Refreshed BMW iX Spied Up Close

The refreshed BMW iX has been spotted on the road in Europe with a light smattering of camo cladding, giving us the clearest pictures yet of what the upcoming electric crossover is going to look like. The iX has been spied before, but this is the first time we’ve seen it driving around, and the subtle front and rear changes the company is employing are further coming into focus.

The iX has been on sale in the US since 2022, originally based on the 2018 Vision iNext concept the company showed off in 2018. Offered in either xDrive50 or M60 variants, the model currently boasts up to 610 horsepower and 324 miles of EPA-estimated range. This makes it one of the most compelling electric models on the market, so hopefully, once the looks are improved, the company will enjoy increased sales.

What’s Hiding Under All That Camo?

Ever since the debut of the Neue Klasse Concept, we’ve known future electric BMWs were going to look as good as they drive. The current electric offerings all suffer from a somewhat boring styling, offering miles of flat body panels without much contouring, giving them an unfinished appearance. Now, we’re not expecting a refresh to bring drastic styling changes, but from these pictures, we know at least the front and the rear are going to benefit from Neue Klasse’s improved looks. The most obvious changes in the front are the new daytime running lights that take on a slanted appearance straight from the Neue Klasse X Concept crossover. We’re big fans of this setup over the current horizontal DRLs and think it will give it a more purposeful look.

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Underneath, it’s hard to tell exactly what’s going on with the lower fascia, but it’s apparent it’s also taken from the concept, with the connected middle part that protrudes outward more. Down the sides, it’s still a basic iX, but at the rear, a lot is going on that we can’t see. Other camouflaged mules have had red taillights, but this model is still rocking the clear light lenses. We imagine this is because this model is meant to test out other systems, but perhaps the company still hasn’t made up its mind on which version to go with. Also, don’t be intimidated by that massive bumper because it’s almost certainly there to test out driver assistance systems.

More Power On Tap

One of the amazing things about electric powertrains is a little bit of re-engineering can result in serious power increases without changing the existing system. This is what we see happening here, as some pretty reliable leaks suggest the xDrive 50 will add nearly 20 horsepower and be renamed the xDrive 60, while the current M60 will get a 40-horsepower bump and be renamed the M70.

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Given the fact BMW uses brushed motors as opposed to the ever more popular brushless kind, perhaps the company found a way of repackaging the rotor windings or finding a better orientation for the brushes themselves. Friction is the enemy, so perhaps the company is utilizing a more heat-resistant coating on the inside of the motor as well. Whatever the solution, we can’t wait to see it all together when the new models debut in the first quarter of 2025.