BMW IX vs Range Rover Sport

What's the difference?

BMW’s iX M60 isn’t just the brand’s flagship all-electric SUV, it’s a statement that the electric future is here and it doesn’t have to be boring.

Pricing aside, the top-spec iX serves up practical space and prodigious performance in a package that is punctuated with panache.

The sizeable battery also allays any concerns over range, while the cabin’s appointments and fit and finish are definitely befitting of a BMW.

It’s not designed to be for everyone, and that’s okay, too, because the small customer base willing to part with around $230,000 for an electric SUV in 2022 will find a lot to like about the iX.

Range Rover proudly calls it its “most dynamic” model ever, and based on our first experience that’s most definitely true. Its ability to be genuinely exciting to drive on a race track is nothing short of remarkable for a brand whose history is all about off-road prowess.

On the road it shines just as brightly, with its potent engine and state-of-the-art suspension system working in unison to make for a stunningly dynamic large and luxurious SUV. And then, if you need to cut across a field or scramble up a slippery hill, it will do that too.

Range Rover’s claims of ‘breadth of capability’ is apt but arguably an understatement. I’d stop short of calling the Sport SV the obvious class-leader in the high-end, high-performance SUV market because it’s up against some seriously impressive rivals, but the Range Rover offers a broader range of ability than any of its competitors.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel, accommodation and meals provided.

Close your eyes and ask your eight-year-old self what an electric BMW SUV would look like, and chances are something like the iX will come to mind.

Sleek and slender, but still very BMW is the best way we can describe the iX.

Of course, we cannot talk about styling on a BMW without mentioning its front grille.

With a more vertically stacked orientation, the iX’s grille has been described as ‘toothy’ or even an ‘eye sore’ by the public in the past. But honestly, we think this attention-grabbing front end suits the swagger of the M60.

The gold highlights throughout are especially baller, and the grille serves as double-duty to hide a lot of the front-facing cameras and sensors required for more of the high-tech driving features like semi-autonomous driving.

The grille is flanked by BMW’s usual quad-headlight design for a menacing appearance on the road, and we particularly like the contrasting colours and sharp lines of our grey-coloured test car.

Another cool feature is the front badge, which can be popped up and serves as an inlet for the windscreen washer jets.

In profile, the 22-inch wheels look almost too small against the huge swathes of bodywork, but BMW has done a good job in slimming down the M60 thanks to the gloss-black stripe that runs along the bottom of the doors.

Speaking of, the handles might not pop-out like some of its rivals, but the recessed handle is highlighted nicely with gold-copper accents that also run along the beltline and door mirrors.

The D-pillar is also broken up with a blacked-out section that divides the roof, also helping slim down the behemoth BMW, and up close the section is embossed with ‘iX’.

At the rear, the clamshell boot might look large and bulky, but the design is helped by the very slender tail-lights and bumper broken up with more gloss-black.

Step inside the cabin, and the iX’s aesthetics are similarly unconventional, but the interior design also follows function.

For starters, the odd-shaped steering wheel is the feature that stands out the most, but you quickly realise the flat bottom helps with entry and exit into the driver’s seat.

As an all-electric model, there is no transmission tunnel, with the footwell between the driver and front passenger easily accessible for a more open-feeling cabin.

There is an armrest of course, while the area for multimedia controls is adorned with a one-piece, wood-like finish to contrast the crystal control knob. It’s a mix of technology and the natural environment, you see, much like the iX itself.

Do we love the styling of the iX M60? Much in the same way Louis Vuitton’s latest fashion range might not appeal to the masses, the iX M60 is likewise a polarising proposition.

To answer the question, yes, the iX M60 is a very stylish SUV that draws the eye and turns heads like nearly nothing else on the road – and that is exactly the point.

Range Rover is a brand synonymous with big, imposing and off-road capable SUVs, not dynamic and sporty vehicles. But in recent years the Evoque and Velar have added a new layer of style and a sleekness to the brand’s reputation.

The latest generation Sport is still a big and imposing two-tonne SUV, but it’s also definitely sportier to look at and the SV changes only add to that.

It only takes a moment looking at it and it’s clear this is an SUV that means business. The 23-inch wheels fill out the guards, the air-suspension can lower the body to the ground and the aerodynamic package, including the front splitter, make for a purposeful look.

The carbon-fibre bonnet can be finished with the centre section exposed, showing off the weave of the fibres, which is a nice touch, although fake vents on the bonnet and front fenders are a bit disappointing.

Despite what it might look like on the outside or how it drives behind the wheel, BMW’s iX is undoubtedly a large SUV in shape.

Measuring nearly five metres long, and featuring a 1967mm width and 1696mm height, the iX M60 is certainly a sizeable machine.

However, it is the three-metre long wheelbase that is the most important measurement here, as it enables a vast and expansive interior space fit for the family.

The front passengers have ample room to get comfortable, and like we said in the design section of the review, there is nothing dividing the footwells of occupants up front.

This makes it the perfect place to park a backpack, handbag or even nappy bag when on the go, and means the front passenger doesn’t lose out on any legroom.

Even the armrest affords storage solutions for all the little things you might have you in pockets, while a wireless smartphone charger means you always have somewhere to place your device.

The front seats, finished in a quilted leather, might look plain, but are wonderfully supportive – even when the speedo climbs and you're carving up corners.

And in the rear, the story is largely the same, with seats that look and feel great and plenty of room for passengers to get comfortable.

My 163cm frame had no problems with leg-, head- or shoulder-room, but the base middle seat is raised a little.

We’ll also call out the great way BMW has hidden the ISOFIX mounting points for child seats, which is hidden by a flap that can be raised or lowered depending on what is needed.

It’s an elegant solution to something that can be an eyesore in other models, and shows the lengths BMW has gone to for the little details.

There is also a fold-down armrest for passengers back there, while the back of the front seats feature two USB-C charging ports, map pockets and spots to insert entertainment screens. 

Open the clamshell boot and there is a cavity that will swallow 500 litres of volume, plenty for a small family like ours, with the charging cables hidden neatly under the floor.

The boot floor is very long, too, meaning large objects will easily fit into the rear, while the 40/20/40 rear seats can be folded down to increase carrying capacity to 1750L.

To put that into perspective, something like the Ford Ranger is rated for more than 1200L in its tray, and while we would never condone the use of an iX to carry worksite tools, it does make carrying a surfboard or Ikea furniture that much easier.

However, it's worth pointing out that there is no front trunk in the iX, as there are electric motor and mechanical bits found in there. 

It’s just a shame that in a car of this size, BMW has not managed to position things with room left for a bit of usable space under the bonnet.

There are two stand-out features in the cabin, beyond the standard high-level of luxury you expect from a Range Rover Sport. 

The first is the SV-specific steering wheel with illuminated paddles, which feels solid in your hands. But the second is by far the most interesting, the so-called Body and Soul Seats (BASS), which Range Rover has developed in conjunction with Coventry University.

Available with either genuine leather or ‘ultra fabric’ and a 3D-print knit trim, the seats look great on the outside but it’s what’s inside them that’s special.

There are four audio transducers integrated into the seat back which can vibrate to the beat of whatever audio track you’re listening to. The system uses AI to detect the lower frequencies and then work out which beats to transmit.

This is technology used by musicians, Coldplay’s Chris Martin reportedly wears transducers integrated into a vest when he performs, but Range Rover is confident it will add to the ownership experience.

It’s certainly an interesting technology and a demonstration across different music genres highlights the way the system adapts to individual songs, but it’s hard not to feel like this is more of a gimmick than something an owner will use every day. 

If you don’t like listening to music with it, the Body and Soul Seats also work with a ‘Wellness’ setting that features six audio pieces (designed by Coventry University musicians) - calm, soothe, serene, cool, tonic and invigorate.

It’s probably what you need to help settle your heart rate after you unleash the full performance potential of the Sport SV.

In the back seat there’s none of this technology but they do feature heating and ventilation as well as power recline functions. There’s also four-zone climate control, so every occupant can be comfortable.

To be blunt, the Range Rover Sport SV is one of those vehicles that if you have to ask, you can’t afford. Particularly in this case, as the model has launched in a single specification level, the Sport SV Edition One, which is priced from $360,800, plus on-road costs.

That puts it into the same financial category as the likes of the Aston Martin DBX ($356,512), Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT Coupe ($364,700) and Lamborghini Urus ($409,744) - especially when we discuss some of the pricier options.

For that price the Sport SV Edition One comes with exclusive branding on the front splitter, centre console, treadplates and puddle lamps as well as a raft of standard features likely to carry-over to the 2025 model year version.

These include carbon-fibre badges, forged 23-inch alloy wheels, digital LED headlights, a carbon-fibre bonnet, 16-way electronically adjustable front seats, Meridian 'Signature' sound system, 13.1-inch multimedia touchscreen, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and newly developed ‘Body and Soul Seats’ (more on those later).

But if you’re feeling really sporty, you can upgrade your Sport SV with lightweight carbon fibre wheels and carbon ceramic brakes.

These will cost you a staggering $16,130 and $13,500, respectively, but the wheels measure 23-inches and are the largest fitted to a production car (and are also Australian-made by Carbon Revolution in Geelong).

Unfortunately, for now at least, this is all a moot point because Range Rover Australia has already invited and sold all examples of the Sport SV Edition One, so you'll need to be patient and wait until at least 2025 to have the option to buy one.

A large part of why the iX M60 is so much more expensive than its siblings, is because of its powertrain.

With two electric motors spinning all four wheels, the iX M60 makes a staggering 455kW of power and (are you sitting down?) 1100Nm of torque.

This means the iX M60 can accelerate from 0-100km/h in just 3.8 seconds. Not bad for a 2.5-tonne SUV, and it puts many petrol-powered rivals to shame.

This also makes it much more potent than the xDrive40 (240kW/630Nm) and xDrive50 (285kW/765Nm), while also blowing away the Audi e-tron S (370kW/973Nm).

The only electric car that comes close right now in Australia is the Porsche Taycan Turbo S (560kW/1050Nm), but the Tesla Model X Plaid supposedly makes 760kW/1020Nm from three electric motors.

And while the Tesla is not yet available, the Taycan Turbo S is more than $100,000 pricier than the iX M60, and doesn’t offer the same levels of practicality.

Sadly the wonderfully evocative supercharged V8 engine from the previous generation Range Rover Sport SVR is gone.

But, thankfully, in its place is a more powerful engine that’s exclusive to the Sport SV in the Jaguar Land Rover family.

It’s a 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 petrol engine with mild-hybrid assistance, which is actually built by BMW and based on the same powertrain as you’ll find in the M5, albeit with some specific Range Rover elements for more off-road capability.

It’s also more powerful than the old supercharged V8, making an impressive 467kW of power and 750Nm of torque, which is a 44kW and 50Nm improvement over the old engine.

It’s paired to an eight-speed automatic transmission, again with a specific SV calibration for improved performance. 

And, of course, being a Land Rover, it’s also got a four-wheel drive system with full off-road systems as well as an active locking differential.

Equipped with a 112kWh battery pack, the iX M60 features 566km of driving range according to the WLTP cycle.

In reality, we saw closer to 540km of driving range on the dash readout with a full charge, but of course this is all subject to things like the level of regenerative braking you apply, ambient temperature, the driving mode chosen, air conditioning and weight.

Officially, the BMW iX M60 consumes 26.5kWh per 100km, but our week with the car saw an average of 25.6kWh/100km with driving mainly focussed on short, inner-city trips that are advantageous to an electric car.

This betters the energy consumption of models like the Taycan Turbo S, which features a combined-cycle test of 28.5kWh//100km, but is much more energy-hungry than something like a Nissan Leaf (18kWh/100km).

This figure is also very dependent on driving style and environment, but for a 2.5-tonne SUV that will ferry the family and more, consumption isn’t too bad.

Charging options include 11kW for AC and 200kW DC fast-charging – the latter of which can juice the iX M60 from 10-80- per cent capacity in just 35 minutes, if you can find a compatible outlet, of course.

Despite all the extra power, thanks to the mild-hybrid system it’s more fuel efficient and produces less emissions than the old 5.0-litre V8.

Still, it’s all relative, and as you’d expect from a twin-turbo V8 SUV it’s still thirsty and uses 11.7-12.5-litres per 100km, based on European specifications.

The mild hybrid system uses a crank-integrated starter generator instead of a conventional alternator, providing a boost of up to 20kW and 175Nm of electrical power when needed, with the energy captured during braking and stored in a 48-volt lithium-ion battery.

Maybe it’s just us, but as soon as we step into the driver’s seat of the iX M60, the “Gotta Go Fast” theme song for the Sonic the Hedgehog cartoon just comes to mind.

And that’s probably because this BMW all-electric SUV seems to want to do one thing... go fast.

Sure, there are various driving modes on offer, including 'Sport' and 'Efficient' (as well as 'Expressive' and 'Relax', weird names, but okay BMW), but no matter what mode you are in, there is just an eagerness and urgency in the iX.

And this feeling of immediacy isn’t just because the iX is an electric car. We’ve experienced that before in other EVs. This is because it’s an M-badged BMW.

The iX M60 is wonderfully responsive to throttle inputs, and the 1100Nm (!) available makes it almost comical getting up to speed from a freeway on-ramp.

And in day-to-day traffic situations, it feels like you’ve got cheat codes on while driving.

Waiting to turn into traffic and see a gap that you wouldn’t normally be able to squeeze into? The BMW iX M60 can do it.

How about cruising along and need to change lanes, so you nudge forward a bit for the opening in traffic? Put the foot down and in the span of half a second, the BMW iX M60 has surged forward enough to flick the indicator on.

And take the iX M60 out to some twisties and that brute force will get you to the end of the road in a time you didn’t think was possible in a 2.5-tonne large SUV.

It’s almost unfair how the instant torque makes it everything so much easier on the blacktop.

But that eagerness is a double-edged sword, as when you want things to calm down and operate the iX in the smoothest manner possible, it’s harder than you might think.

Because the throttle is so sensitive and the powertrain so potent, even the slightest twitch of the right foot can lead to a quick burst of speed that knocks you back into your seat.

Even with things dialled down to the Efficient drive mode, it didn’t do much to curb the unruly iX M60 from wanting to break free at the first moment of carelessness.

Don’t get me wrong, it never gets dangerous or unpredictable, but it’s a bit like toilet training a toddler – you’ve always got to be on top of it.

And for some, that’s fine, but for others when you’ve just had a full-on day at work and have to commute home to the family, it can get tiring. 

Before driving the Sport SV you need to understand its highly complex suspension system that allows it to be so dynamically capable. Range Rover calls it a '6D Dynamic' system, because it can control the car left and right, up and down and corner to corner. 

To achieve this the system uses a combination of hydraulic interlinked dampers, height-adjustable air springs and pitch control, which makes it a semi-active suspension set-up similar to the set-up Formula 1 race cars used to boast. 

This allows the Sport SV to sit between 10-25mm lower than the other Sport models and with its clever suspension can actually sit flatter in the corner with less pitch and roll - which is the traditional enemy of high-riding SUVs when it comes to handling.

But the suspension is only part of the story, with the intelligent all-wheel drive, rear-wheel steering, torque vectoring and the active locking rear diff all combining to produce an SUV with incredibly impressive dynamic capability.

Put simply, there’s never been a Range Rover that deserved to be driven on a racetrack. The Sport SV changes that, and thankfully the company let us loose on the challenging Portimao circuit in Portugal to put the SV through its paces.

Range Rover management was quick to stress it doesn’t expect the Sport SV to be a race track regular for its owners, but driving it on track did highlight the extreme potential it offers. 

With such a powerful engine it should come as no surprise that the Sport SV hauled down the straight, hitting 233km/h at the end of the long front straight, but with speed still rising which suggests its 290km/h claimed top speed is accurate.

Even from those speeds and with 2560kg of SUV to slow down, with the carbon ceramic brakes it was no trouble whatsoever. Instead the braking was strong and consistent across multiple laps. 

The steering is the particular highlight, with the rear-wheel steering helping to turn the Sport SV sharper and more quickly than a big SUV like this should. 

But while it impressed on the circuit, we also experienced it on some great winding rural roads across Portugal and this is where it shone even more brightly.

This is an SUV that you’ll genuinely enjoy driving with its ability to carve through corners and blast down anything resembling straight road.

But to ensure it lives up to the Land Rover badge on the front, we also drove it off-road. Nothing too serious at first, just muddy ruts, across some water and over some rocks.

But then we were guided through a course that showed off its articulation potential, which is far greater than the average owner will ever need. 

However, to achieve this Range Rover removed the carbon-fibre front splitter, so it’s not the most off-road friendly model the brand offers.

The Sport SV comes generously equipped with safety gear, as you’d expect at this price point. There’s all the usual passive safety, including airbag coverage for all occupants, and plenty of active safety including adaptive cruise control with steering assist, remote park assist and 3D surround cameras - which are used for off-roading as well as parking.

As with the rest of the Range Rover Sport range, it has been awarded a maximum five-star rating from safety agency, ANCAP.

Like all new BMWs, the iX now comes with a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty with roadside assist over that period.

BMW held out at three years/unlimited km long after competitors had moved to five years. But this finally matches the assurance periods offered by premium rivals Audi, Genesis, Jaguar, Lexus, and Mercedes-Benz, and is up two years from the BMW warranty offered just earlier this year.

The iX uses BMW’s 'Condition Based Servicing' system, which means the vehicle will notify owners of when it needs maintenance, therefore there aren’t any scheduled servicing intervals.

However, services are bundled into four- and six-year plans, priced at $1520 and $2195 respectively. An annual average of $380 for the former, and $367 for the latter, is competitive in this part of the market.

If you’re worrying about servicing costs, you’re probably shopping at the wrong end of the market, but as with the range-topping Range Rover model the price of the car is expected to include servicing for the first five years and roadside assistance for the same period.

It’s also covered by a five-year, unlimited kilometre warranty.

As with all Range Rovers the car will tell you when it needs a service depending on driving conditions. For example, if you hit the track or go off-roading it will likely need a visit quicker than if you're just commuting to and from work.