A battery-electric version of the BMW X5 has been a long time coming, but the BMW iX5 is finally here. The iX5 seeks to bring the blend of premium comfort, cutting-edge tech, and BMW’s trademark driving dynamics of the X5, then push it forward with the most modern of powertrains and the German automaker’s Neue Klasse styling language. The iX5 promises plentiful power and range, and we spent some time in Southern California exploring that promise.

The iX5 starts its career with one version, the BMW iX5 60 xDrive. While this is the first iX5, the underlying powertrain is the sixth-generation BMW eDrive technology – an 800V system delivering significantly increased range, faster charging, and bidirectional charging capability than before. It’s a richly engineered technical powertrain, but the headline numbers are 570 horsepower with an estimated 435 miles of range.

Technology is another big selling point for the iX5, and includes BMW’s brilliant new Panoramic iDrive system and the infotainment underpinned by Operating System X software. To call the iX5’s tech capability extensive is an understatement, as it covers everything from in-car connectivity and entertainment to a Level 2 autonomous driver-aid system. Here’s everything you need to know.

What Is It?

The BMW iX5 is a new version of the X5 arriving for the 2027 model year, sporting an all-electric powertrain, a lengthy list of cutting-edge technology, and the ride and comfort that’s underpinned the continuing success of the BMW X5.

Design: Not Subtle

BMW calls the new X5 and iX5 a monolithic design, but it’s not made of a single stone. Instead, the design aims to look like it was carved from a single piece of metal. While the kidney grille and double-X-themed lights are not subtle, hidden window seals creating the flush transitions between painted and glass surfaces certainly are. The new BMW Winglet door handles look like a gimmick, but they are very convenient to use and should be the long-term answer to over-engineered pop-out door handles.

The iX5’s styling can be supplemented with an M Sport Package or the M Sport Package Professional to sharpen things up even more while adding performance accouterments like Adaptive M Suspension, special 21-inch or 22-inch wheels, and M Sport brakes. Standard, the iX5 comes with 21-inch wheels, but can be upgraded with 22-inch and 23-inch units.

Overall, there are 10 wheel designs for the iX5 as part of the “extensive exterior personalization opportunities,” including five new paint colors: Space Silver metallic, Grey Pine metallic, Vancouver Green metallic, BMW Individual Frozen Tanzanite Blue metallic, and BMW Individual Frozen Space Silver metallic. The last two will arrive later, but the Space Silver metallic on our test model looks fantastic now.

Interior: Mid-21st Century Design In 2026

There’s a huge amount going on in the iX5’s cabin, yet it somehow manages to be uncluttered and spacious. The new seats manage to be plush yet supportive; the Panoramic iDrive puts important information just below the driver’s eyeline without being distracting; and the steering wheel manages to be oddly shaped while feeling completely natural to use.

Ian Wright/CarBuzz/Valnet

Soft-close doors are standard, as is the integrated and customizable ambient lighting that wraps from door to door, which is subtle compared to, say, Mercedes and its overbearing, cheap nightclub feel. Even more subtle, but just as effective, is the varied textures across materials, including the quilting on the door panels and instrument panel, and the slate material used on the center console control panel.

The overall feeling is one of airy spaciousness, with plenty of legroom in the back, and refined comfort. The only general downside is the unnecessarily large screen, which can be argued to be a matter of taste – but look closer and there is a lot of unused real estate when going through the menus. However, it comes into its own when displaying a map.

Infotainment: All The Technology

The Panoramic iDrive is the slim screen running across the bottom of the windshield, looking like it’s set under the hood. According to BMW, it “links displays, controls, and software into an intuitive, ergonomic system that presents relevant information clearly and at the right time.” It does just that by sitting just under the driver’s eyeline, so the eyes don’t have far to travel, with the less important information sitting further to the right.

While the screen size and shape will be divisive, there’s no arguing about how good BMW’s infotainment is and how sharp and responsive the screen is. Navigating the system is intuitive, but having to use the screen to adjust the air vents isn’t. That’s awkward and if you are precise about how you want air to blow, it’s downright irritating.

The passenger screen you see in the photos is optional, and an appropriate size, giving the passenger access to media controls and the ability to consume media while the car is moving. Unlike other brands’ screens, there isn’t an angled filter, so the driver can’t see video or games being played. Instead, the cameras following the driver’s eyes will pause what’s going on if the driver keeps glancing over.

The sound system upgrade is a Bowers & Wilkins Surround Sound System with Dolby Atmos, and it’s excellent. The bass is well controlled, and the highs are clear, but it doesn’t ignore the midrange at all. It has the true sign of a high-end system – it doesn’t need to be loud to appreciate.

Powertrain & Driving: Smooth, Quick, And Quiet

By definition, an all-electric powertrain is quiet and smooth, and when there’s plenty of power on tap that makes it perfect for a premium or luxury vehicle. The differentiation is in how the power is delivered, in the throttle response, and how easy it is to use one-pedal driving smoothly when available. For the iX5, the throttle response is smooth and feels linear, the one-pedal driving takes all of a minute or two to master, and when it comes to a stop, it’s with the soft touch of a chauffeur.

With 570 hp and 593 lb-ft of torque on tap, the iX5 is quick, and in normal traffic there’s always plenty in reserve. BMW estimates 4.4 seconds to 60 mph, but in the warm conditions we tested in, it might be a little underestimated. BMW has a habit of underestimating numbers, so we also wouldn’t be surprised if the estimated 435 miles of range ends up nearer 450 miles when the EPA publishes numbers.

BMW has never been about floaty suspension, but that doesn’t mean the iX5’s suspension doesn’t deal well with choppy road surfaces. Even in the M Sport mode, it’s easy to forget the suspension is working away to prevent lumps and bumps getting into the cabin while keeping the chassis flat and comfortable for passengers through corners. The standard piped in noise to replace engine and exhaust noise does the job of providing aural feedback without sounding over synthesized or intrusive.

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Speaking of unobtrusive, a single press of a button on the steering wheel activates BMW’s Level 2 driver assistance system. It really is a system that doesn’t want to get in the driver’s way or yank the steering about. The assistance is useful and never takes control away, and it is an excellent example of how driver assistance can be built in without becoming annoying. Highway Assist, if optioned, adds another layer, with hands-free use up to 85 mph, and it’s just as smooth and driver-friendly.

Our tester was fitted with the M Sport Package, and, of course, we gave it a little back road workout. The problem with performance for all-electric cars is weight, but the iX5 doesn’t feel heavy, even under heavy braking. The chassis is well-balanced, and the suspension and the two motors do a lot of work to mitigate the weight, pulling it off without feeling unnatural. As a result, the iX5 can turn in, hold a line, and pull itself out of the other side of the corner with vigor.

Verdict & Pricing: A Complete Package

The iX5 60 xDrive will start at $79,800 plus $1,450 destination, which puts it at the top of the X5 range as an $80,000+ vehicle. By the time options and packages are added, it will stretch out towards becoming a $90,000 SUV, which brings about the question of value for money. While it is a lot of money for a mid-size crossover, it is a truly exceptional mid-size crossover that puts more than a toe over the line from premium into luxury.​​​​​​​

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BMW has pulled many strands of development together to deliver its most popular vehicle as a complete all-electric package. The iX5 feels like the vehicle BMW has been working towards for a decade, making sure it gets it exactly right. While the main infotainment screen comes across as being big because a spreadsheet says that people want big screens, the rest of the iX5 doesn’t feel like a bunch of boxes have been ticked for its most mainstream vehicle – it feels exactly like the all-electric X5 that BMW wanted to make all along.