When the BMW iX was first unveiled, I lost count of the negative comments in about thirteen seconds. Our social media pages had more mixed reviews but the comments sections on articles about the iX were brutal. Which was a bit odd to me because, of all the modern and controversial (rightly so) BMW designs, the iX is the least egregious. In fact, I actually think the BMW iX is a good looking SUV and I’ve been one of BMW’s biggest design critics. In these new live photos, I think the new iX looks great.

This photo gallery comes from a shoot in Washington D.C., where it was shot alongside its electric sibling, the BMW i4, and it looks good. When you see the BMW iX on the road, among other cars and in the real world, it’s easier to appreciate how high-tech it looks. Even more so than cars like Teslas and the Audi e-tron, the iX looks like an electric car from the near future and I think that’s a good thing.

Seen here in Aventurine Red, it also looks more premium than the typical white we see it in. It’s more stylish and interesting than something like a BMW X5 or X6 and should play well with customers who are looking for something that stands out a bit more. To be honest, I don’t see the reason to buy a BMW X5 over the iX unless you really, really can’t have an electric car, for range or charging reasons. The iX is far more interesting to look at and different from the sea of typical premium suburbanite SUVs.

The car in this gallery is the BMW iX xDrive50, which means it packs two electric motors, one at each axle, that develop a combined 523 horsepower and 564 lb-ft of torque. They get their juice from a 105.2 kWh battery pack, which provides around 300 miles of range. That’s more range and power than almost all BMW customers realistically need. Open minded customers should think long and hard about getting a BMW iX instead of an X5. Not only is it going to be priced similarly but it offers a more interesting design, just as much power, a much better interior, newer technology, and an all-electric powertrain.