BMW has unveiled a facelift for the iX, the carmaker's flagship electric SUV. The new iX not only gets a few design tweaks, but some major upgrades in the power and efficiency department as well. Production of the BMW iX facelift is expected to commence in March 2025 at BMW’s Dingolfing plant in Germany, and the e-SUV will be launched globally this spring.
The iX facelift will be offered in three variants with updated nomenclature to reflect the electric SUV's mechanical improvements. The iX 40 and iX 50 are now dubbed the 45 and 60, and the previous range-topping M60 variant is now the M70. Optional M Sport packages are available for every variant, with the iX M70 offering an additional M Sport Pro trim.
- The BMW iX facelift gets new batteries, more power, and greater range across all three variants
- Notable updates for the exterior include a new grille and new alloy wheel design
- The interior gets minor changes, such as a redesigned steering wheel and better seats
BMW iX facelift: exterior updates
The new iX doesn't get substantial cosmetic changes, but there are some key distinguishing factors. The elongated kidney grille sports a new design with horizontally-opposed diagonal lines, and BMW will also offer its Iconic Glow illumination technology for the grille as an optional extra. The front bumper of the new iX gets larger air dams towards the centre and slimmer vertical air intakes on both ends, and the headlights also have a new diagonal LED signature reminiscent of the M4 CS.
The side profile sees milder changes, most notably a silver insert on the skirts and a new design for the standard 20-inch alloy wheels. BMW will offer 21- and 22-inch wheels optionally with the M Sport package, and the iX M70 can even be optioned with 23-inch wheels. Coming to the rear, the only noticeable update is a new bumper with an integrated diffuser.
BMW iX facelift: interior changes
Much like the exterior, the new iX's interior remains mostly similar to the outgoing model. The steering wheel gets a new round three-spoke design instead of the somewhat pentagonal two-spoke steering wheel in the previous iX. However, the most substantial addition is BMW's new M Multi-Function seats, which are standard on the iX M70 and included in the M Sport package for the iX 45 and 60.
According to BMW, the new seats offer better contouring and improved lateral support across a range of adjustments, namely lumbar support, backrest width, and active ventilation. The seats can also be shod in a selection of materials, such as Castanea natural leather, Amido natural leather, or microfibre/Sensatec in Atlas Grey/Black with M-specific stitching.
BMW iX facelift: powertrain improvements
All three variants of the new iX are powered by a dual-motor AWD setup. The entry-spec iX 45 gets a new 94.8kWh battery developing 402hp and 700Nm of torque, an increase of 80hp and 70Nm over the outgoing iX 40 model. The mid-range iX 60 also gets a larger 109.1kWh battery which is good for 536hp and 765Nm of torque, making for a 13hp bump over the iX 50. Lastly, the top-end iX M70 offers a slightly smaller battery than the iX 60 at 108.9kWh, but its performance-focussed tuning and bespoke chemistry results in a whopping 659hp and up to 1100Nm of torque (when launch control is activated), 49hp over the previous iX M60.
As far as range goes, the iX 60 leads the pack with a claimed WLTP figure of up to 701km. The entry-level iX 45 comes second with up to 602km of range, and the range-topping iX M70 follows very closely with a claimed 600km range. When it comes to charging speeds, the iX M70 and 60 are tied at 195kW, whereas the iX 45 offers a maximum of 175kW.
Following the new iX's global launch in spring 2025, the BMW e-SUV can be expected to arrive in India by the end of the year. The current iX is only offered in xDrive 50 guise in India for a price of Rs 1.39 crore (ex-showroom, Mumbai). For the facelifted iX's India launch, it remains to be seen if BMW will bring just one variant or the entire line-up.
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