650-HP BMW iX Electric SUV Appears With Subtle Styling Tweaks

The facelifted BMW iX has been spied in Europe, revealing the slightest of updates to its styling. Let’s be honest: it’s going to take a full redesign to make something sexy of the iX, but in the meantime, the changes evident here should at least make the electric SUV look more like a BMW product. The bumpers seen here are not the final design that will make it to production models, but the lighting units are, and that’s where the key aesthetic changes lie. Other improvements are coming, too, with more power, more tech, and more range, but let’s discuss the cosmetics first. The updates are slight, so get your magnifying glasses out.

Subtle Changes Add BMW Flavor

At the front, the headlights will no longer feature a pair of LED running lights running along the top of each brow. Instead, the front lighting units appear to be getting slanted DRLs in keeping with the language introduced by the Neue Klasse X Concept and its sedan sibling. This subtle change within the same housings as the pre-LCI/pre-facelift iX will keep the EV looking a little fresher without too many additional costs, but more importantly, it prepares buyers for the next-generation BMW X3 and its next-gen styling that all future Bimmers that follow.

At the rear, the translucent lenses of the current iX’s taillights have been swapped out for red-tinted lenses. Again, this should make the iX look a little less awkward and a little more like other BMW products. Bimmers have almost always favored elongated taillights with a simple horizontal shape and an upturned flick at each end, but red tails will make this a little more obvious and give the iX SUV a little more character – something it desperately needs when painted grey. This is a remarkably good EV, and with slightly handsomer looks, it should have greater mainstream appeal.

Glowing Kidneys And More Power

According to internal leaks from reliable sources, the LCI BMW iX will arrive in March next year and remain in production until the middle of 2028. The same sources indicate that the iX xDrive50 will be replaced by the iX xDrive60, increasing output from 516 hp to 535. Higher up the ladder, the 610-hp M60 xDrive will be replaced by the M70 xDrive, with this set to offer a nice round 650 horses. And like several other current production BMWs, the kidney grilles will get the Iconic Glow treatment with backlighting that creates a distinctive nighttime signature. Range will surely increase, too, and we can expect some mild updates in the cabin. That’s pretty much all we know for the time being, but if more information becomes public, we’ll be sure to bring it to you ASAP.

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