The Performance Pack is mighty impressive, though. Available exclusively on the Dual Motor, it swaps the springs, dampers and even anti-roll bars for a new, SUV-specific set-up, counteracting the 30kg of extra weight over the rear and producing a more sporting feel than the equivalent 4 Coupé.
Even compared with the most driver-focused iX3, the 4 SUV feels more naturally athletic. It’s keen to turn and, while there’s enormous amounts of four-wheel drive traction, the chassis allows for some mid-corner rotation via the rear axle’s torque vectoring.
This agility doesn’t come at the expense of ride quality, as even in the chassis’s Nimble mode the suspension is forgiving and able to deal with bumps and undulations.
As you would expect, the passive suspension of the Rear Motor is the softer set-up overall, as it lacks a little vertical body control if you catch a crest or dip at pace. But it still does a remarkable job of maintaining composure at pace in the bends while feeling keener on the nose than the heavier Dual Motor. You’re even given a few degrees of freedom to exploit its rear-wheel drive, until the stability control reins things in.
