Long-term report: Exploring the tech-heavy features of the BMW iX2

It’s been a busy old time for the iX2 of late. It’s one of those cars which feels effortless to drive; you jump in, put the stubby gear selector into drive and you’re off. The electric powertrain means the iX2 is perfectly at home around town, but with the warmer weather, I’ve been seeing the car’s range creeping up and now it’s delivering just over 270 from a full charge.

Sure, I still believe that EVs shouldn’t be so affected by temperatures – it seems unfair given the claimed range figures which are advertised – but I can’t help but enjoy the extra miles brought on by a brighter spell.

I’ve also been exploring some of the iX2’s other onboard features. One is the interior monitor; this is an in-car camera which you can remotely access via the smartphone app to check on your vehicle when it’s parked. It would be good if you’re leaving your car in one place for a little while, or if you’ve got something inside that you’d like to keep an eye on. While I wouldn’t ever leave my dog in the car when I’m parked up – and she wouldn’t be that happy about it, either – this could be a safety net for those who do.

Another feature I’ve been checking out is the drive recorder. A little like a conventional dashcam, it uses the car’s in-built cameras to take a recording out of the front of the vehicle. You can trigger itself when you’re on the move, or it’ll automatically roll if it detects an emergency situation. It could prove essential in an insurance claim. However, during a recent incident where someone else on the road carved in front of me – and I had to slam on the brakes – it hadn’t recorded a jot. But it seems to only auto-activate when a full-on accident has happened.

Incidentally, it’s one of the paid-for options on many BMWs. While the iX2 has it pre-loaded, drivers who don’t have it installed can do so for the princely sum of £199 for the year, providing your car is compatible, after all. Against the cost and wiring hassle of a standard dashcam it seems pretty good value, particularly if – like me – you’re not a fan of gadgets littering the dashboard.

Charging-wise, the iX2 is still proving breezy and the app is a big part of that. It notifies you about states of charge, the rate of charge and when it’ll all be completed. In conjunction with the Ohme app that I use to control our home wallbox, it makes for a very informative experience and means you’re always sure about how much charge the car will have. It’s good that you can pre-condition the car too and while it’s useful in summer, I imagine this function will make even more sense in winter when it’ll allow you to defrost the windscreen. That’s if it ever stops raining outside.

And speaking of rain, that’s one of the primary grumbles I have about the iX2. With the popularity of coupe-styled SUVs on the rise, you might’ve noticed that a lot of the latest cars come without a rear wiper – iX2 included. In a country like the UK, it’s a rather maddening omission and one which isn’t restricted to BMW either – nearly all car manufacturers are at it.

While some will claim that the aerodynamics of the sloping roof mean that the rain simply blows away, it’s complete nonsense – when it’s hammering down, it’s a nightmare to see out of the back and being unable to clear it is like having an itch you’re not able to scratch. Plus, once things have dried up – eventually – the streaky rear screen needs a quick wipe-down with a cloth to return it to any kind of usefulness. As an option, you could just opt for the more upright iX1 which gets a conventional rear screen and that all-important wiper. If I was picking between the two, this feature would come head-and-shoulders above the aesthetics of the coupe-styled iX2.

But aside from this precipitation-based grumble, it’s all rather pleasant. I would like some paddles behind the steering wheel to adjust the level of braking regeneration you get but, as standard, it strikes a nice balance. Plus, you can shift the gear selector into ‘b’ which increases the braking regeneration and I quite often do this when I’m driving around town – it gives a near-one-pedal driving experience that is ideal for those monotonous crawls through traffic.

I’m sure that the iX2 won’t be sitting still for long – it seems to be in near-constant demand. I’d like to see if there’s some way to trigger the on-board cameras when you activate the horn, too – that’d be quite handy, wouldn’t it?