Compare the2023 Kia EV6VS 2023 BMW i4

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Kia EV6 are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The BMW i4 doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

Both the EV6 and i4 have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The EV6 has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The i4’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the EV6 are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The i4 doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

Both the EV6 and the i4 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, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors and available around view monitors.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the EV6 its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 109 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The i4 has not been tested, yet.

The EV6 comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The i4’s 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 10,000 miles sooner.

Kia’s powertrain warranty covers the EV6 6 years and 50,000 miles longer than BMW covers the i4. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the i4 ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are over 2 times as many Kia dealers as there are BMW dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the EV6’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Kia vehicles are better in initial quality than BMW vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia fourth in initial quality, above the industry average. With 9 more problems per 100 vehicles, BMW is ranked 9th.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Kia vehicles are more reliable than BMW vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia first in reliability, above the industry average. With 42 more problems per 100 vehicles, BMW is ranked 15th.

The EV6 GT’s electric motors produces 40 more horsepower (576 vs. 536) than the i4 M50’s optional electric motors.

As tested in Car and Driver the EV6 GT is faster than the i4 M50:

On the EPA test cycle the EV6 gets better mileage than the i4:

The EV6 can travel longer on a full charge than the i4 on a full charge:

For better stopping power the EV6 GT’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the i4:

For better traction, the EV6 has larger standard tires than the i4 (235/45R20 vs. 225/50R18).

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the EV6 has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the i4. The EV6 GT’s 21-inch wheels are larger than the 20-inch wheels optional on the i4 M50.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the EV6’s wheelbase is 1.8 inches longer than on the i4 (114.2 inches vs. 112.4 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the EV6 is 1.5 inches wider in the front and 1.3 inches wider in the rear than the track on the i4.

For better maneuverability, the EV6’s turning circle is 2.8 feet tighter than the i4’s (38.2 feet vs. 41 feet). The EV6 GT’s turning circle is 1.8 feet tighter than the i4’s (39.2 feet vs. 41 feet).

The Kia EV6 may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 200 to 700 pounds less than the BMW i4.

The EV6 Light/Wind is 4.2 inches shorter than the i4, making the EV6 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The EV6 has 13 cubic feet more passenger volume than the i4 (103 vs. 90).

The EV6 has .8 inches more front headroom, .9 inches more front legroom, 2.6 inches more front shoulder room, 1.4 inches more rear headroom, 4.8 inches more rear legroom and 1.3 inches more rear shoulder room than the i4.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the EV6’s rear seats recline. The i4’s rear seats don’t recline.

The EV6 offers up to a 2300 lbs. towing capacity. The i4 has no towing capacity.

The EV6’s standard easy entry system glides the driver’s seat back, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The i4 doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the EV6 has standard extendable sun visors. The i4 doesn’t offer extendable visors.

The EV6 has standard heated front seats. Heated front seats cost extra on the i4. The EV6 also offers optional heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the i4.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Kia EV6 has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Wireless charging costs extra on the i4.

The EV6 Wind/GT-Line/GT has a 115-volt a/c outlet, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The i4 doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

The EV6 (except Light)’s optional Smart Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Remote Smart Parking Assist will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The i4’s automatic parking system does not offer parking by remote control.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the EV6 first among compact suvs in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The i4 isn’t in the top three.