Compare the2023 Kia EV6VS 2023 BMW iX

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 iX doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

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 iX doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

Both the EV6 and the iX 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 iX 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 iX’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 iX. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the iX 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.

As tested in Car and Driver the EV6 GT electric motors is faster than the iX xDrive50:

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

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

The EV6 stops shorter than the iX:

The EV6’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the iX’s standard 60 series tires.

The EV6 GT handles at .92 G’s, while the iX xDrive50 pulls only .84 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the EV6 GT’s turning circle is 1.2 feet tighter than the iX xDrive50’s (39.2 feet vs. 40.4 feet).

The Kia EV6 may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 950 to 1700 pounds less than the BMW iX.

The EV6 Light/Wind is 10.7 inches shorter than the iX, making the EV6 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The EV6 has 2.2 inches more front legroom and .1 inches more rear legroom than the iX.

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

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the EV6 easier. The EV6’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 28.6 inches, while the iX’s liftover is 30.3 inches.

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 iX doesn’t offer extendable visors.

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 iX 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 iX’s automatic parking system does not offer parking by remote control.

The EV6 is available in both rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The iX doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

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 iX isn’t in the top three.