The BMW iX has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Polestar 2 doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.
To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, Full-Time Four-Wheel Drive is standard on the iX. But it costs extra on the Polestar 2.
To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the iX has a standard rear cross-path warning system, which uses sensors in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. Rear cross-path warning costs extra on the Polestar 2.
Both the iX and the Polestar 2 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors and available around view monitors.
The BMW iX weighs 945 to 1373 pounds more than the Polestar 2. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.