2026 BMW iX Prototype First Drive: More Efficient, Coming Soon

We'll have the full 2026 iX details early next year

2026 BMW iX Prototype
  • written by
    edited by
  • BMW is refreshing the iX electric SUV for 2026.
  • Updates include more range and around a 10% increase in efficiency.
  • We have to wait a few more months for official details.

I was a big fan of Edmunds' old long-term BMW iX. It wasn't the prettiest thing, but it was comfortable, quick and offered excellent range. The iX is getting an update for 2026, with better efficiency, improved ride and handling, and a third available trim level. For now, BMW is keeping specific details to itself, but it allowed me a brief opportunity to hop behind the wheel of a camouflaged prototype.

See 150 2025 BMW iX vehicles for sale near you
See All for Sale
Consider These Recommendations
2026 BMW iX Prototype

[Redacted]

Let's just get this out of the way: BMW didn't give me any pricing, horsepower numbers, range figures or charging rates. The automaker said the refreshed model will be about 10% more efficient than before, though BMW won't elaborate on the actual changes that make this possible. The design gets a slight tweak inside and out, but the car I drove was covered with camouflage. You can see a hint of the new grille in these photos.

The 2026 model will have three trims, one more than the current iX. The new iX xDrive45 slots below the iX xDrive60 and iX M70. We'll get time in the new model later on, but for this drive, my camo-covered test car was the midlevel xDrive60, the updated version of the old iX xDrive50.

2026 BMW iX Prototype

On a short drive near BMW's American factory in South Carolina, the new iX xDrive60 doesn't feel all that much different than the previous iteration. Maybe a hair quicker, but I'll need a VBOX and time at the Edmunds test track to see if it can beat our old long-termer's 4.2-second sprint to 60 mph. It still feels surprisingly nimble for such a big, heavy vehicle. The iX tipped our scales at just over 5,700 pounds, and the new one won't be significantly different.

BMW is pulling off the iX's camouflage at the end of January. Don't expect a wholly different car than the one you see today. The iX is already pretty good; everything about the updated version looks great at first blush.

Reese Countsby

Reese Counts has worked in the automotive industry since he started as an intern at Edmunds in 2015. He has written or edited thousands of car-related articles and tested and reviewed hundreds of vehicles over the course of his career. Reese is a vehicle test editor at Edmunds and has also contributed to Autoblog. Reese has also been featured on Yahoo! Finance, Engadget and AOL reviewing cars and covering automotive technology, auto shows and more. Reese learned to drive in his father's C4 Chevrolet Corvette and now owns his grandfather's 1999 Mercedes-Benz C43 AMG. A love for cars runs deep in his family.

Steven Ewingedited by

Steven Ewing has worked in the automotive industry since 2003. In that time, he's written thousands of articles and tested just as many vehicles. Steven is Edmunds' director of editorial content and has previously been on staff at Winding Road magazine, Autoblog, Motor1.com, CNET, and was the U.S. correspondent for Top Gear magazine. Steven has also contributed to Automobile magazine, Car and Driver, The Drive, Jalopnik, Porsche Panorama, and dozens of other publications. In his spare time, Steven loves to play the drums, cook, and drive his 2000 BMW M Roadster.

Related information

Other models

Recent automotive news

Popular new car reviews and ratings

Lease deals by make

Lease deals by model

Back to Top
Back to Top