The 2023 BMW iX M60.Matt Bubbers/The Globe and Mail
Nothing about this crazy-fast electric SUV makes sense, but sense has nothing to do with it. This is BMW looking to cash in on drivers’ collective love of speed and status by slapping an M badge on its new electric SUV, whether it warrants it or not.
The muscle-bound 2023 BMW iX M60 is a roomy two-row SUV that will set you back $121,750, which is $31,760 more than the already-very-rapid iX xDrive50. It’s a hefty premium to pay for an improved suspension, a smattering of additional high-tech features, a more powerful rear motor and some M badges.
Of course, you also get extra muscle in the M60: 610 horsepower and 749 lb-ft of torque, which is 94 horsepower and 185 lb-ft more than the xDrive50, for those keeping score. A maximum-effort launch to 100 kilometres an hour takes 3.8 seconds, which is almost a second quicker than the xDrive50 and roughly on par with a Porsche 911 Carrera S. In theory, a Tesla Model X Plaid is quicker than all of the above, and makes even less sense than the M60.
As for how the M60′s extra oomph translates on the road, well, it’s strange. It flip-flops between two extremes, alternating between super chill and totally wild.
The iX’s loungelike cabin puts a driver at ease. The wide, sloping expanse of the dashboard looks like a desk. A leaf embossed into the dash reminds passengers this leather is tanned in a supposedly eco-friendly way that relies on olive-leaf extract instead of the usual chemical cocktails.
The dash is topped by an extremely thin widescreen-display with barely-there bezels. Most of the physical buttons are embedded into a little slab of wood between the front seats. The transparent rotary dials and engine-start button look as if they’re cut from crystal.
The overall effect is quite serene and unlike a car; it’s like taking a seat in an airy, open-concept corner office.
Get out onto a city road and there’s a slightly less-forgiving quality to the M60′s air suspension, which has been fitted with stiffer anti-roll bars to cope with speedier driving. The optional 22-inch wheels don’t help ride comfort either. It’s not jarring; but not quite as smooth as the xDrive50.
Pressing the My Mode button and spinning the crystal dial to Sport mode unlocks the full 610 horsepower. Point this giant box at a curvy highway on-ramp, and get ready for a shock. The M60 shoots forward like a laser beam. The rear wheels give it a mighty shove, pushing the SUV from behind and making it feel like a rear-drive chassis despite its dual-motor, all-wheel-drive setup.
The fierce acceleration is accompanied in Sport mode by a loud fake-engine noise, designed in partnership with Academy Award-winning composer Hans Zimmer.
But despite the extra horsepower and chassis-tuning by M Division, the experience is still like driving a living room. The steering lacks response, the flat seats don’t hug the driver and the big iX often just feels heavy and somewhat ungainly.
Speed is the enemy of EV range, but even with my lead foot, the M60 was on track to hit its EPA-rated driving range of 441 kilometres on 22-inch wheels. (On 21s, it’s rated for 463).
In the real world, that’s probably about as far as you’d get in a $91,990 Tesla Model Y Performance. Then again, the lesser BMW iX xDrive50 costs $89,990 and is rated for 521 kilometres. You pay for the M60′s performance potential with reduced range, which isn’t a deal-breaker, but yet another strike against it.
There isn’t a compelling reason to buy the M60, not when the xDrive50 costs almost $32,000 less, has more range, a smoother ride, and is also extremely fast. After you show your buddies how fast the M60 can whip around an on-ramp, its novelty will wear off.
This isn’t a real M car, anyway. The M60 is M-lite, part of the M Performance lineup, just like the i4 M50 sedan. A real electric M car is coming, though. The company recently released photos of a wide-body sedan, a camouflaged development prototype, powered by four electric motors. In German-engineer-speak, it promises, “a level of dynamics that is unattainable using conventional drive systems.” A true, driver-focused electric M car is coming, but the M60 isn’t it.
Tech specs
2023 BMW iX M60
- Base price/as tested: $121,750/$140,350
- Engine: Dual-motor electric, brushed electromagnet synchronous
- Transmission/drive: Single-speed/all-wheel drive
- Claimed range: 441 to 463 kilometres, depending on wheel size
- Fuel consumption (litre-equivalent/100 kilometres): 3.1 city, 3.0 highway
- Alternatives: Tesla Model Y Performance or Model X, Porsche Taycan 4S Cross Turismo, BMW iX xDrive50 or i4 M50, BMW X5 M, Audi e-tron, Jaguar I-Pace, Lucid Air
Looks
BMW’s head designer, Domagoj Dukec, recently told me he isn’t bothered by the negative reactions on social media to polarizing new BMWs like the iX and M4. The iX is no beauty. Nevertheless, Dukec said sales are exceeding BMW’s predictions. The M60 gets blue brake calipers, new wheels, M logos and bronze exterior trim. When parked, the M60 often drew attention.
The interior of the 2023 BMW iX M60 has what has been called one of the most distracting touchscreens on the market and most of the physical buttons are embedded into a little slab of wood between the front seatsMatt Bubbers/The Globe and Mail
Interior
Unlike the exterior, the interior is easy to love. This is one of the best, most original and serene cabins available today. But that’s also true of the much less-expensive iX xDrive50.
Performance
The steering feels more crisp when turning into a bend – because of suspension changes – and there’s more poise, but we’re talking marginal gains here. True one-pedal driving is available by switching the drive-selector from “D” into “B” mode. At a 200-kilowatt fast-charger, BMW claims the battery can go from 10 to 80 per cent full in 35 minutes.
Pressing the My Mode button and spinning the crystal dial to Spot mode unlocks the full 610 horsepowerMatt Bubbers/The Globe and Mail
Technology
Sweden’s biggest car magazine, Vi Bilagare, recently conducted an extensive test and rated this as one of the most distracting touch screens on the market. Indeed, BMW’s Operating System 8 is beautiful to look at, but getting it to do your bidding can be time-consuming. Thankfully, BMW kept some physical buttons and dials.
Cargo
There’s not as much cargo space as you’d expect. The trunk opening is smaller than it looks, and there’s no front trunk.
The charging cord on the 2023 BMW iX M60Matt Bubbers/The Globe and Mail
Verdict
Not so much an M car as a very fast lounge. Less-expensive iX models are a better choice than the M60 for most drivers.
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