2024 BMW iX2 xDrive30 review

The all-new BMW X2 range has landed in Australia, including the first-ever iX2.

BMW is going hard on electrification, with no fewer than six electric models on sale under the Luxury Car Tax (LCT) threshold in Australia qualifying for Fringe Benefit Tax (FBT) exemptions for fleet leasing.

Two of those are iX2s, which is the vehicle we’re going to be focusing on for this review. Unfortunately on the recent media launch drive we were only able to sample the 2024 BMW iX2 xDrive30 as the lower-spec sDrive20 isn’t in showrooms just yet.

Priced from $85,700 before on-road costs, the flagship dual-motor iX2 grade is just $2800 more than the single-motor sDrive20, whilst also receiving a more fulsome spec sheet to go with the added performance.

It’s also just $800 dearer than the equivalent iX1 – should the more practical SUV body be more appealing to you.

We attended the Australian media launch of the X2 and iX2 in Tasmania to put the new crossover range through its paces on the winding roads leading out of Hobart and around Huonville.

Is it worth going for the electric X2 over the petrol ones? Read on to find out.

How much does the BMW iX2 cost?

We drove the top-spec xDrive30 version on the Australian media launch, which is priced from $85,700 plus on-road costs.

2024 BMW iX2 pricing:

• 2024 BMW iX2 eDrive20: $82,900
• 2024 BMW iX2 xDrive30: $85,700

All prices are before on-road costs

To see how the iX2 lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool.

What is the BMW iX2 like on the inside?

Just like an X1.

The X2 is effectively an X1 with a booty job, so the interior design is largely the same right down to most of the available upholsteries, trim inserts and colourways.

It’s a segment leader for perceived quality, tactility and practicality. The BMW Curved Display incorporates a 10.3-inch digital instrument cluster and a 10.7-inch curved touchscreen, both now running BMW’s latest Operating System 9.

Compared to OS8 from when the X1 and iX1 initially launched, iDrive 9.0 utilises the Android Open Source project for a more intuitive and smartphone-like experience, complete with an extended range of digital features and compatibility with third-party content integration via the Google Play store.

Key changes include the map-centric home screen with customisable widgets, meaning key information is always front and centre. You’ve also got a permanent home button situated at the base of the display in the centre rather than in the sidebar, and the permanent shortcuts for climate control remain.

As before, the 10.3-inch touchscreen is angled towards the driver and offers high resolution and snappy response. If you don’t want to fiddle around with touch inputs, you can call upon the “Hey BMW” intelligent assistant to perform various tasks for you.

There’s an integrated 5G eSIM which facilitates high-speed data transfer and connected services, including live traffic updates, access to streaming apps and a variety of other services. You also get wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard.

It all works well and is an improvement over iDrive 8, though I’ll still note the Android-style app drawer menu and settings sub-menus are a little convoluted – quick access to some settings are buried further than they should be.

I’m still not quite sold on the layout of BMW’s take on a digital instrument cluster. Call me old fashioned, but while having new-age skins is cool for some, I like the option of more conventional power meters and speedo dials.

BMW used to make some of the clearest and most attractive analogue dials, so it’s a shame the company has basically thrown conventional gauges out the window in the digitised age. Audi is still the benchmark here.

One cool party trick, however, is the fact Apple CarPlay will project Maps into the cluster when in use, meaning unlike some older digital binnacles you don’t sacrifice mapping functionality by using third-party software. Props to BMW for this excellent integration.

You also get a nice clear head-up display projected onto the windscreen, which can show you more information than you probably need. As with the instrument cluster, it can be adjusted and configured with various layouts and widgets, which is neat.

Front seat comfort is good thanks to the standard electric seat adjustment in the xDrive30, which is supplemented by memory presets and if you opt for the Enhancement Package ($3615) there’s also a massaging function. The front pews are heated, but not ventilated – both power adjustment and heating is optional on the sDrive20.

As with the X1 and iX1, storage is a strong point. There’s a cubby underneath the front-centre armrest, and the floating design of the centre console means there’s a larger cubby underneath for larger items.

Ahead of the console with its stubby shift-by-wire toggle selector are two larger cupholders, then an upright holder for your phone with a wireless charging pad.

Perhaps my favourite part of this design is not the fact the phone is upright and facing you in the correct orientation – not that you should be looking at your phone behind the wheel – but the fact there’s a little weighted harness that clips in and holds it firmly in place like a rollercoaster.

While our test vehicle wasn’t optioned with it, you can also tick a box for trim inlays with illuminated graphics for extended ambient lighting.

The iX2’s second row perhaps isn’t as good as the iX1’s largely due to the sloping roofline, but it’s certainly not as compromised as it might look from its swoopy exterior appearance.

Knee and leg room are all still good despite the electrified underpinnings, but you will notice a slightly raised cabin floor due to the batteries housed underneath. For someone like me at 6’1 with longer legs than torso, you might feel a little knees up which can impact long-distance comfort – though it’s easily more comfortable back there than something like the Mercedes-Benz EQA.

Otherwise it’s all standard X1/X2 fare. Directional air vents and USB-C power outlets are mounted at the rear of the centre console, there are map pockets behind the front seats, as well as a fold-down centre armrest with cup holders.

Outboard ISOFIX and top-tether points across all three positions means the iX2 is equipped for carrying kids, and the fact BMW has shrunk the centre tunnel means you don’t have a huge protrusion into the centre of the footwell should you need to carry three across.

The X2 and iX2 come with a standard power tailgate, which opens to reveal a 525-litre boot area with the rear seats in place – around 30L more than the quote for the iX1.

Fold the 40:20:40 rear bench down and that opens up to 1400 litres. There’s also a large underfloor section for the charging cables, though you won’t find a spare wheel under there – instead there’s a tyre repair kit.

What’s under the bonnet?

Two versions of the iX2 are on sale in Australia – here we’re driving the dual-motor xDrive30.

Our indicated energy consumption figure was achieved over a mix of city, urban and freeway driving in Tasmania, as well as some spirited driving and dirt road sections.

To see how the iX2 lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool.

How does the BMW iX2 drive?

We drove the iX2 on the first leg of the launch event from Hobart out towards Huonville, west of the Tasmanian capital.

Having spent some time in the iX1 with the same drivetrain, there’s nothing all that new about how the dual-motor iX2 behaves on the road if you’ve spent time in its boxier sibling.

With a healthy 230kW and 494Nm at your disposal in what is a fairly compact car despite its 2.0-tonne heft, the iX2 xDrive30 has plenty of pep to get you going at both urban and highway speeds, and has a really nice immediacy and linearity to its power delivery.

In its standard setting it piles on the pace well without snapping your neck each time you touch the throttle, and if you really gun it the manufacturer’s 0-100km/h claim of 5.4 seconds feels very believable by the seat of the pants.

Worth noting is the fact the iX2 xDrive30 is by far the torquiest X2 on sale, with its system output of 494Nm well ahead of even the M35i xDrive’s 400Nm from its four-cylinder petrol turbo.

BMW’s Iconic Sounds Electric might take a little getting used to, as it doesn’t really mimic engine sounds but can also be adjusted to give a pretty good indication of what the drivetrain is doing.

The car we tested was in the more symphonic setting which I personally enjoyed, but it may not be to all tastes. It will also tailor its volume and intensity to the drive mode chosen – in Sport mode it’s louder and fuller figured, if you will.

Out on the open road the iX2 xDrive30 will very happily dash to highway speeds and has more than enough left in the figurative tank to make brisk overtakes.

In Australia where the speed limits are lower and stricter than Germany, it’s very easy to engage the Steering and Lane Control Assistant which will maintain the set speed using the adaptive cruise control and also keep the iX2 centred in its lane. At 100km/h on Tasmania’s freeways the iX2 felt secure and sure-footed, great for touring stints.

Some twistier bits made the 2020kg kerb mass a little more noticeable, given the big battery in the floor area adds around 400kg over the combustion-powered X2.

That said, the accurate steering and strong grip levels make this a bit of fun to punt up winding roads. You have to slow down a little more than the X2 but then you can plant your right foot and blast out, and I didn’t find it as scrabbly as the iX1 xDrive30 xLine I reviewed last year.

As Jack Quick noted on the international launch, the iX2 doesn’t feel quite as focused as an M Performance model like the X2 M35i despite its brisk straight-line paced, but it’s definitely well sorted from a handling perspective unlike a number of electric SUVs.

Road and wind noise is pretty well insulated for a vehicle in this segment, but there was a little bit of tyre roar over coarser blacktop, and our test car was on standard 19-inch alloys. Comfort on the standard Adaptive M Suspension was also good on the 19-inch wheel and tyre package across all surfaces, if a little on the firmer side.

We also drove the iX2 on some dirt sections, and I was again impressed with the sure-footedness and the grip. It was able to put its power down well and didn’t feel unwieldy despite the added heft and looser surface.

The iX2 xDrive30 is decked out with the Driving Assistant Professional suite, which means the aforementioned Steering and Lane Control Assistant plus front cross-traffic alert on top of the basic set of features.

As noted earlier the adaptive cruise and lane centring functions work very well, and the blind-spot and cross-traffic functions work as you’d expect too. It’s a shame the sDrive20 doesn’t get the full suite as standard.

I also appreciate the standard inclusion of a surround camera system with 3D view, and you can also use the BMW Parking Assistant Plus to autonomously do a parking manoeuvre in reverse if you’re too scared to do it yourself. Handy!

What do you get?

The iX2 xDrive30 effectively mirrors the standard specification of the petrol-powered X2 xDrive20i.

iX2 xDrive30 highlights:

• 19-inch M Sport alloy wheels
• Dual zone climate control
• Acoustic glazing
• Adaptive LED headlights
• Automatic tailgate
• BMW Iconic Glow illuminated grille
• BMW Live Cockpit Pro
  • 10.3-inch digital instrument cluster
  • 10.7-inch touchscreen infotainment
  • Augmented Reality (AR) navigation
  • BMW ConnectedDrive
• Comfort Access incl. Digital Key
• DAB radio
• Driving Assistant Professional^
  • Adaptive cruise control
  • Blind-spot monitoring
  • Rear cross-traffic alert
  • Steering and Lane Control Assistant
• Electric front seat adjustment^
• Head-up display
• Heated front seats^
• Lights package, interior
• M Sport Package
  • incl. Adaptive M Suspension
  • incl. M steering
• M Sport leather steering wheel
• Mirror package
• Parking Assistant Plus
  • BMW Drive Recorder
  • Reversing Assistant
  • Surround cameras incl. 3D view
• Personal eSIM (5G)
• Sensatec dashboard trim
• Sports seats
• Speed Limit Info
• Wireless phone charger
• Veganza upholstery

^Optional on iX2 sDrive20

iX2 adds over X2 xDrive20i:

• 12mth Chargefox subscription
• 22kW AC onboard charger
• Acoustic pedestrian warning
• Iconic Sounds Electric
• Mode 2 flexible fast charger
• Mode 3 public charging cable
• Tyre pressure monitoring

Options

Two main option packages are available for the BMW iX2 xDrive30.

Enhancement Package: $3615

• Metallic paint
• Panoramic glass sunroof
• Harman/Kardon surround-sound system
• Heated steering wheel
• Front seat lumbar support
• Front seat massage function

M Sport package Pro: $4900

• 20-inch alloy wheels
• M Lights Shadow Line
• Red high-gloss M Sport brakes
• M seat belts

There are also a range of alloy wheel, interior upholstery and interior trim options.

Colours

A selection of colours are available for the BMW iX2.

Standard: $NCO

• Alpine White

Metallic: $1385

• M Brooklyn Grey
• Skyscraper Grey
• Cape York Green
• Fire Red
• Black Sapphire
• M Portimao Blue

Matte: $3846

• Frozen Portimao Blue
• Frozen Pure Grey

Is the BMW iX2 safe?

The new-generation BMW X2 and iX2 haven’t been crash-tested by ANCAP or Euro NCAP yet.

Petrol-powered versions of the related BMW X1 are covered by a 2022-stamped five-star ANCAP and Euro NCAP rating.

This rating is based on category scores of 86 per cent for adult occupant protection, 88 per cent for child occupant protection, 76 per cent for vulnerable road user protection, and 94 per cent for safety assist.

Standard safety equipment includes:

• Driving Assistant Plus
  • Adaptive cruice control
  • Blind-spot monitoring
  • Exit warning
  • Lane departure warning
  • Lane keep assist
  • Rear cross-traffic alert
  • Speed Limit Info
• Parking Assistant Plus
  • BMW Drive Recorder
  • Reversing Assistant
  • Surround cameras incl. 3D view

iX2 xDrive30 adds:

• Driving Assistant Professional
  • Front cross-traffic alert
  • Steering and Lane Control Assistant

How much does the BMW iX2 cost to run?

BMW Australia covers its lineup with a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty. The iX2 also has a eight-year or 160,000km warranty for its high-voltage battery.

BMW includes a 12-month complimentary Chargefox subscription with the iX2, as well as a six-year, unlimited-kilometre Service Inclusive package on the iX2 for $2200.

CarExpert’s Take on the BMW iX2

The BMW iX2 really offers few surprises.

Just like the related iX1, it offers a largely conventional and familiar electric car experience for those familiar with the BMW portfolio.

The iX2 is a unique player in the segment given its only real coupe-ish rival is the Volvo C40 Recharge, which is more powerful and offers more range… but is more expensive in equivalent trim and doesn’t have the premium ambience or brand cachet as the BMW.

While the iX2 xDrive30 nicely balances performance, practicality and design, the dual-motor model’s range claim of 395km according to local specs just isn’t enough when other EVs offer substantially more range for similar or even less money – it’s also a lot less than the 449km WLTP claim for overseas models.

All told the dual-motor iX2 is a solid offering, if far from perfect. While it’s a distinctively designed coupe SUV with good amounts of practicality and refined on-road manners, as an electric vehicle (EV) it is behind the pack in terms of efficiency and range, which is becoming increasingly critical as the game moves on.

I’d also note to be wary of ticking too many options boxes, as you’ll quickly eclipse $100,000 drive-away doing so.

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