to a lot more people if they make an EV that just looks like a regular Golf (or something everyday and "boring" like that)

To be fair, the steering wheel does give a good view of the dials/screen. A lot of the interior looks nice and well thought out but the boot (or lack there of) is unforgiveable.

Also... When the boot is open, it reminds me of a Renault 5 Turbo rear end.

All the reviewers seem to copy each other in saying the car is ugly. It’s a good looking car with exceptional comfort

My eyes! 👀🤢🤮

If someone gave me one of these to run for three years I'd probably be perfectly happy. It would have to be in black or a really, really dark colour but as a place to sit and ride around in I think it's perfectly fine. The exterior is just something you'd have to block out of your mind. Oh and If I find out you can turn off gesture controls in the menu all of these car reviewers can go to hell as it's something everyone seems to moan about.

"loads of legroom in the back " 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣