By the numbers: BMW iX M60

Tuesday, 17 January 2023

Take a look at the features of the all-new BMW iX (Supplied)

BMW’s iX is a big, burly barge of luxury, coming to New Zealand in three flavours. There’s the entry xDrive 40, starting at $169,600, then the xDrive 50 from $204,800.

We quite liked the 50 last year, with its huge amount of tech, brilliant ride quality and brutal performance, despite its polarising looks (which are better in person, promise).

By that logic, it stands to reason the even gruntier M60 should be the best of the lot, right?

The black paint looks much better with the gold trim than the maroon of the xDrive50.

Let’s have a look at some of the numbers and see how it stacks up.

**READ MORE:

It’s not what you’d call affordable though...

* Road test review: BMW iX xDrive50

* First Drive Review: BMW iX3

That M badge means there’s a huge amount of power lurking beneath the skin.

* BMW prices all-electric iX SUV for New Zealand

* BMW reveals 'Bahn-storming all-electric i4

The rear end squats and the nose points to the sky when you fire off launch control.

238,900

The B&W surround sound system, indicated by that centre speaker, is absolutely brilliant.

Thought we’d bite this bullet early. That’s the price of the iX M60, and it’s a fair old whack above the $204,800 xDrive50.

But consider the M60 gets almost every option available as standard. That includes Laserlight adaptive headlights, four-zone climate control, adaptive air suspension, heated seats front and rear with ventilation on the fronts, heating elements in the armrests, steering wheel and panels in the doors and instrument panel, as well as BMW’s full driving assistance package.

And, because it's the full-fat M version of the iX, you also get launch control, improved steering, a racier all-wheel drive system, and a ridiculous amount of power. Not to mention…

Unfortunately, the sheer weight of the thing means it’s still not brilliant to actually drive.

1100

… Newton metres of torque. That's a massive amount of twist, enough to sling the 2.6-tonne SUV to 100kph in comfortably under four seconds.

It rocks the whole car back on its rear wheels when you pin the throttle, and the special M-spec sounds shared with the i4 M50 give it some theatre. When you do use launch control, the whole car shakes and vibrates, like it's straining to be let loose. Very cool.

The power, combined with M's work on the chassis and steering, makes the M60 a better car to drive hard than the xDrive50 as well. It's still not great, the steering is accurate but somewhat numb, and there isn't much in the way of engagement across the board, which only fuels my disdain of 'performance SUVs'.

To me, an SUV should always be comfort and practicality first. Giving the iX to M means sacrificing some of the comfort in favour of driving capabilities, because lower, harder suspension corners better. Thankfully the air suspension here can encompass both ends of the spectrum reasonably well, but why not just focus on doing comfort really well? And who actually needs a family SUV that can do 100kph in less than four seconds?

1615

Taking a breath and moving on, one big reason why you would want the M60 (any iX, really, but the M60 has it as standard) is the immense Bowers and Wilkins 1615-watt stereo system.

Featuring no fewer than 30 speakers, it’s seriously, seriously good, worth every penny of its usual $8500 extra cost. Like most music, it’s better when cranked, and when it’s cranked it literally shakes the entire car. Including the four main seats, each of which have a carbon fibre subwoofer. There are also speakers in the headliner and eight headrest speakers.

The front seats also get what B&W calls ‘4D Exciters’, which are two speakers built into the backrests of the seats, designed to amplify how bass notes are felt, as well as how they’re heard. They work really well, and can be turned up or down through the infotainment system.

2634

You might be able to guess this one. It’s the M60’s curb weight, mentioned again for reasons I’ve already dived into.

The M60 is a bit of a porker, and you really feel it at speed in the corners. Around town, it’s surprisingly easy-going, its physical size not actually mattering that much. Like the other iX models, it’s roughly the same length as the X5, the same height as the X6, with the same wheel size as the X7.

Doesn’t make the nose any easier to digest though, it’s still quite large, although the three-quarter view is much nicer in person than in photos. There’s also the tacky “crystal” switches inside, which can be optioned out in lesser iX models but not the M60.

If it were my money? I’d get the xDrive 40 for $169,600, add that B&W stereo and a few other tweaks, and save the money. Or I’d get the brilliant i4 M50 for $137,900 and be even happier, with even more money in the bank.