It’s practical, too. The iX1 gets a useful 490 litre boot capacity and a cubby beneath the boot floor that’s big enough for a couple of cables, while the rear seats split and fold in a 40/20/40 format. The rear seatback also recline in a 60/40 split, but they don’t slide, as they do in the non plug-in X1 models that share this new ‘UKL’ platform.
In the iX1, the rear seats are fixed, and you also have a slightly higher floor in relation to the seat cushion, which can make rear passengers with longer legs feel like their knees are bent up a bit uncomfortably. Other than that, leg- and headroom are decent enough to make life easy for two adults sat on the rear bench.
As for how it drives? We spent time in a pre-production car around BMW’s factory in Regensburg, and we can confirm that the iX1 is properly fast. As you’d expect, given the dual electric motors – one on each axle – which manage a combined 364lb ft. Even without Sport mode engaged the iX1 is seriously punchy. Engage Boost mode, which you do by pulling the paddle on the wheel, and you get 10-seconds of comical acceleration.
Let’s face it, the Boost paddle is something of a gimmick, but it’s a fun one that can certainly help with the odd rapid overtake. If you do enjoy your weird gimmicks and electronica in modern cars, try the Energise mode.
This is found in the drive modes, and brings with it a colourful, artistic wallpaper across the screen and gently pulsing background noise that sounds like a muted, metronomic strimmer. Accelerate hard, and this suddenly morphs into what could be mistaken for an augmented elephant being tortured. Odd.
Anyway, back to the point – while it would lag behind the ever drag-ready Tesla Model Y, the BMW iX1 is a rapid family car, Boost mode or not.
It’s not a terribly engaging one, though. We’re still waiting for an electric SUV to come along and handle as well as the Jaguar I-Pace, but none have managed it yet – and we include the iX1 in that.