An SUV coupé usually begins with an awkward sales pitch: pay for a large car, then let the sloping roof remove some of the largeness. The new electric BMW iX4 arrives with a much better opening line. In 50 xDrive form, it is provisionally rated for up to 514 miles on the WLTP cycle.
That does not make the chopped roof free of compromise, but it gives the iX4 a reason to exist beyond looking moodier outside a gym. A claimed range beginning with a five is serious touring territory, especially when it comes with 400kW charging and enough performance to make the ‘coupé’ part feel like more than marketing punctuation.
The sensible flagship is the 50 xDrive
The iX4 50 xDrive combines two motors with a 108.7kWh usable battery. BMW quotes 345kW, 645Nm and 0–62mph in 4.9 seconds. That is brisk enough to rearrange luggage without turning every traffic-light departure into a public audition.
More persuasive is the charging claim. At a compatible high-power charger, BMW says ten minutes can add as much as 240 miles of WLTP range. The infrastructure has to deliver the full rate and the battery must be in the right condition, so nobody should set a stopwatch beside the plug and start composing an angry email at nine minutes. Yet the combination of 514 miles and very rapid replenishment is exactly what a premium long-distance EV ought to chase.
The cheaper 40 xDrive still has two motors, producing 275kW and 520Nm, with a provisional maximum range of 396 miles. That sounds like the quietly rational member of the family. It reaches 62mph in 5.6 seconds, which is already more acceleration than most journeys can use without dislodging the shopping.
Style finally has to earn its keep
BMW describes the iX4 as a Sports Activity Coupé, a phrase engineered to avoid admitting that somebody lowered the back of an SUV roof. The long wheelbase and short overhangs are joined by a sweeping upper line, slim rear lamps and a pronounced spoiler with an integrated brake light. From the front it wears the new Neue Klasse face; the rear does the harder work of giving this car its own identity.
There is a pleasing tension here. The body is meant to look less practical, but the technology underneath is obsessed with useful distance. BMW also claims the electric-only architecture leaves generous legroom and ample headroom beneath the sloping roof. Buyers should still sit in the back before believing any coupé-shaped brochure, preferably while wearing the hairstyle they intend to keep.
A panoramic roof with climate-comfort glazing is standard, which should stop the cabin feeling like the lower deck of a fashionable ferry. Twenty-inch M wheels and blue brake callipers are standard too, while 22-inch wheels remain available for anyone determined to make potholes a recurring subscription.
The M60 is impressive, but it is not the point
An iX4 M60 xDrive follows the two launch versions. Its dual motors produce 450kW and 875Nm, cutting the 0–62mph time to 3.9 seconds. BMW still quotes up to 483 miles of provisional range, so the fast one has not forgotten its passport and packed only racing shoes.
It gets adaptive M suspension, variable-ratio steering and an electronically controlled locking differential at the rear. Those pieces are more interesting than another enormous power number because they are intended to organise the mass and torque rather than merely advertise them. BMW’s Heart of Joy computer coordinates the powertrain and driving-dynamics functions, supposedly working ten times faster than previous systems.
The M60 also receives yellow lighting elements, special bumpers and extra illuminated theatre. Fine. A performance model is allowed to show off. The ordinary iX4’s stronger achievement is making the range figure the most dramatic part of the specification.
Britain still needs the important numbers
BMW says the first two variants launch in March 2027, with the M60 following shortly afterwards. The global press material reviewed here does not give confirmed UK prices, and those will decide whether the iX4 is an appealing alternative or an expensive tax on a roofline.
That judgement can wait. For now, the 50 xDrive has found a convincing answer to the SUV-coupé question. It sacrifices some visual restraint, then offers the sort of range and charging ability that could remove restraint from a weekend plan. If the real car delivers close to that promise, the iX4 will not need to apologise for being less square. It will simply need to avoid being vastly more expensive.
Sources
- Auto Express: BMW iX4 reveal report
- BMW Group PressClub: The new BMW iX4
- BMW Group PressClub: BMW iX4 photo P90659268
- BMW Group PressClub: Legal Notices
Image credit: BMW Group
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