The iX1 BMW EV drives effortlessly and will get you from A to B smoothly, writes Dr Mike Civil.
As I drove my 2018 Series 76 Landcruiser to the BMW dealer and I realised I was going to be driving a car at the other end of the tech spectrum.
The iX1 BMW is a fully electric vehicle. It was not my first test of a BMW EV, but somehow the contrast seemed greater today.
My dinosaur ‘Troopie’ is from a very different era and style with five gears, three pedals, diff locks and it’s a polluting diesel V8. The iX1, on the other hand, is bang up to date – and it shows.
I wandered around the show room and was struck by how cars just seem to be getting bigger. It doesn’t make much sense to me, when we are trying to have less environmental impact.
Fortunately, the iX1 was svelte and trim. It is the base model, so only a two-wheel drive, there’s no electric adjustment for the seats, but there is a metallic choice of white paint.
Don’t get disheartened by the term ‘base model’ – being a modern BMW it comes with all the expected electronic accompaniments. There’s a clear display for the driver showing speed and range, and then a centrally mounted display for any comfort setting you want in the car, like media centre or navigation. It’s all push button or touch screen.
My first test came when the friendly staff member handed over the keys and left me too it. Would I be able to figure out how to get things into motion without an embarrassing “hold on a minute…”?
It is an important test, to assess how intuitive the car is. Fortunately, the Beemer passed first time.
After a brief check on the dash, all is clear and I’m good to drive. The car effortlessly glides away with no sound whatsoever. I know I should expect that, particularly at slow speeds, but it is still a little unnerving. I am so last century.
The driving position is excellent, there’s great visibility, the cabin is comfortable, aircon is efficient, it’s all so effortless.
Just one kilometre down the road and the most I have had to do is make sure that the car and I are pointed in the right direction. In Troopie I would have likely been through all available gears with both feet and hands involved.
After negotiating my way out of the city, I head towards the Perth Hills with more effortless gliding. The drive quality is excellent, like smooth silk. The acceleration is brisk and with no fuss.
There are three driver modes to choose from: Efficiency, Sport and Leisure. Efficiency seems to only add a couple of kilometres to the range, but this was a limited test today. As usual, Sport is more fun, but Leisure is a good balance.
The range today was around 320km, and presumably that was a full charge. There is a 4-wheel drive version with greater performance but less range.
I won’t need anywhere near that 300km mark today, but needless to say, the Beemer comes with various charging cables to avoid getting stranded. I’m sure that ‘range anxiety’ issues will get better as I get used to using electric vehicles, but despite the inability to consider things logically it is still an issue. A mindset thing most certainly, but real all the same.
So, all in all, it is a typically well made, efficient, electric BMW that will get five people comfortably, efficiently and quietly to their destination. The car does not yell “I’m an EV”, it is primarily a BMW that just happens to be electric. So, what’s not too like?
Perhaps, if you enjoy driving for driving, you may be less inclined to go for an EV. The effortlessness of the whole experience felt like a small disappointment to me. I drive because I enjoy it, it is all very tactile for someone like me. I like feeling the car change gear and hearing it talk to me.
It’s not just about exhaust notes, there are other sensory messages like smells and changing temperatures that don’t exist on an EV. Buying an EV is a big decision, they are not cheap, so, for me, they do need that elusive character.
But, at the end of the day, EVs like this excellent Beemer get you from A to B really well.
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