BMW’s newest electric SUV, the iX5, promises more than 450 miles on a single charge and even features doors that close themselves. Tim Stevens reviewed the model on Oct. 22, 2026.
BMW has joined a growing list of automakers experimenting with unconventional door handles, and the iX5 takes the idea a step further. Small wing‑shaped panels sit on the top of the front and rear doors, housing strain sensors that detect a gentle pull. When you tug the panel, the door swings open automatically, stopping before it hits you or a neighboring car. After you’re seated, stepping on the brake pedal triggers the door to shut quickly. Power‑assisted doors are not new, but many luxury cars make them feel sluggish or unreliable. In the iX5, the system feels smooth and adds a touch of refinement to BMW’s second‑best‑selling vehicle in the United States.
The test vehicle was the iX5 60 xDrive, rated at 570 horsepower and 593 lb‑ft of torque, and equipped with massaging seats. Its matte‑silver paint gives it a premium appearance, although the styling is likely to divide opinion.
BMW calls its driver‑assistance suite “Symbiotic Drive.” The name sounds futuristic, but the system simply works with the driver. On the highway it can steer itself, allowing you to remove your hands from the wheel. You can change lanes by tapping the turn stalk or by briefly taking the wheel, then letting the system resume control. Unlike traditional cruise control, you can accelerate or decelerate manually without disabling the feature. Braking to a stop at a traffic light and then releasing the pedal lets the car glide forward again smoothly.
The infotainment screen is a 17.9‑inch panel that slopes slightly toward the driver. It feels fast and responsive, though the built‑in AI assistant was a bit eager to respond whenever anyone said “BMW.” It still managed to locate restaurants and answer the usual queries.
Above the central screen sits BMW’s Panoramic Vision display, which stretches from pillar to pillar in six customizable sections. It can show weather, photos of classic BMWs, or other information, and it is easier to read than a traditional gauge cluster hidden behind the steering wheel. An optional 14.6‑inch passenger display sits to the right of the main screen, but it is positioned to stay out of the driver’s line of sight. Instead of using a privacy screen, the system relies on a driver‑monitoring camera: when the driver looks at the passenger screen, the display blanks and any video pauses. The video resumes only when the driver looks away, and the passenger must manually restart it, a solution that feels clunky.
The iX5’s most impressive luxury attribute may be its range. A 144‑kilowatt‑hour battery sits beneath the passenger floor, and the car can accept up to 460 kW of power through a NACS charger, reaching 80 percent charge in about 22 minutes under optimal conditions. BMW has not yet released EPA figures, but the company projects more than 450 miles per charge. To demonstrate the claim, a BMW engineer drove over 500 miles from San Francisco to Los Angeles without stopping, still having roughly 50 miles left.
In a side‑by‑side road test, Stevens spent the first half of a six‑hour drive in a gasoline‑powered X5 40 xDrive and the second half in the electric iX5. While the internal‑combustion X5 delivered strong power at highway speeds and a satisfying engine note, the iX5’s throttle response felt instantly sharper. The electric model is heavier, but its lower center of gravity makes cornering feel more engaging, and its regenerative braking provides a smooth stop that is hard to detect when you close your eyes.
Overall, the differences between the gas‑powered X5 and the battery‑powered iX5 are modest, marking a shift from the more polarizing iX and the previous‑generation X5, which looked and drove very differently. For this generation, BMW is bringing the fa