BMW iX5 (2026 – ) review

The electric iX5 has a clear advantage even over the plug-in-hybrid model when it comes to Benefit in Kind taxation if it’s being bought or leased as a company car. And even for private buyers that can charge up at home or work on cheap-rate electricity, it should cost pennies to run, despite its considerable performance. Our initial test of the car indicated it should be possible to stay under three miles/kWh, in line with the official figures, so the iX5’s massive 141kWh battery means less need for costly public charging. The iX5 is – electric or not – still a big and expensive car to buy and run, so things like insurance and tyres won’t be cheap.

It’s too soon to know whether the new BMW iX5 will be reliable, and its impressive technology is also relatively unproven. Nonetheless, its predecessor was one of the more dependable models in its class, which is reassuring, and the electric iX5 has fewer moving parts than an equivalent car with an engine under the bonnet in any case. BMW includes a three-year, unlimited mileage warranty on its new cars, though adds to buyers’ peace of mind by guaranteeing the high-voltage batteries of the iX5 and the plug-in-hybrid versions for up to eight years or 100,000 miles. In terms of subjective quality, the iX5 feels beautifully put together and solidly built.

It goes without saying that a high-end luxury car such as the iX5 comes with airbags in every direction, but it also gets a dizzying array of driver-assistance technology to make sure that the unthinkable doesn’t happen in the first place. Most of this is well-integrated and has fewer annoying pings and bongs in daily driving than we’ve experienced of late, but it’s a cinch to reduce the number of warnings for a journey if you want to. Sadly, that, like almost everything else, is done through the massive central touch-screen. You even have to use it to adjust the air vents, meaning the driver is all too often tempted to take their eyes off the road for simple tasks. The excellent head-up and Panoramic Vision displays offset that to a certain extent, while the Symbiotic Drive system eases the burden on the driver over long trips in a safe, well-communicated fashion. It can even take over lane changes for you but always asks you to check your blind spot yourself rather than relying on the car’s cameras and sensors.

Find opening your car door tiresome? The iX5 could be for you. Tick the right options box and it can be fitted with automatic doors which can be opened and closed at will via button, key or app. It makes quite the impression, but it also makes getting in more comfortable, as the driver needs only to press the brake pedal to close their door behind, eradicating reaching for it afterwards. Once ensconced within the iX5, you’ll appreciate the lush materials used, though some might grumble the standard upholstery is synthetic leather, not the real thing. The seats are wonderfully comfortable and adjustable in every which way, regardless, even if you’ll want to upgrade them with ventilation and a massage function, plus it’s possible to add heating to extra bits of the cabin for true cosiness in winter. Those in the back are almost as well catered for with loads of space to stretch out and an expansive glass roof to allow light in. Adaptive suspension ensures the iX5 is comfortable on the road, too, though avoid selecting the Sport mode or specifying the 23-inch alloys if you favour comfort over sportiness.

Stick with the odd-shaped steering wheel of the new iX5 a moment, as what’s behind it is one of the best infotainment setups in the business. BMW calls the whole thing its Panoramic iDrive and the most distinctive aspect of it is a strip of high-res display running across the base of the windscreen. Onto this is projected a series of widgets, customisable by the driver, from useful trip and driving data to whimsical images of past BMW art cars and much more. It can be reduced to the minimum output at the touch of a button and makes the – otherwise excellent – head-up display all but unnecessary. There’s a large touch-screen of course, battling with the steering wheel for oddness of design, and while there’s a little too much on it, thankfully it’s quick to respond and easy to find your way around. Magnetic wireless chargers keep phones in place front and rear and there’s even an option to add an extra touch-screen just for the front-seat passenger.

No version of the BMW X5 is slow. The diesel remains a bit loud but delivers brawny low-down performance, but it’s not the tow-champion of the lineup, which will surprise some. That accolade goes to the X5 50e xDrive PHEV, featuring a cultured six-cylinder petrol engine, a quoted all-electric range of up to 65 miles and an eye-catching 489 horsepower figure. The iX5 may not be rated to tow quite so much, but it’s the fastest of the lot thanks to its dual electric motors, producing up to 578 horsepower and effortless, meaningful acceleration from rest. It’d be faster again if it didn’t weigh the wrong side of 2.8 tonnes. That’s because of its huge battery pack, enabling a quoted range of up to 528 miles between charges. But no matter your preferred method of propulsion, the iX5 is as capable of stringing a series of interesting corners together as it is transporting you and the fam to Scotland and back for the weekend in comfort.