Range Rover Sport vs BMW IX

What's the difference?

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.

If anyone was worried that it would be too late to get a decent bit of value out of an entry-level iX, there's reassuring news.

With more power, range and features added to the model and the cost remaining close to its former sticker price, the iX has held up well despite now existing in a more competitive environment.

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.

The iX was a bit divisive upon its original launch, because it was one of the early adopters of BMW’s current ‘big grille’ era.

The good news for the iX is that many have adjusted their expectations on that front and it now feels pretty well at home in the brand’s line-up.

The addition of the 'Iconic Glow' grille surround might be a step too far for some, but overall the iX has aged well and its exterior design hasn’t changed much because of that.

The adaptive LED headlights have new DRL elements, and the M Sport pack is now standard, but if you were only casually familiar with the iX you’d have to be looking closely to spot the update.

The new colour palette for the iX also includes the pictured 'Arctic Race Blue metallic', though I’m personally a fan of the iX in all black, giving it a more monolithic look.

Inside, it’s a similar story - what was once perhaps ahead of its time is now the expectation in an electric SUV. Minimalism in terms of physical controls, but plenty of space.

Helping the feeling of spaciousness is the now-standard panoramic sunroof, though a lack of physical shade is one of the iX’s few interior let-downs. Instead, it can electrochromatically ‘shade’, which still lets in plenty of light.

At night, ambient lighting joins the glow of the iX’s rather large 14.9-inch multimedia touchscreen and 12.3-inch driver display.

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.

The space on offer in both rows of the iX is a huge plus, and it might even be enough to make you look past some of the small downsides to the electric Bimmer’s interior.

The iX’s clever two-level central console has the phone charger pad and drinks holders down out of the way and means you can put distractions (phone) and your tall bottles out of the way. There's a slot above for your phone to sit upright with a gap under for charging, too.

The storage bin under the armrest also has plenty of space as well as a little shelf for smaller items you don't want to go hunting for, but the iX’s control panel and dial are still reflective and, at certain times of the day, this means distracting light getting in your eyes. 

Speaking of distracting, I have found BMW’s multimedia software to be less intuitive and more complicated with each major update, and ‘OS 8.5’ is no different. At this point, using the brand’s touchscreen feels like operating an iPad on the move, with dozens of menu tiles to sort through.

But back to the physical space that is the iX’s interior - the big EV makes a lot of sense as a family car, especially if your kids are old enough to appreciate (and keep clean) the fit and finish.

Not only does the drive have a nicely adjustable and comfortable sports seat thanks to the M Sport pack, there's also heating and a massage function.

The front passenger gets the same, and the second row is borderline palatial. There's heaps of kneeroom, headroom, and even space under the front seats at their lowest setting to slot your feet.

The four-zone climate controls mean arguments are avoided, there is of course a central armrest, though even with it folded up and a person in the centre there's enough room in the back to be comfortable. 

Behind that, the iX’s 500 litres of boot space could probably be expanded but at the expense of rear legroom, so it's acceptable. There is space under the floor for cables, but no space saver spare, just a repair kit.

There's a switch that allows you to fold the seats down from the tailgate, but you can also manually fold the middle seat for a 40/20/40 split rather than the more expected 60/40.

The sole entry-grade iX is the xDrive45 M Sport, which brings with it more than the original base xDrive40, but also a price a few thousand dollars higher.

It starts from $142,900 but can quickly become much more expensive when you start ticking options boxes. But in this market segment, it's not that unusual, especially considering recent arrivals like the Polestar 3. 

Given it’s only a little more expensive than before, the extra kit and higher grade that now forms the iX entry-point is impressive.

The 'M Sport' pack is now standard as the name suggests, plus there’s M trim inside like the steering wheel, the M seats and silver design highlights.

The LED lights are now adaptive and the glowing grille surround has also been added.

There’s also now a panoramic glass roof as standard, rather than an option, plus the steering wheel is heated and there’s now a tyre pressure monitor.

Aside from that, there’s plenty that carries over, like the wireless phone charging, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, 18-speaker surround sound by Harman Kardon, four-zone climate control and heated front seats.

There’s also an 'Executive Pack' which adds some comfort features like soft-close doors, privacy glass and front seat ventilation with rear seat heating. That one’s $6500.

Then there’s active steering, which brings the rear wheels into play for more manoeuvrability and stability for $3000.

Adaptive air suspension is $4000, while the most expensive option is a 30-speaker Bowers & Wilkins ‘Diamond’ surround sound system for $9500.

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.

The iX has, as the xDrive part of its name would suggest, a dual-motor electric set-up with all-wheel drive. 

Power and torque now total 300kW and 700Nm for the system in the xDrive45 M Sport, up from the 240kW and 630Nm on offer in the outgoing xDrive40.

BMW says the iX is now good to hit 100km/h from a standstill in 5.1 seconds, with its claimed top speed a nice, rounded 200km/h.

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.

The iX’s 94.8kWh battery allows a range up to 522km, but relatively low efficiency because of the size and weight.

Its 20kWh/100km is on the higher side of power use for cars around this size and this is part of the reason its huge battery capacity results in a fairly average driving range.

Maximum power input for DC fast charging is, however, up from 150kW to 175kW with the update, which is good news for those long drives.

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 BMW iX was a relatively early entry into the catalogue of electric cars I’ve driven and because of that it had a couple of (in hindsight) unfair criticisms levelled at it.

For a start, it felt heavier than expected and its ride quality didn’t feel up to BMW’s standards - both things that plenty of electric SUVs have struggled with since.

But its drivetrain, design, and interior all impressed, aside from perhaps some of the aforementioned interior reflections.

Now years on, and the iX has aged well.

Some of the mechanicals and suspension also copped a tweak along with the entry iX now being a more powerful ‘45’. The result is a big electric SUV that holds up better than I remember.

‘Smooth’ is the key word that comes to mind in regards to a lot of the iX’s characteristics. While it’s still not perfect and feels heavy, the iX rides well in comparison to many SUVs on the market, including some of its close rivals.

Perhaps key to this is the fact its standard 21-inch wheels leave plenty of tyre to help the suspension soak up sharp edges on bumps, while we’re sure BMW’s handling engineers have learned more about getting the best out of a big, heavy electric vehicle in the last couple of years.

Road noise is well-muted as a result, and the shape of the iX doesn’t seem to lend itself to excessive wind noise. Even when you’re getting rather quick.

Despite being a 2525kg beast, its 5.1-second sprint to 100km/h is in the muscle car realm - the last of Holden’s V8 Commodores would do about that, for reference.

Its acceleration is also nicely progressive, rather than giving you an almighty but unnecessary jolt of torque right as you put your foot down. But once there’s traction and you’re rolling, the xDrive45 is impressive.

Meanwhile, its cornering and braking still reveal the heft behind the iX, it’s not something you can chuck around like a go-kart, but that’s also not really its area.

Anyone familiar with BMW’s steering characteristics will find the slightly higher force required for its weight (and thickness of the steering wheel rim) standard, though it’s still unnecessarily on the heavier side.

The BMW iX holds a five-star ANCAP rating, which it earned under slightly more lenient testing back in 2021.

Seven airbags, auto emergency braking with cyclist and pedestrian detection up to 80km/h, lane-assist, rear-cross traffic alert and intersection assist, plus a surround view parking camera all help immensely.

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.

BMW offers a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty with an eight-year/160,000km warranty on the battery.

BMW servicing takes place as needed rather than on a schedule, meaning you’ll be alerted via the car or app when a service is required in the near future.

For the iX a six-year all-inclusive service pack costs $3475, regardless of how many km you drive.

BMW has 54 servicing dealers listed in Australia, with each capital city covered and many more locations in the eastern states.