• iX cabin feels huge, bright and airy
• High-quality dashboard
• Techy infotainment is deceptively easy to use

How is the quality and layout?

BMW’s first electric car, the i3, had a gorgeous and avant-garde cabin filled with unconventional materials. The iX takes this theme and runs with it, making an interior that feels unlike almost anything else – though it’s a cliché to say it’s lounge-like, the similarities are there…

It’s wide-open and very airy, with the dashboard set low and covered in fabric or leather. The seats are wide and quilted, while the vast swathe of screens across the middle is dramatic. Even more dramatic is the optional glass roof, which doesn’t have a blind – instead, it’s an electrochromic panel that becomes opaque at the touch of a button.

You can even option a pack that replaces certain controls, including the gear selector, seat controls and infotainment dial, with faceted crystal. This borders on the gauche – some will love it, others will find it absolutely vile. We’re somewhere in the middle, as the controls do actually feel very nice under the finger – but on sunny days, they can throw crazy prism effects across the cabin.

More obvious regardless of which interior trim you choose is the quality on offer. The iX is beautifully built, with solidity and material quality Tesla owners can only dream of.

Infotainment and tech

The iX runs BMW’s latest operating system, colloquially known as iDrive but now officially called Operating System 8, which is less catchy. It’s controlled in a few ways – you can use the touchscreen or the rotary controller on the centre console, which would be our preferred choice. But there’s also voice or gesture control if you’re feeling adventurous.

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The interface is easy to use and well optimised for touch or rotary control, and the twin screens (12.3 and 14.5-inches for dials and infotainment respectively) are pin-sharp and look fantastic. Better yet is the integration of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone connectivity, which doesn’t run in a little window like on some rivals but instead integrates fully with the instrument panel. The phones connect wirelessly, too, helping keep the cabin clear of trailing wires – though if you’re using it for long periods you might find that the wireless charging pad can’t actually overcome the battery drain on your smartphone…

You’ll also find a head-up display and loads of USB-C connectivity, making the iX well up-to-date.

Comfort

• Seats are supportive and comfortable
• iX is extremely refined at speed
• All passengers well looked-after

All passengers are very well looked-after in the BMW iX. The front seats adjust a long way back and forth, while the driver’s seat has adjustable bolsters and lumbar support as well as a massage function.

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All four seats are heated and the front pair are ventilated, too, while multi-zone climate control can keep everybody at the right temperature. All passengers get a good view out, too, with large rear windows and the option for a massive glass roof.

And refinement is excellent even by electric car standards – the iX is superbly insulated, with wind and road noise very well suppressed.