Driving report BMW iX M60: successful symbiosis

The truth of the electromobility business model also plays out below the line of sight or grip in cars like the BMW iXM60, which costs a whopping 145,900 euros in the configuration of our test car. For example, the lower part of the center console is made of hard plastic. The Munich electric SUV with leather-covered surfaces proliferates on the upper part of the dashboard. The wood inlay in the center console is well intentioned, but the labels on the controls are difficult to read in bright sunlight. However, after a short time you know which button is where, so that this penalty is no longer of great importance.

Speaking of weight. The IX M tips the scales at an impressive 2,584 kilograms. This is partly due to the 111.5 kilowatt hour battery (net 105.2 kWh), which according to BMW should ensure a maximum range of 561 kilometers. At the start of our test drive, the on-board computer indicated 489 kilometers. The basic structure of the drive train also remains identical to its weaker brothers. In other words, a fifth-generation BMW electric motor on each axle. The 190 kW / 258 hp electric motor at the front is identical to that of the BMW iX M50. At the rear it is 360 kW / 489 hp. The rear engine is controlled in six phases, has a rotor that is 20 millimeters longer and larger magnets. In order for the e-SUV to reach the top speed of 250 km/h, the rear motor has a longer gear ratio, and the machine revs higher at the front. The trick works. The IX M60 impressively converts its total output of 455 kW/ 619 hp into acceleration, from a standing start it takes 3.8 seconds to reach country road speed, which feels like a stomach swing. Especially if you activate the boost for ten seconds and get the best out of the e-machine.

At least as impressive is the fact that the BMW never runs out of air at high speeds and vehemently strives for top speed. “We didn’t fully exhaust the electric motors so that the car wouldn’t run out of air after the fifth bend when driving over an Alpine pass,” says project manager Johann Kistler. The power reserves have a positive effect when driving, because you don’t always have the feeling of being on the last groove. BMW states the consumption as 21.9 to 24.5 (WLTP) kWh/100 km. After our test drive, which also included short sprints on the freeway, the on-board computer reported 24.4 kWh/100 km.

With a BMW M, it’s always about agility. It doesn’t matter whether it’s an electrified model or not. That’s why the technicians also lent a hand with the chassis. Adjusting the software (“we tightened the dampers a bit” (Kistler) is only the first step. If you want to give such an M heavyweight a species-appropriate leg, you have to dig deeper into the design of the suspension and axles. When it comes to Lateral dynamics, the technicians take a close look at the stabilizers and make them stronger or thicker. So also with the iX M60. On the rear axle, instead of the tubular stabilizer, a solid one is used, which increases the rate by around 20 percent. At the front, the BMW Engineers made the wall thickness of the component thicker without increasing the diameter. So the technicians did not have to change the bearings. The detailed work shows the desired effect. The BMW iX M60 speeds through the corners a bit faster than the iX M50, looks lighter on the whole and the The body is better connected to the chassis. The rear axle steering does the rest. The air suspension chassis is tuned tighter than with m brother, is by no means uncomfortable despite the fitted 22-inch tyres.

The infotainment remains basically unchanged. We have already emphasized elsewhere that we are fans of the rotary push button. In the BMW iXM60, too, the operating assistant has a glass surface that exudes quality. It is important that operation is easy to do and that you do not have to take your eyes off the road to select a function as often. Voice input also works well with BMW. The infotainment does not differ from that of the other iX models, so the iX M60 also comes with the eighth generation of the operating system with the large rectangular tiles, which are selected by touch or by rotary push button. As with the other models in the series, the entire visual appearance takes place on the two 12.3-inch and 14.9-inch curved monitors.

BMW can pay well for the PS injection of the iX M60 with a base price of 135,000 euros, which is 33,000 euros more than the BMW iX M50. A lot of money, but you get a lot in return. If you want even more power, you’ll have to wait for the BMW XM, but that’s a plug-in hybrid.