BMW iX2 Review 2024

Your choice of family-sized electric SUVs is growing by the day, but the BMW iX2 has two things on its side. One, that BMW badge on the nose, which is all some buyers will need once they’ve settled on a car of this size and price, and two, the engineering integrity that comes with that badge, from the on-board tech to the way it gets down the road. An official range estimate of more than 250 miles won’t hurt, either, being competitive if not class-leading.

We expect the more traditionally SUV-shaped iX1 to still be the more popular choice, but those are something a little more exclusive now how the iX2 to pick from. 

BMW has kept things nice and simple with the trims available for the iX2, as there's only one. It's the popular and desirable M Sport spec, so the only big decision will be what kind of range and performance you want.

The dual-motor xDrive30 is certainly quick - in fact, it matches the petrol X2 M35i's performance but bettering its refinement and running costs, but we reckon the more affordable single-motor iX2 eDrive20 is the one to go for. It extends the maximum range from 266 to 297 miles, while there should be ample power on offer. 

BMW’s most natural rivals are always those from Audi and Mercedes-Benz, but only the former has a true alternative to the iX2 in the shape of the Audi Q4 Sportback e-tron. Audi promises slightly more range, at up to 328 miles depending on spec, but the BMW’s a sportier drive. The closest Mercedes is the EQA, which is a little smaller and not so rakish. There's also the Volvo C40 Recharge (now renamed EC40 helpfully) if you're looking for a premium EV not from Germany.

Cast your net further afield and everything from the Ford Mustang Mach-E to the Skoda Enyaq iV, which fall within the iX2’s £50,000 price bracket. Neither has the BMW’s image, but you do get more space for your money. 

No complaints here; like other recent BMWs, the iX2 feels tightly constructed and gives you the sense it’ll remain that way for some time to come. The door handles have a satisfyingly chunky feel and while BMW has clearly prioritised the look and feel of the upper surfaces of the dashboard and door cards over those lower down, everything you’re likely to touch or interact with is trimmed in upmarket materials like leather (or its vegan equivalent) and aluminium. You’ll listen in vain for any creaks or rattles on the move, too, which can’t be said for some Mercedes at this price point.

The BMW iX2’s curved instrument and infotainment display uses the firm’s latest ninth-generation operating system. It’s been developed in-house and works predictably well, just as the last few generations have. The benefits here are faster processing and, in BMW’s words, operation carefully geared towards both touchscreen use and voice control.

We’ve not tried the voice control but the touchscreen is generally quick and intuitive to use, and while most notable functions are now touchscreen-only (such as controlling the heating), they’re just about easy enough to prod or swipe at on the move. The exceptions are those for controlling the stereo, though the physical steering wheel buttons make more sense than their counterparts down by the drive selector switch.

The BMW iX2’s upright charging pad for your phone is quite a nice touch, with a rollercoaster style safety bar to clasp it in place. And if you’re prepared to pay a subscription to BMW Digital Premium, the infotainment system can offer everything from gaming to audio and video streaming too.

Rear space arguably suffers more than boot space in the BMW iX2, as its 525-litre capacity with the rear seats up is actually larger than that of the iX1 – the car’s extra length giving it an advantage here. 40/20/40-split seats folded that expands to 1400 litres, which is admittedly less than the squarer-backed iX1’s 1495 litres, and the sloping roof will make it a little less dog-friendly too, but this isn’t a coupe-SUV where luggage space is notably compromised. Despite the batteries underneath it’s only marginally smaller than that of the petrol X2, too, with its 560-1470 litre capacity.

You do get a few places to put odds and sods around the cabin too. We’ve already covered the charging pad, but the bridge-style centre console gives you a decent (if slightly awkward to access) space beneath, there are a pair of cupholders between the console and the charging pad, door bins front and rear (also slightly awkward in shape) and a glovebox.

The BMW iX2 xDrive30 arriving first makes use of an electric motor on each axle, for a combined output of 313PS. The battery meanwhile has a usable capacity of 64.8kWh. As noted above the combo is good for 0-62mph in 5.6 seconds, which is only a touch behind the lighter but similarly powerful petrol X2 M35i (at 5.4 seconds), but a little further off a comparably priced dual-motor Tesla Model Y Long Range, with a 0-60mph (rather than 62mph) time of 4.8 seconds.

The BMW iX2 eDrive20 uses the same battery pack but its single motor powers the front wheels alone. As you'd expect, performance is a little down on the dual-motor car, taking 8.3 seconds to hit 62mph, though it does offer a longer range of up to 297 miles. 

Both BMW iX2 variants offer a respectable if not class-leading range. The iX2 eDrive20 coming along later will get you the furthest, with a claimed range of 273 to 297 miles depending on specification, while with dual motors and more performance, the iX2 xDrive30 drops to 259-266 miles.

From a 64.8kWh usable capacity, that equates to efficiency of about 4.1 miles per kilowatt-hour (miles/kWh). We didn’t quite see that on our drive, but a figure that hovered around 3 miles/kWh during our drive isn’t bad at all considering it involved a fair amount of brisk driving on quite twisty roads – we’ve seen less efficiency in relatively ‘normal’ driving in other EVs. We reckon you can expect a realistic, usable range of comfortably over 200 miles in regular driving in mild weather.

Electric cars are always off to a good start with refinement and predictably enough, the BMW iX2 is quiet and refined in almost all driving scenarios. At motorway speeds you’ll notice some wind rustle and tyre roar (particularly on larger wheel and tyre combinations) which may be exacerbated by poor surfaces, but it’s far from excessive. The most prominent noises are the Hans Zimmer-designed whooshes and zooms under harder acceleration, and there are a fair few to choose from depending on driving mode, but you can turn these off for near-silent running.

As an all-new model BMW has of course kept the iX2 right up to date with its latest safety and assistance systems. So while it hasn’t yet been crunched into a deformable barrier by Euro NCAP (though the most recent X1 on which the iX2 is based is a five-star car), the standard fitment of forward collision warning, cruise control with braking, speed limit and lane departure warnings, and a parking assistant should all make life a little safer and easier, while optional features include everything from active cruise control with stop and go, to drive and theft recorder systems.

It’s too soon to comment on the iX2 specifically, so we’ll likely find out in a year or two how iX2 owners find their cars over a longer term. BMW typically achieves fairly average results in customer satisfaction surveys when it comes to reliability, though given the theoretical simplicity of an electric drivetrain, the iX2 may be off to a good start.

The BMW iX2's insurance covers groups 31-38, so about the same compared to the iX2 and very similar to the Audi Q4 e-tron, and significantly lower than the Mercedes EQA. 

As an electric car, VED or ‘road tax’ on the BMW iX2 is currently completely free, both in the first year of registration and every year going forward – and this also means avoiding a surcharge for the car’s list price being more than £40,000. This is of course subject to change depending on future government Budgets though.

There’s only one BMW iX2 trim level at the moment, M Sport, which makes things simple. Whether you opt for the eDrive20 or xDrive30, standard kit includes 19-inch M alloy wheels, an automatic tailgate, BMW ‘IconicSounds’ (the drive sounds co-developed with composer Hans Zimmer), gloss black exterior trim with a rear spoiler, adaptive LED headlights, and M adaptive suspension. Inside, you get front sports seats with Alcantara and Veganza (vegan leather) trim, the curved BMW Live Cockpit Plus display with a 10.25-inch instrument panel and 10.7in central display, cruise control, auto lights and wipers, ambient lighting, a panoramic sunroof, and an M leather-trimmed steering wheel.