2023 BMW iX M60

The exterior of my loaner iX M60 was coated in Storm Bay Metallic color. Under that wrapper is a body constructed from Aluminum Spaceframe with Carbon Core technology including Carbon-Fiber Reinforced Plastic side frame and rear. The iX M60 Sports Activity Vehicle (SAV) comes standard with 21-inch Aero Bi-Color Wheels wearing all-season tires.

The software brain to which all control systems are connected to is the latest BMW Operating System 8, which interacts with the occupants through Live Cockpit Pro with BMW Curved Display spanning a configurable instrument cluster and center infotainment display. The combined display is filled with information. So much so that it can be distracting. I found myself taking my eyes off the road for too long a period of time. One of the best features was the Bowers and Wilkins Diamond Surround System. The sound was clear, concise, and made you feel like you were directly in front of the musicians.

One-year subscription to SiriusXM with 360L, dual front USB-C ports and four rear USB-C power delivery sockets, interior camera, quad-zone climate control, automatic high beams, and adaptive cruise control accompany the iX M60’s Perforated Sensatec upholstered heated/ventilated seats. The infotainment suite mentioned above had a home/menu screen that was challenging, unless my 18-year old grandson was sitting next to me, suggesting prompts. We never could get The Natural Speech Voice Commands to work; I never could effectively get it to work through the usual “Hey BMW” wake up command, and the gesture control.

The iX M60 delivers up to 280 miles of all-electric range, with a charging time is 12 hours. The mileage converts to 77 MPGe city and 80 MPGe highway, and the raw energy consumption works out to 43 kW per 100 miles. A pair of electric motors distribute power to each axle, totaling 532 horsepower and 749 lb-ft of torque. This is good enough to push this 5,769-lb SAV from stop to 60 mph in 3.6 seconds. Multiple energy recuperation modes and the 111.5 kWh high voltage lithium-ion battery pack make up the heart of this vehicle’s range and performance. BMW has slotted the iX in the midsize SAV lineup.

The cabin is well-lit and airy with neat details, like back-lit open-pore wood and glass controls. Heated steering wheel, armrests, and seats made for a nice atmosphere on cold days. The driving performance was better than average, especially in the curve

Acoustic pedestrian protection, interior camera, Active Park Distance Control, and Safe Exit are some of the remarkable standard safety features. Active Driving Assistant bundles the usual safety features like Blindspot Detection and Lane Departure Warning. Active Protection System detects imminent accidents and activates safety measures such as pre-tensioning seat belts and closing windows.

Temperature reading and the clock were hard to find because they were either too small to see or inconveniently located on the screen. Some gauges were surrounded by silver borders which often reflected the bright sunlight. This might look great aesthetically, but is not practical on hot, sunny days.

The vehicle is not rated by the Governments NHTSA 5-Star Safety Rating as of this writing.

Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price for the 2023 BMW iX M60 starts at $105,100.

Warranty
4 years/50,000 miles New Vehicle Limited Warranty plus 4-years Maintenance Plan
8 years/100,000 miles High-Voltage Battery Warranty
12 years unlimited mileage Rust Perforation Limited Warranty
4 years/unlimited mileage Road Assistance Program

Durhl Caussey writes a car column read around the world. He may be reached at this paper or [email protected].