[Omkar]

2025 BMW iX1 LWB Review

BMW iX1 LWB Pros

• Brilliantly priced! BMW has not only managed to undercut competitors but also priced the EV lower than the X1 Petrol / Diesel. This car is sheer value-for-money
• Solid German build and great quality inside out
• Performance from the 201 BHP motor is more than sufficient for Indian roads
• Real-world range of ~400 km can support intercity travel too
• Selectable drive modes, adjustable regen braking and one-pedal driving are useful in various driving conditions
• Long wheelbase translates into a spacious rear seat experience
• Features such as adaptive headlamps, 12-speaker Harman Kardon sound system, parking assistant, big panoramic glass roof, digital key, etc.
• 5-star ANCAP rating, 8 airbags, A+ safety kit and some ADAS features
• Zero emissions, cheap running costs & green image will appeal to a lot of people

BMW iX1 LWB Cons

• Firm low-speed ride. Liveable, but not plush in the city. You will feel bad roads
• While there is more space in the rear seat, the floor is still high (knees-up seating position)
• Just one variant on offer. No dual motor setup for enthusiasts
• 8.6 second 0 - 100 km/h time isn't really impressive for a 50-lakh rupee EV. 20-lakh rupee EVs match or beat this timing
• Vehicle controls like regeneration levels, HVAC controls, drive modes, and lane departure warning are all integrated into the touchscreen. Not ideal
• Doesn’t get some of the features that the regular X1 gets (extendable seat bases on the front seats, lumbar support, massage function). Also missing are ventilated seats, head-up display, 360-degree camera, rear sunshade...
• Spare wheel is not available as standard. There's no space under the floor, so you'll have to place it above the boot floor which eats into luggage space
• The usual EV challenges (charging infrastructure, highway range anxiety etc.)

Introduction

BMW has brought its entry-level electric SUV to India. The iX1 (U11) was launched in 2023, but it was being imported as a CBU at the time. The big news for 2025 is that it is now being locally assembled. This makes iX1 the first electric BMW to be assembled at the company's plant in Chennai. Taking a step further, BMW has brought in the long-wheelbase version of the iX1 (U12) which is also sold in the Chinese market. However, it loses out on the dual motor setup of the outgoing car, and now only comes in a front-wheel drive configuration.

Unlike some EVs which have been developed from the ground up to run on electricity, the iX1 is basically an electric version of the ICE car. It has the same underpinnings as the petrol and diesel X1, but instead of the engine, you have an electric motor powering the front wheels. Consequently, there are a lot of common things between the two cars, so we’ll focus only on the things that are different in the iX1. To read the full official review of the X1, click here.

2025 BMW iX1 LWB Price & Brochure

The price is where BMW India managed to grab everyone’s attention at the Bharat Mobility Expo 2025. The BMW iX1 LWB is available in only one variant which is the eDrive20L M Sport. Its ex-showroom price is Rs. 49,00,000. That’s aggressive pricing because this makes the iX1 more affordable than the petrol and diesel versions of the X1! Even when you compare it with the direct rivals, the iX1 undercuts everyone except the Hyundai Ioniq 5. With this pricing, BMW has definitely ruffled some feathers in the segment.

Apart from this, BMW has also introduced a new buyback plan in which they have kept the 4-year residual value percentage for the ICE and EV the same at 59%. The EMI has been set at Rs. 38,422 considering 4 years and 8,000 km per year mileage. The tenure ranges from 2 to 5 years, with a refinance option after the conclusion of the contract up to 8 years. You can also opt for higher per-year mileage.

You can download the BMW iX1 LWB brochure here - 2025 BMW iX1 LWB Brochure.pdf

[Omkar]

BMW iX1 LWB Exterior Review

The BMW iX1 is available in only one M-Sport variant. You get a closed-off front grille with adaptive LED headlights. The bumper is similar to the ICE version and apart from the grille and the number plate, there’s not much that tells them apart:


Same can be said for the rear. You get a lot of cuts and creases and a brushed silver skid plate at the bottom:


The biggest difference is on the side. The iX1 now has a 2,800 mm long wheelbase which is 108 mm more than before. For reference, that’s just 65 mm shorter than the wheelbase of the new BMW X3. It does feel stretched out from the side and almost looks like a touring version:


Overall build quality and fit & finish are top-notch:


The iX1 measures 4,616 mm in length, 2,104 mm in width (with ORVM) and 1,627 mm in height:


A closer look at the front grille that also incorporates the radar sensor. Bumper also houses an air dam at the bottom and air curtains on the sides:


Dual projector LED headlamps are adaptive. DRLs double up as turn indicators:


Camera for the driving assistant features like the lane keep assist and lane departure warning. There are some other features as well like blind spot detection and rear collision warning, but you don’t get the full ADAS suite of features like adaptive cruise control and autonomous braking:


Fender adorns the ‘M’ badge. You get 18-inch M Bi-Colour alloy wheels with 225/55 section tyres:


Bridgestone Turanza tyres provide good grip and you get disc brakes at the rear as well:


While the earlier iX1 had a panoramic sunroof (ICE X1 gets it too), this iX1 LWB gets a glass roof. BMW claims that the 9-square-foot glass roof is the largest in its segment:


eDrive 20L badge is placed on the right while the iX1 badge is on the left. Skid plate has 2 black inserts as if mimicking twin exhausts that just look odd on an EV:


3D L-shaped LED tail-lamps are split and look cool. Reversing lamp is located near the number plate:

[Omkar]

BMW iX1 LWB Interior Review

Step inside the cabin and you are greeted by a black and brown interior. The interiors are almost identical to the X1 and the outgoing iX1 apart from some minor changes. Overall, the quality of materials and the fit & finish is very good:


M Sport leather-wrapped steering feels fantastic to hold – very sporty and very meaty. Buttons for the cruise control are placed on the left spoke while those for the infotainment system and telephony are placed on the right. No paddle shifters for adjusting the regeneration:


Customizable instrument cluster is clear to read:


There are 3 different layouts that you can choose from as per your liking. You can even choose the content that you want to be displayed in the middle. You can have the range displayed or the navigation or the G-meter:


Black and brown interior theme continues on the doorpad as well. Mocha leather around the armrest area looks good:


Seats are draped in Veganza Perforated Mocha and they look great. They provide excellent support. They’re wide and the side bolstering keeps you in place on twisty roads. Both seats are electrically adjustable. Driver seat gets 2 seat memory positions. Unfortunately, they don’t get lumbar support or massage function or the extendable under-thigh support that the regular X1 gets:


Pedals are well-spaced and the dead pedal is also positioned perfectly:


Switches for the headlamps, rear foglamp and illumination adjustment are located on the right-hand side of the driver:


The iX1 is equipped with a 12-speaker, 205W, Harman Kardon sound system. Centre speaker is mounted on the dashboard:


New in the iX1 is this widescreen infotainment system that is running the BMW OS 9. It has connectivity services and BMW One Shop for over-the-air upgrades. The display is crisp and visibility is good even under direct sunlight:


You get wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay and you can set the charging target if you don’t want to charge full 100%. A/C controls are now integrated into the touchscreen which is annoying. You can set your driver profile and save some of the settings like pre-conditioning where the A/C will cool the cabin before you enter:


You can enter the drive mode selection screen by pressing a button on the centre console. Apart from this, there are other vehicle settings like lane keep assist or regenerative braking or charging that you can also select through the touchscreen. There’s also a maximum range mode which limits the top speed to 90 km/h and shuts off the A/C. The car comes with a parking assistant feature which will park the car automatically and also reverse out of the parking lot. While the camera quality is good, you do miss a 360-degree view system:


Single A/C vent in the centre has a glossy black surround. Demist buttons are placed to the left:


Vertically oriented smartphone holder with wireless charging sits just below the A/C vent. Two cupholders are located next to it:


Below, you will find a 12V power outlet along with 2 USB Type-C charging ports:


Front portion of the centre armrest houses the engine start / stop button, gear shifter, electronic parking brake, a button for the parking assistant, drive modes, auto-hold, hazard lights, volume control and a button to open the driver armrest which, like the regular X1, has an LHD orientation (reference image):


Large, open storage space below the centre console has a rubberised base:


Twin A/C vents are placed on the passenger side of the dashboard above the Aluminium Hexacube trim:


Glovebox is average-sized:


9 square-foot panoramic glass roof lets a lot of light into the cabin:


With the long-wheelbase version, the second row is where BMW has focused on. Compared to the outgoing iX1 (U11), the seat base cushion is 15 mm longer for better under-thigh and softer foam has been used:


All 3 passengers get adjustable headrests and 3-point seatbelts. While the width is good, it’s best for 2 adults and a child to travel comfortably. Seats are fixed and don’t have fore & aft adjustment like the regular X1:


BMW claims that the knee room has increased by 109 mm which is very much evident. This is me (5’10” tall) seated behind my driving position and I had plenty of knee room. However, the floor is pretty high due to the battery underneath. You’re seated in a knees-up position which can be uncomfortable over long journeys. Headroom is good and tall passengers won’t have an issue:


You can always push the front seat all the way forward to liberate more legroom. BMW should’ve provided sunshades for the rear passengers:


Rear passengers get A/C vents and 2 Type-C USB ports along with a space to keep a smartphone:


Spacious 490-litre boot is large enough to carry a family’s vacation luggage:


Under the boot floor, you get some space for storage:


Unfortunately, you don’t get a spare wheel like the ICE version of the car. You get a puncture repair kit and if you want a spare wheel, you have to buy it as an accessory:


Boot space can be expanded to 1,600 litres by folding down the rear seats:

[Omkar]

Driving the BMW iX1 LWB eDrive 20

BMW has moved from the dual motor setup of the outgoing iX1 to a single-motor front-wheel drive setup for the 2025 iX1 LWB. The motor makes 201 BHP and 250 Nm and the car's claimed 0-100 km/h time is 8.6 seconds. The battery capacity remains the same at 66.4 kWh and the car has a claimed range of 531 km. Now that the specifications are out of the way, let’s get to the driving part. Right from the get-go, you will appreciate the smoothness of the motor. That is not unexpected as EVs, in general, are known to provide a very smooth driving experience. The calibration of the accelerator is also nice which makes the car pretty easy to drive. Your morning commute in bumper-to-bumper traffic should be comfortable.

The iX1 gets drive modes which can be accessed by pressing a button on the center console. However, this button only opens up the drive mode selector on the touchscreen. You now have to shift to the screen to select the desired drive mode. I found this to be cumbersome. Once you are in the menu, you can select the efficient mode which is perfect for the city. It dulls the accelerator response and hence, makes the driving experience smoother. There’s still enough punch in the motor to tackle the city traffic and make quick overtakes.

Out on the highway is where you can flex your right foot and get to feel some of that instant torque from the electric motor. Of course, it is not as fast as the outgoing iX1 as it doesn’t have the dual motor setup anymore, but it’s still quick. When in D, tap the transmission selector down one more time to activate B mode. This is where you get the maximum power from the motor and can feel the full potential. Yes, it drains the battery that much faster, but by selecting Sport mode from the screen and B mode on the selector, you got yourself a quick car. You even hear the motor in the cabin deploying all that power to the front wheels. Highway overtakes are handled with ease and you don’t have to think twice. Compared to some of the other cars in the segment, the iX1 isn’t as quick, but it still has enough power for Indian roads.

Regenerative Braking

You can adjust the regenerative braking in the iX1, but it’s not easily accessible like a button on the centre console or paddle shifters. You have to do it through the touchscreen which can get annoying while driving. There are 4 modes of regenerative braking to choose from – Low, Moderate, High and Adaptive. In the adaptive setting, the car decides the amount of regeneration needed as per the throttle inputs. I didn’t find this mode to be very intuitive and preferred having the car in low regeneration mode. In the B mode, one-pedal driving is activated.

Noise, Vibration & Harshness (NVH)

As expected of an EV, the cabin is super quiet. The only noise you will hear in the cabin is the motor noise when you press down the accelerator. There’s also a silent mode (in the drive modes) which, as the name suggests, makes everything go silent. You can hear a bit of tyre noise when driving at 100 km/h, but it’s not excessive.

Bonnet gets insulation underneath:

Range

BMW claims an MIDC range of 531 km, but in a real-world scenario, you can expect a range of 400-450km, which is fair. Within the efficient mode, there’s an option of maximizing the range which can be used when you’re running low on battery. In this mode, the maximum speed is limited to 90 km/h and the air conditioner's performance is also reduced. In case you run out of charge, BMW has an RSA service that will rescue you with a portable fast charger.

Charging

To charge the 66.4 kWh battery pack, there are AC and DC charging options. It takes 6 hours and 30 minutes to charge the battery from 0-100% with a 11 kW AC charger. When it comes to DC fast charging, the iX1 can use a 130 kW charger, which takes 29 minutes to charge the battery from 10-80%. With a 50 kW DC fast charger, you will be able to get a 100 km range in about 19 minutes.

Through the My BMW app, you can plan your charging spots on your road trip route. BMW has set up about 300 chargers at various resorts and corporate parks around India. Apart from these, there are about 5,000 3rd party chargers that have been verified by BMW which will show up on the app as well. You can even pre-book your charger through the app. The payment is to be made through the app and if you’re not very tech-savvy, customer care allows you to pay through a link.

Charging port is located in the same location as the fuel filler of the ICE version:

Suspension

Ride Comfort

When we drove the X1 diesel, we found its suspension to be compliant. It was on the stiffer side, but comfortable enough. In most cases, when the electric vehicle is based on the IC engine platform, the suspension is stiffened up to account for the heavy battery placed in the floor. This makes the ride quality pretty stiff and you feel everything on the road. This is the case with the iX1 as well. The suspension setup has a firm edge to it which is why you feel a lot of the road. While driving around in the city, small to medium-sized potholes are handled fairly well, but you still feel them in the cabin. There is also noticeable body movement when going over bad roads. Build up some speed and like most European cars, the ride gets better. However, you still feel the expansion joints and undulations. The 18-inch wheels with 225/55 section tyres aren’t that big of a contributor to the stiffness. The chassis itself is firm which contributes to the stiff ride.

Handling & Dynamics

Straight line stability is great and the car feels solid while doing highway speeds. The car masks speed with ease and you can cruise at triple-digit speeds till the charge runs out. You do need to be mindful of the expansion joints and sudden dips on the highways as you feel them in the cabin. The iX1 with its long wheelbase and only a front wheel drive configuration is obviously not as sporty as the outgoing car which had a shorter wheelbase and an all-wheel-drive configuration. However, in its own right, the iX1 handles well. The front end is sharp and eager to turn in. On high-speed curves, the car holds its line well and doesn’t lose composure. The 225/55 R18 Bridgestone Turanza tyres provide enough grip for the power on tap. The iX1, however, doesn’t feel like a car you would want to go pushing hard around corners. It is big and not as engaging to drive as some of the other BMWs.

Steering

The electric power steering of the iX1 is super light which makes it a breeze to use in the city. Most people will appreciate the light steering with the electric motor as you get a very smooth driving experience. The steering weighs up on the highway and you can stiffen it up even more by switching to Sport mode. It doesn’t feel nervous while cruising on the highways. While the steering is accurate and fairly direct, it feels light even in Sport mode and lacks feedback. As mentioned earlier, this is a car you wouldn’t want to drive very hard.

Braking

Like most EVs, the brake pedal has a spongy feel to it and doesn't feel very progressive. However, the all-wheel disc brake setup provides good braking performance. Even under hard braking, the car comes to a halt without any drama.

[Omkar]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line.

[sunikkat]

Good review.

It’s a great entry point for BMW. I am sure it will find a lot of buyers, especially young professionals looking for a luxury brand. I wouldn’t be surprised if this and X1 compliment and compete each other and inturn increasing the overall sales for BMW.

Only catch is 49 lakhs seems to be the introductory price. Having seen the way luxury car prices have gone up in past few years, soon they might increase too and thus taking off the VFM part.

[abhisheksahas]

Thank you for the detailed review.

I expect the iX1L to be a really good luxury car for buyers upgrading into the BMW family. It soothes most concerns a prospective buyer into the luxury segment might have had - running costs, maintenance costs, acquisition cost etc.

I expect this card to do great numbers for BMW, potentially could be their best selling car in 2025-2026. Beyond contributing to the companies cash flow, I also expect a net positive impact on their scorecard for the CAFE norms - which in turn would allow BMW to offer more performant ICE models in the future.

[sunikkat]

One thing I missed in my earlier post, when I did a quick search, this car has a maximum speed of 180kmph. Even BYD Seal AWD has a top speed of 180kmph. Are these electrically limited speed or general capability of EVs?

[agambhandari]

Originally Posted by sunikkat

One thing I missed in my earlier post, when I did a quick search, this car has a maximum speed of 180kmph. Even BYD Seal AWD has a top speed of 180kmph. Are these electrically limited speed or general capability of EVs?

Limited to keep the consumption in check. So no user faces a freakishly small range at autobahn speeds.

[Auto spawn]

Drove the iX1 and the petrol X1 back to back
Few observations:

The iX1 takes off well and you won’t be left wanting for more. On the other hand, the petrol X1 needs a little push in the start till the turbo kicks in.

I could get a hint of vibration from the steering on the petrol X1 - possibly owing to the three cylinder tech. The steering on the X1 feels better and more responsive. The iX1 steering feels closer to a Hyundai than a BMW.

X1 has a better ride quality, of course when compared to the stiff iX1 due to its heavy weight

The iX1 is much roomier on the inside compared to the standard X1

The service for iX1 is once every two years, so that should bring the service costs down even more!

[Kelly66]

Nice and detailed review, @Omkar!

I am sure those who don't have a problem with charging will give this a serious consideration over the X1 Petrol or Diesel.

More spacious, more powerful, feature rich and super VFM.

BTW, is the OS9 based on Android or Linux? If it's the former, can we install apps from Play Store and view it on the display.

Sad that Idrive 8.5 users can't upgrade to 9.

Cheers!

[facelyft]

I am checking the specifications closely and read this review twice already. Considering whether we can replace our X3 which is doing a great job as a daily runner. 20D-Xdrive-2017. I am sure, I am going to miss the all-wheel-drive and that 400 Nm torque of my diesel. I am contemplating whether all that 2025 tech and EV silence is worth trading for a super efficient and powerful diesel engine. Please help.

[gnome]

I test drove this last week. There's two reasons I cannot buy this -
- Rear seat is quite uncomfortable, even for a 5.5 foot person. Despite the legroom being very generous, there just is not enough thigh support. With so much space, I don't understand why they did not prioritise on ergonomics. May be an after-market backseat with elongated thigh support can fix this?
- No space provided for spare tire. For long journeys, that is a must-have. Add that to the trunk, and luggage space is very limited.
To give a comparison, even Jazz has better backseat comfort and luggage space than this.

Just another driver-focussed European car, this time at a decent price.

[n:CorE]

Excellent review, Omkar and team! Thank you for sharing.

This is not the review I was hoping for, it is sad to see that BMW has missed the mark in terms of ride quality, on an LWB model no less. You do tend to expect some level of stiffness in European cars but from what I gather, this seems to be beyond that threshold. I was excited with this launch but it all seems to be coming crashing down.

Originally Posted by Omkar

..Doesn’t get some of the features that the regular X1 gets (extendable seat bases on the front seats, lumbar support, massage function). Also missing are ventilated seats, head-up display, 360-degree camera, rear sunshade...

The lack of equipment on an "M-sport" model is bizarre. The Creta's & Seltos' of the world offer more at half the price. With xDrive out of this equation, to my eyes, it's a straight FWD tete-a-tete.

Originally Posted by facelyft

I am checking the specifications closely and read this review twice already. Considering whether we can replace our X3 which is doing a great job as a daily runner. 20D-Xdrive-2017. I am sure, I am going to miss the all-wheel-drive and that 400 Nm torque of my diesel. I am contemplating whether all that 2025 tech and EV silence is worth trading for a super efficient and powerful diesel engine. Please help.

From one F25 (30d xDrive) owner to another, I'd advise against looking at this as a replacement. To me, the numbers are way off, as are the driving dynamics, and ride. A tank of diesel will take you twice the distance a full charge on the iX1L will last you. It's too much of a compromise just for tech and EV silence in my opinion.

Originally Posted by gnome

I test drove this last week. There's two reasons I cannot buy this -
- Rear seat is quite uncomfortable, even for a 5.5 foot person. Despite the legroom being very generous, there just is not enough thigh support. With so much space, I don't understand why they did not prioritise on ergonomics. May be an after-market backseat with elongated thigh support can fix this?
- No space provided for spare tire. For long journeys, that is a must-have. Add that to the trunk, and luggage space is very limited.
To give a comparison, even Jazz has better backseat comfort and luggage space than this.

Just another driver-focussed European car, this time at a decent price.

This sounds grim, and will be a deal-breaker for most buyers in this segment. I would reserve my final verdict after having experienced the product first-hand. For now, I would stick with what I have said elsewhere on the forum.

Originally Posted by n:CorE

...If I were in the market, I'd wait until the next BMW discount season kicks in. Luxury EVs don't usually tend to fly off the shelves.

[facelyft]

Originally Posted by n:CorE

From one F25 (30d xDrive) owner to another, I'd advise against looking at this as a replacement. To me, the numbers are way off, as are the driving dynamics, and ride. A tank of diesel will take you twice the distance a full charge on the iX1L will last you.

Can't agree more. I live in suburbs where a properly laid tarmac is a rarity. And I am into construction industry; again, rough terrain and slush. A-W-D combined with that ground clearance helped our family enormously to develop a go-anywhere-attitude in all these years of ownership.

From a financial view point, I am also curious to know how much my X3 would fetch (as an exchange value) out of that 49L. Just a vague math; if my x3 covers about 50% or so, EMI for that balance amount wouldn't be pinching our pockets too hard. Plus, when I exchange ix1L after a couple of years; I guess, BMW may offer some interesting buyback option too.

First things first; scheduled a test drive. I wish, my head takes over the heart to make this decision. Fingers crossed.