I Can’t Tell If The Facelifted BMW iX Looks Better Or If Every Other BMW Has Grown Uglier In The Past Three Years

It feels like automotive model cycles are lasting longer than ever before, which means that the mid-life facelift is a critical thing to keep customers interested in a car that’s been on sale for three, four, five, or even more years. However, sometimes a facelift can only do so much. Take the BMW iX, for example. It’s getting tweaked styling, a new entry-level trim, and updated powertrain options for the 2026 model year but I can’t tell whether visually, it’s an improvement or not.

Let’s start by talking about powertrains, starting with the new BMW iX xDrive45, because it seems the most promising. With a 100.1 kWh battery pack and a combined output of 402 horsepower and 516 lb.-ft. of torque, it promises 312 miles of range and a starting price of $76,325, which is three more miles of range than last year’s iX xDrive50 for $12,100 less. Sure, it gives up 114 horsepower over the xDrive50, but it still scoots from zero-to-60 mph in just under five seconds. That’s definitely not slow.

For 2026, the xDrive60 replaces the old xDrive50, adding all of 20 horsepower for a total of 536. It also features a boost in range to 340 miles, and while an extra 31 miles of range thanks to new batteries and silicon carbide inverters shared with the rest of the iX range is certainly nice, you can’t help but get the feeling that the bigger number on the trunk is primarily a marketing exercise.

However, the new xDrive60 would get a bit confusing if it were sold alongside the 2025 iX M60 xDrive, so the M-lite trim for 2026 is now the M70 xDrive, which gets an extra 40 horsepower over the old M60 xDrive yet isn’t officially quicker. Strange, but considering it costs the same as the old M60 xDrive, not the end of the world. Come to think of it, the updated M Sport styling might be more of a turnoff than a bigger number with identical claimed acceleration times, especially on the M70 xDrive with its unique grille.

Let’s jump back the standard BMW iX xDrive45 and xDrive60 for a second, because these variants have changed the least visually over last year’s iX xDrive50. BMW’s gone with the old Sport trim bits, added a new set of faux-grilles and painted almost all the vulgar shiny black plastic trim on the lower parts of the body to match the paint color, and that’s about it other than the new headlights all 2026 iX crossovers get. In this case, painting shiny black trim body color is good and the new faux grilles look less busy, although the new illuminated grille option seems particularly tasteless.

However, these models are also available with an M Sport package, and that’s where things start to go off the rails a little bit by falling into the same trope as other new BMWs, the one where it looks like the bumpers were designed by people who’d never seen the whole car before. Sure, the lines off the front air curtains pinch the headlights, and the butt-chinned grille with a huge KitKat-shaped black plastic slab above it isn’t great, but the busy rear bumper definitely seems like a downgrade over standard. With the M Sport Package, the iX still isn’t the worst-looking BMW launched in the past few years, but what is that really saying?

Of course, questionable bumpers aren’t the only new additions for the new M Sport package. One thing that actually seems worth the money is a set of front sport seats with adjustable bolsters and adjustable thigh support, especially since they look great for skinnier drivers who might find themselves flopping around in the standard seats. The M Sport package also features a circular steering wheel which sounds nice, shiny black plastic on the center console which doesn’t sound so nice, and available 23-inch wheels which sound detrimental to comfort.

It’s worth noting that minor updates like this won’t alleviate some of the fundamental annoyances on the BMW iX. The hatch opening is weirdly small due to a set of concealed second taillights, the surfacing of the quarter panels and fenders isn’t great, and the giant faux grilles are controversial to say the least. Still, if you can get past that, the iX does seem improved on paper for 2026. Maybe stick with the cheapest one, though.

(Photo credits: BMW)

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