BMW iX1 review: reliability & safety rating

In 2022 the petrol and diesel-powered versions of the latest BMW X1 received the full five-star crash safety rating from Euro NCAP, and scored 86% for adult occupant protection, 89% for child occupant protection, and 92% in the safety assistance category. This rating does not apply to the iX1 for some reason, however, we expect the fully electric SUV will match or potentially outperform its combustion-engined counterparts when it's put through Euro NCAP’s battery of crash tests soon.

BMW iX1 reliability & problems

As the BMW iX1 – and the X1 on which it’s based – only just arrived, we can’t judge its long-term reliability until owners have started covering some miles in them. But considering BMW’s first electric car, the i3 city car, was on sale for nearly a decade without major issues to speak of, the Bavarian carmaker knows how to build a reliable EV.

In terms of customer satisfaction, in the 2023 Driver Power owner survey BMW ranked 21st out of 32 brands, just ahead of key competitors Mercedes (25th) and Audi (30th). Meanwhile, that aforementioned i3 finished an impressive 13th on the list of the 75 best new cars to own – almost a decade after it first launched.

Safety

As we mentioned, the iX1 hasn’t received a Euro NCAP crash safety rating just yet, but we expect it’ll get the same five-star rating as regular X1. Every iX1 is equipped with a reversing camera, ‘attentiveness assistant’ that analyses the driver’s behaviour and can suggest if it thinks you need to take a break, and BMW’s ‘active guard’ system which incorporates lane departure warning and front collision warning with brake intervention. The iX1 also produces an ‘eDrive exterior sound’ at low speeds to make pedestrians aware of your presence.

If you opt for BMW’s ‘Driving Assistant Professional’, the iX1 receives adaptive cruise control, cross-traffic warning, lane change warning, rear collision prevention, and steering and lane control assistant.