2027 BMW iX5 Driven: Part of the Family

BMW’s long run of experimental, out-there electric vehicles has been slowly coming to a close. It started with the radical i3 and i8 in the 2010s, then continued with the daringly styled iX, a mid-size luxury SUV that exited the U.S. market after the 2026 model year. The latter is being replaced by the 2027 BMW iX5, which is similarly sized and positioned, but now shares its styling with the newly redesigned X5. This alignment between EV and conventional, gas-powered models is the same strategy employed for BMW’s electric sedans, such as the i3, i5, and i7.

The iX5 certainly doesn’t look as strange as the iX did, but it’s similar in purpose and features plenty of new powertrain technology that benefits its range, charging times, and performance. Will this more conservative EV strategy pay off in the competitive electric SUV realm, or will we come to miss vehicles like the controversial but comfortable iX?

Even though the iX5 doesn’t look as weird as the iX did, it’s still no wallflower. That’s because 2027 X5 lineup features novel elements such as X-shaped LED accent lighting up front, smooth side surfacing with winglet-shaped electronic door handles at the base of the windows, and wide LED taillights. You can’t tell the difference between the X5 and the iX5 but for the charge port on the right rear fender and the badging on the liftgate.

Initially, all U.S.-bound 2027 BMW iX5s will wear the same badges: 60 xDrive, which refers to the standard dual-motor, all-wheel-drive setup with 570 horsepower. That fits between the outgoing iX’s 536-hp 60 and 650-hp M70 variants, and BMW is quoting a 60-mph time of 4.4 seconds. That’s only a few ticks ahead of the estimate for the gasoline X5 with a 394-hp inline-six. At least for now, there’s no mega-horsepower variant to do battle with the 1000-plus-hp versions of the Porsche Cayenne EV, Rivian R1S, and Lucid Gravity.

The iX5 drives like a large vehicle because it is: Not only does the new X5 have a longer wheelbase than the old one, but the iX5’s huge 144-kWh battery pack means it is significantly heavier than the inline-six-powered X5. You feel that weight in the iX5’s bouncy ride, as it feels like BMW has tuned the air springs and adaptive dampers to be stiffer here compared with the gas model. We wished for more compliance in the comfort-oriented settings, but the lower center of gravity does make for flat cornering in the sportier modes.

We don’t yet have EPA numbers for the iX5, but BMW is targeting a range estimate of 450 miles. If that comes to pass, the iX5 will be one of the longest-range electric SUVs you can buy, and its claimed peak charging rate of 460 kilowatts is impressive too. It’s said to replenish up to 170 miles of range in 10 minutes—if you can find a charger capable of that rate of output, of course.

The new X5/iX5’s screen-heavy interior somehow is more fitting in the electric iX5, as the new interface with the dash-spanning panoramic display is more in tune with the techy interiors found in this Bimmer’s EV competitors. Available power-operated doors give the iX5 some upscale cachet, and the materials inside are befitting of the $81,250 starting price.

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