BMW iX1
Day-to-day use reveals a few shortcomings with our electric small SUV
MILEAGE 3845
WHY WE’RE RUNNING IT To see if BMW’s entry EV is as impressive as its range-topper
Time is flying with our BMW iX1. In our short
time together, it has been all the way to the north of England, into and around London and to two airports at opposite sides of the country. Things got off to a rocky start, though, with some consistent bugbears that very much dampened the experience.
My biggest gripe of all is the iX1’s regenerative braking. There are three settings to adjust the level of energy recuperation: Low, High and Adaptive. When I picked up the car, it was set to Adaptive, which uses sat-nav data and the front camera to slow the car automatically with varying strength when you lift off the accelerator. It’s based on what’s ahead of you and is mostly effective during urban driving.