BMW iX1 review: running costs & insurance

Rock-bottom company-car tax and comprehensive servicing packs count in the electric X1’s favour here

Overall rating

4.0 out of 5

Running costs & insurance rating

4.0 out of 5

Insurance groupWarrantyService intervalAnnual company-car tax cost (20%.40%)
37-383yrs/unlimited milesTBCFrom £209/£418

While the starting price for the regular petrol–powered BMW X1 is around £34,000, and the plug-in hybrid version is priced from just under £42,000, the fully electric iX1 starts at over £53,000 – more than a Tesla Model Y Long Range. That’s a lot for an electric SUV of this size, but once you get past the high starting price, the iX1 benefits from the same perks as all electric cars, including an exemption for road tax (VED) and the London Congestion Charge until 2025, not to mention a 2% Benefit-in-Kind company-car tax rate for the next few years.

BMW iX1 insurance group

The BMW iX1 falls into insurance group 37 if you go for the base xLine trim, or group 38 if you opt for the M Sport model. As a result, it should cost around the same money to insure iX1 as it would a four-wheel-drive dual-motor version of its rivals like the Audi Q4 e-tron or Volvo XC40 Recharge.

Warranty

Like all new BMWs sold in the UK, the iX1 is covered by a three-year manufacturer warranty, with no mileage limit during that time. BMW’s ‘i’ electric-car warranty also includes BMW Mobile Care and protection for the car’s high-voltage battery for up to eight years or 100,000 miles, whichever comes first.

Servicing

Servicing intervals for the iX1 are unclear at the moment, but we don’t expect it’ll need to be looked at more than every other year – the same as the BMW iX3 SUV and i4 saloon. BMW also offers an inclusive service package for the iX1 for £410 which covers routine servicing for at least the first four years after your vehicle’s registration date.

Road tax

Like all electric cars, the BMW iX1 is zero-rated for road tax (VED) until 2025 and will remain exempt from the London Congestion Charge until 2025, too.

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