Ian Lamming feels a seismic shift in motoring in the new BMW iX M60
OUTNUMBERED for the first time, the few remaining combustion engines start to look and feel like dinosaurs.
It’s one of the best days of the year, the annual test programme organised by the Society of Motor Manufactures and Traders, when lines of cars stretch before you leaving you salivating like a child in a sweet shop.
But this year it is different with only a couple of diesel pick-ups and one sporty petrol head courtesy of Alfa Romeo and its bonkers Giulia Quadrifoglio.
What grabs the most attention is the totally futuristic BMW electric SUV, the iX M60. The last time I saw a vehicle this contemporary it was being driven by Judge Dredd or at least a Thunderbirds puppet.
The iX has the aesthetics of something equipped to fight aliens. It has an air of stealth fighter in its lines, a superfluous kidney front grille only there for BMW branding reasons and to house a load of camera and radar technology and proportions to frighten small children.
It’s not surprising that it is named after a deadly machine gun. At any minute you expect to see an armoury pop out of its skin, anti-missile flares fly out the top and mines drop from its tail. I love it but then I was weaned on weapons of mass destruction.
Inside, I begin to wonder whether I am actually in a car at all or some sort of Star Wars spaceship. The steering wheel is squared off and chunky – very F1 – the dash is completely dominated by two glass displays, the first housing virtual clocks, the other the size of a widescreen tele. “Aye captain, it’s a car, but not as we know it.” Affirmative Scotty.
With all that tech there is little need for knobs and buttons leaving the interior clean, minimalist and covered in the best quality fabrics and plastics. Even the panoramic sunroof is hi-tech – photochromatic – switching from clear to opaque at the dab of a button.
It is a joyous place in which to ride and it feels like you could pilot it from here to eternity. So if the looks and interior receive big ticks, what about dynamics? Well, have you ever met a BMW you didn’t love to drive? No, me neither. BMW are all about the drive and the M60 was never going to be an exception.
So this particular iX comes with two powerful motors and all-wheel-drive. There is close to 620hp and 1,100Nm of torque on tap and if you engage the F1-style launch control it will hit 60mph in around 3.5 seconds. That is the stuff of supercars all wrapped up in a behemoth SUV, which is insane. Being electric it is not just quick off the mark but enjoys space-shuttle levels of thrust right across the seamless power range making it a stunning tool for overtakes. Air suspension offers peerless ride and handling.
All this incredible performance and somehow BMW also manages to give it a decent claimed range of 348 miles, so you should never have to slug it out with others at a supermarket or service station charging point. The BMW iX really does blitz it.
Of course, if you haven’t got £120K to spend you might have to drop down to a Mini EV, but if you are still looking for a bit of clean fun you won’t really mind. Plenty of oomph but a only a limited mileage of around 100 miles per full charge will leave you scratching your head about the benefits and working out the logistics.
If EVs are a step too far then DS offers the chance of have the futuristic looks and interior, supreme ride, power and economy of an electric motor but the safety net of a petrol engine. DS4 E-Tense is a stylish plug-in hybrid offering a total of 225hp and the chance do to 40 miles on battery alone. If you like diamonds you will love it.
If you fancy going topless but don’t want to be cramped, there’s a very nice looking VW T-Roc cabriolet that remains practical but has 92 million miles of headroom with the hood down.
And if you are a stalwart combustion engine person, they don’t come any better than an AT35, an Arctic Trucks Isuzu D-Max pick-up, with its retro sounding oil burner and go-anywhere – and I mean anywhere – capability. Just watch the first step getting out, it’s a big one.
There are some motorists who feel despair at the state of flux in which the car industry finds itself. Not me, because the sheer choice goes from infinity to beyond.
Fact File
BMW iX M60
Motors: Twin electric, 4WD
Power: 619HP
0-62mph: 3.8 secs
Top speed: 155mph
Range: 348 miles
Transmission: eight speed automatic
CO2 g/km: 0
Price: £120,000.00
