People — er, Americans — simply aren’t buying the BMW iX like they used to. In Q1 2026, sales slumped to a mere 1,788 units, around a 50% drop year over year. Either seeing the writing on the wall — or aware that the next-gen iX3 will be a sufficient holdover for EV shoppers — BMW has wound down iX production for the United States. That marks the beginning of the end for one of the best EVs on sale today. No less important, it marks a changing of the guard for BMW’s EV lineup. But the iX will not fade away quietly to die an unsung hero. The iX was a milestone for BMW and EVs, and there are plenty of good reasons to wave goodbye fondly.
The BMW iX Drives Like a BMW
The fully electric BMW iX never tried to mimic an internal-combustion car. We’re thankful; it’s all the better for it. Much to everyone’s surprise, the iX didn’t abandon the brand’s dynamism. That natural BMW-ness — balance — is what made it compelling. Beneath that Predator mask of a grille sits a chassis that feels composed, deliberate, and engineered with driver confidence in mind.
BMW iX M60 OxidgrauThe steering, while lighter than traditional BMW hydraulic setups, remains precise. Importantly, it’s even pretty talkative — more so than much of the current lineup, anyway — and consistent. There’s a natural progression, and the iX resists the floaty, disconnected sensation that plagues many large vehicles regardless of powertrain. Credit the low center of gravity from its battery pack and well-judged suspension tuning that leans toward control rather than excess softness. Perhaps most notably, the iX does all this while remaining eminently comfortable. The cabin is a serene place to spend your miles. While the silent EV powertrain definitely does some of the heavy lifting here, it’s also a continued credit to the chassis wizards at BMW.
Despite being arguably more 7 Series than sports car, the iX manages to not leave you wanting for speed, either. Generous, immediate, and uninterrupted power, combined with the car’s natural surefootedness, makes dropping the hammer still feel like an event, even with no engine noises. Especially when courting the iX M70. It may not chase performance figures outright, but it carries the same sense of engineered intentionality that defines BMW’s best efforts. For a large electric SUV — BMW’s first, mind you — it’s an achievement.
Gimmicks and Features: The iX is Interesting
New range-topping models — which the iX sort of was — typically introduce one or two new features that become somewhat central to brand identity. BMW went a little off-script with the iX, then. The iX brought a handful of never-before-seen features to the public. Some were subtle, others gimmicks, most were useful. Regardless, together they reflected a willingness to rethink familiar elements.
Take the electrochromic sunroof. Instead of a conventional shade, the glass itself transitions from transparent to opaque at the push of a button. Its usefulness cannot be overstated — especially as someone formerly of the American Southwest, where 300+ days of sun each year can have you feeling a bit…heated by the middle of the summer. Strictly functional upgrade over a regular sunroof? Perhaps not — and as our iX xDrive45 long term review indicated, something else for the kids to wonder aloud/demand answers to. Then there’s the “self-healing” kidney grille. Because the iX doesn’t need traditional airflow for a combustion engine, the grille becomes a panel housing sensors and driver-assistance hardware. Its polyurethane coating can absorb and recover from minor scratches, which sounds like a small detail until you consider how exposed that surface is in daily use.
Even mundane tasks were rethought. The washer fluid refill is cleverly hidden behind a roundel on the hood, preserving the clean design while making access intuitive. Of course, none of these features individually redefine the segment. But collectively they signal a design philosophy that values integration and user experience over spectacle. In fact, all were part of a “Shy Tech” initiative BMW started around the time the iX launched. If “Shy Tech” sounds familiar, it’s because BMW continues to talk a lot about it when discussing our next topic: the Neue Klasse cars.
The BMW iX Previewed the Future
More than anything — and clearer today than when the car debuted — the iX served as a rolling thesis for BMW’s electric future. Long before the BMW Neue Klasse models begin arriving, the iX laid much of the conceptual groundwork. Its interior pushed toward a reductionist aesthetic we see further refined in the NK cars. Fewer buttons, increased reliance on a central display, and an emphasis on open space and sustainable materials.
Externally, the iX experimented with cleaner surfaces and a more monolithic form. Unlike the BMW i4, which debuted alongside the iX, the iX is a standalone model not based upon an ICE-powered model. While its design sparked debate and continues to divide audiences, it undeniably broke from legacy proportions. Are Neue Klasse cars the spitting image of the iX? Of course not. But the familial resemblance is there; looking back, it will be clear where on the timeline the iX sits.
In hindsight, the iX feels, fittingly, like a bridge. It connected BMW’s past — defined by driver engagement — with a future shaped by electrification and software. Even as it exits the U.S. market after 2026, its influence will persist in the vehicles that follow.
Don’t Cry Because It’s Over…
On a personal note, the iX (along with the i4) was one of the first EVs I drove that didn’t sport a Tesla badge on the back of it. I was truly blown away by how the car drove. I simply couldn’t believe that something this heavy and missing an engine — an area BMW has always excelled — felt so “related” to benchmark contemporaries like the G20 3 Series and G01 X3. I’m sad BMW chose to end the iX a little early in the U.S., even if I understand the rationale. As the iX3 production ramps up, it’s clearer than ever that the model has big shoes to fill. Even if (technically) a separate segment, it will at least momentarily be the sole EV SUV you can buy from Bavaria. In the U.S., anyway. Hopefully the iX3 keeps greatness in the family.
