Compare the2024 BMW iXVS 2023 Kia EV6

The iX’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The EV6 doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

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 EV6 doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

The iX’s standard pretensioning seatbelts also sense rear collisions and remove slack from the front seatbelts to help protect the occupants from whiplash and other injuries. The EV6 doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

The iX has a standard PostCrash iBrake, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The EV6 doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

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 EV6.

Both the iX and the EV6 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.

The BMW iX weighs 864 to 1785 pounds more than the Kia EV6. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

The iX’s corrosion warranty is 7 years and unlimited miles longer than the EV6’s (12/unlimited vs. 5/100,000).

BMW pays for scheduled maintenance on the iX for 3 years and 36,000 miles. BMW will pay for tire rotations, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Kia doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the EV6.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that BMW vehicles are more reliable than Kia vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks BMW third in overall reliability. Kia is ranked 9th.

The iX has more powerful engines than the EV6:

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

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

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

The iX’s launch control uses engine electronics to hold engine RPM’s at 60 in order to provide the most stable and rapid acceleration possible, using all of the available traction. The EV6 doesn’t offer launch control.

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

The iX’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs standard on the EV6 are solid, not vented.

The iX stops much shorter than the EV6:

For better traction, the iX’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the EV6 (275/40R22 vs. 255/40R21).

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the iX has standard 20-inch wheels. Smaller 19-inch wheels are standard on the EV6. The iX’s optional 22-inch wheels are larger than the 21-inch wheels on the EV6 GT.

The iX M60 has a standard automatic front and rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The iX’s height leveling suspension allows the driver to raise ride height for better off-road clearance and then lower it again for easier entering and exiting and better on-road handling. The EV6 doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the iX’s wheelbase is 3.9 inches longer than on the EV6 (118.1 inches vs. 114.2 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the iX is 1.9 inches wider in the front and 2.7 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the EV6.

The iX xDrive50 handles at .88 G’s, while the EV6 Wind e-AWD pulls only .85 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

For greater off-road capability the iX has a 2.7 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the EV6 (8.8 vs. 6.1 inches), allowing the iX to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

As tested by Car and Driver, the interior of the iX M60 is quieter than the EV6 GT:

The iX has 2.5 inches more front headroom, 3.7 inches more front shoulder room, 1.5 inches more rear headroom and 2.7 inches more rear shoulder room than the EV6.

The iX has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the EV6 with its rear seat up (35.5 vs. 24.4 cubic feet). The iX has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the EV6 with its rear seat folded (77.9 vs. 50.2 cubic feet).

The iX’s cargo area is larger than the EV6’s in almost every dimension:

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that BMW service is better than Kia. J.D. Power ranks BMW 7th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 32% lower rating, Kia is ranked 26th.

The iX’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The EV6’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

If the windows are left open on the iX the driver can close them all at the outside door handle or from a distance using the remote. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the EV6 can only close the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the iX has a standard rear wiper. The EV6 doesn’t offer a rear wiper.

Laser headlights, optional on the iX, produce their light by firing blue lasers through phosphorus, a process that uses one-half the power of the EV6’s LED headlights. Laser headlights can have double the range of LEDs with a much smaller surface area.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the iX has standard cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The EV6 doesn’t offer cornering lights. The iX also offers optional adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle.

The iX’s standard rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The EV6 has an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

The iX has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the vehicle heater warms up. A heated steering wheel costs extra on the EV6.

The iX offers optional massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the EV6.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the BMW iX and the Kia EV6, based on reliability, safety and performance.