BMW IX vs Porsche Taycan

What's the difference?

If anyone was worried that it would be too late to get a decent bit of value out of an entry-level iX, there's reassuring news.

With more power, range and features added to the model and the cost remaining close to its former sticker price, the iX has held up well despite now existing in a more competitive environment.

Porsche says its Taycan models have always been performance-focused and this updated version is even faster than the car it replaces, in a straight line and point-to-point. It’s better equipped, more efficient, and yes, more expensive but every millimetre a Porsche in the way this EV sedan and wagon package has been executed.

It’s an impressive car likely to appeal to Porsche newcomers rather than traditionalists, although you may already have other Porsches in the garage. But with the Macan EV landing any minute and the pure-electric 718 Boxster and Cayman just around the corner it's a key part of the changing face of this iconic German brand.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel, accommodation and meals provided.

The iX was a bit divisive upon its original launch, because it was one of the early adopters of BMW’s current ‘big grille’ era.

The good news for the iX is that many have adjusted their expectations on that front and it now feels pretty well at home in the brand’s line-up.

The addition of the 'Iconic Glow' grille surround might be a step too far for some, but overall the iX has aged well and its exterior design hasn’t changed much because of that.

The adaptive LED headlights have new DRL elements, and the M Sport pack is now standard, but if you were only casually familiar with the iX you’d have to be looking closely to spot the update.

The new colour palette for the iX also includes the pictured 'Arctic Race Blue metallic', though I’m personally a fan of the iX in all black, giving it a more monolithic look.

Inside, it’s a similar story - what was once perhaps ahead of its time is now the expectation in an electric SUV. Minimalism in terms of physical controls, but plenty of space.

Helping the feeling of spaciousness is the now-standard panoramic sunroof, though a lack of physical shade is one of the iX’s few interior let-downs. Instead, it can electrochromatically ‘shade’, which still lets in plenty of light.

At night, ambient lighting joins the glow of the iX’s rather large 14.9-inch multimedia touchscreen and 12.3-inch driver display.

Porsche has freshened up the Taycan’s front and rear end, the nose losing the vents dropping down from the headlights as previewed by the original Mission E Concept in 2015.

Matrix LED headlights are standard with high-resolution HD available. But there are no major sheet metal changes to the bulk of the car. And why would you fiddle with it? The drag coefficient is an ultra-slippery 0.22.

Around the back the Porsche logo in the rear light strip has been given a cool three-dimensional treatment al la the 911, Panamera and other current Porsches. And if you have eyes for the Turbo or Turbo S the brand’s glamorous ‘Turbonite’ metallic silver colour is now available.

Inside is a screen-rich environment with a three-dial digital version of the brand’s five-dial instrument cluster customisable through roughly 5000 configurations and there’s a new multimedia software interface for the central screens with additional functions. A passenger display is a $2860 option.

The space on offer in both rows of the iX is a huge plus, and it might even be enough to make you look past some of the small downsides to the electric Bimmer’s interior.

The iX’s clever two-level central console has the phone charger pad and drinks holders down out of the way and means you can put distractions (phone) and your tall bottles out of the way. There's a slot above for your phone to sit upright with a gap under for charging, too.

The storage bin under the armrest also has plenty of space as well as a little shelf for smaller items you don't want to go hunting for, but the iX’s control panel and dial are still reflective and, at certain times of the day, this means distracting light getting in your eyes. 

Speaking of distracting, I have found BMW’s multimedia software to be less intuitive and more complicated with each major update, and ‘OS 8.5’ is no different. At this point, using the brand’s touchscreen feels like operating an iPad on the move, with dozens of menu tiles to sort through.

But back to the physical space that is the iX’s interior - the big EV makes a lot of sense as a family car, especially if your kids are old enough to appreciate (and keep clean) the fit and finish.

Not only does the drive have a nicely adjustable and comfortable sports seat thanks to the M Sport pack, there's also heating and a massage function.

The front passenger gets the same, and the second row is borderline palatial. There's heaps of kneeroom, headroom, and even space under the front seats at their lowest setting to slot your feet.

The four-zone climate controls mean arguments are avoided, there is of course a central armrest, though even with it folded up and a person in the centre there's enough room in the back to be comfortable. 

Behind that, the iX’s 500 litres of boot space could probably be expanded but at the expense of rear legroom, so it's acceptable. There is space under the floor for cables, but no space saver spare, just a repair kit.

There's a switch that allows you to fold the seats down from the tailgate, but you can also manually fold the middle seat for a 40/20/40 split rather than the more expected 60/40.

At nearly 5.0m long and 2.0m wide but less than 1.4m tall the Taycan is a low-slung large sedan.

In the front of the Taycan I’ve got plenty of breathing space, lots of headroom and enough shoulder room and you don’t feel cramped relative to the co-pilot.

In terms of storage, there are pockets in the doors with room for bottles, a couple of cup and bottle holders in the centre console as well as a tray under the flying buttress type upper console section.

A lidded box between the seats housing a couple of USB-C outlets and a 12-volt socket is handy and there’s a decent-size glove box on the passenger side. 

Interestingly, an in-car video function enables video streaming on the central display (while the vehicle is stationary) and the passenger display at any time with the vision hidden from the driver by a lenticular-style screen.

In the back, sitting behind the driver’s seat, set for my 183cm position, I have ample legroom and space for my feet. Problem is my head hits the roof solidly, even with the extra room afforded by the panoramic glass insert, which is a no-cost option from the Taycan 4S up.

Standard configuration is two rear seat positions, although a ‘4+1’ set up which adds an occasional centre rear position is optionally available. Trust me, that’s tight. 

On the upside you have adjustable ventilation for the rear seat passengers (climate control zones on the Turbo grades) with a small oddments shelf below them, slots in the doors for bottles and two more cup or bottle holders in the fold-down centre armrest.

No map pockets on the front seat backs, so while there’s some room for storage it’s not exactly over supplied in that department, or for breathing space in general.

Boot space is relatively modest at 366 litres in the sedan but the 60/40 split-folding rear seat liberates more space if required. The Cross Turismo wagon offers 405 litres and a much larger load aperture for greater flexibility. An 84L frunk sits in the nose of all Taycans.  

Interesting to note Taycans in other markets boast an extra 41L of boot space. It doesn’t feature here because Porsche Australia has made the high-end Bose sound system standard and its sub-woofer eats into available capacity. 

A power boot lid or tailgate and auto self-levelling to maintain the car’s ride height under load is standard but there’s no spare tyre of any description. A repair/inflator kit is your only option, which is less than ideal.

Cost-of-entry to the Taycan club stretches from close to $174,500, before on-road costs, for the entry-grade, single-motor RWD model to just under $373,600 for the flagship dual-motor AWD Turbo S. That’s an increase of between 2.7 and 6.6 per cent, varying by model.

MSRP - correct at time of publication

The heavy-hitting Taycan Turbo GT is scheduled to arrive in the third quarter of this year at $416K, and we’ll no doubt see a sporty GTS variant within the next 12-to-18 months.

That price spread for the new Taycan pitches the Porsche against the likes of Audi’s closely related e-tron GT and RS GT, BMW’s three-tier i5 line-up and the Mercedes-Benz EQE sedan.

Highlight spec additions include ambient lighting, soft-close doors and an ‘Intelligent Range Manager’ which uses the nav and onboard systems to optimise energy use.

The ventilation system now features a heat pump which compresses outside air to heat the cabin and wireless charging is included across the board.

Then tip in adaptive cruise control, a head-up display, lane change assist, surround camera view (with ‘Active Parking Support’), rear side airbags and digital radio.

The base model picks up adaptive air suspension, alloy door sill protectors and a bigger, lighter battery.

That’s on top of a laundry list of non-safety or performance related inclusions like auto matrix LED headlights, dual-zone climate control, 14-way electrically adjustable heated front seats (with memory), partial leather trim, privacy glass, 10.9-inch central multimedia display, configurable digital instrument panel, 14-speaker/710W Bose audio (with digital radio), Apple/Android connectivity, an auto tailgate and more. 

While, depending on model, higher grades collect extra standard gear ranging from bigger rims and full leather interior to a panoramic glass roof and ventilated seats. 

Not bad, even in this elevated part of the market.

The iX has, as the xDrive part of its name would suggest, a dual-motor electric set-up with all-wheel drive. 

Power and torque now total 300kW and 700Nm for the system in the xDrive45 M Sport, up from the 240kW and 630Nm on offer in the outgoing xDrive40.

BMW says the iX is now good to hit 100km/h from a standstill in 5.1 seconds, with its claimed top speed a nice, rounded 200km/h.

The entry-level single-motor RWD Taycan features a new electric motor that’s 10kg lighter and seven per cent more powerful but more notably produces 22 per cent more torque than the unit it replaces.

Both it and the additional motor fitted to the front axle of AWD models are permanent magnet synchronous units with outputs up across the range, the Turbo S producing a stonking 700kW and more than 1100Nm.

That 700kW peak number for the Turbo S comes courtesy of an ‘overboost’ function with Launch Control. And Taycan models equipped with the Sport Chrono package and the Performance Battery Plus have up to an extra 70kW courtesy of a 10sec push-to-pass button.

There’s a two-speed transmission on the rear axle and a single-speed on the front of AWD variants.

The iX’s 94.8kWh battery allows a range up to 522km, but relatively low efficiency because of the size and weight.

Its 20kWh/100km is on the higher side of power use for cars around this size and this is part of the reason its huge battery capacity results in a fairly average driving range.

Maximum power input for DC fast charging is, however, up from 150kW to 175kW with the update, which is good news for those long drives.

The Taycan runs 800-volt electric architecture which means it can charge at up to 320kW on a DC fast-charger which is 50kW more than its predecessor. In fact, charging at more than 300kW for up to five minutes is possible. 

You’re looking at a 10-80 per cent charge in 18min on a fast charger which is down from 37min. It’s 46min on a more typical 120kW charger.

An 89kWh lithium-ion battery is standard on the entry-grade Taycan. It boasts a nickel, cobalt, manganese cell chemistry which Porsche says delivers high energy content, lower internal resistance and higher charge and discharge currents. And it’s 9.0kg lighter.

All models above it feature the 105kWh ‘Performance Battery Plus’, a roughly $12K option on the base car.

Maximum AC charging capacity is 11kW and you’re staring down the barrel of nine hours for a 0-100 per cent fill of the smaller battery and 11 hours for the performance battery pack.

Official energy consumption on a combined urban, extra-urban cycle varies from 17.1kWh/100km for the single motor Taycan to 17.8kWh for dual-motor variants.

On the launch drive program, covering mainly rural B-roads on Tasmania’s east coast, we cycled through all models on offer and recorded a best figure of 21.5kWh/100km for the single-motor Taycan up to 22.0kWh for the Turbo S. Not bad.

Claimed range is 566km for the entry-grade Taycan, up to 626km for dual-motor models.

Interestingly, on 4WD models the - front electric motor can electronically decouple more frequently to improve efficiency.

The BMW iX was a relatively early entry into the catalogue of electric cars I’ve driven and because of that it had a couple of (in hindsight) unfair criticisms levelled at it.

For a start, it felt heavier than expected and its ride quality didn’t feel up to BMW’s standards - both things that plenty of electric SUVs have struggled with since.

But its drivetrain, design, and interior all impressed, aside from perhaps some of the aforementioned interior reflections.

Now years on, and the iX has aged well.

Some of the mechanicals and suspension also copped a tweak along with the entry iX now being a more powerful ‘45’. The result is a big electric SUV that holds up better than I remember.

‘Smooth’ is the key word that comes to mind in regards to a lot of the iX’s characteristics. While it’s still not perfect and feels heavy, the iX rides well in comparison to many SUVs on the market, including some of its close rivals.

Perhaps key to this is the fact its standard 21-inch wheels leave plenty of tyre to help the suspension soak up sharp edges on bumps, while we’re sure BMW’s handling engineers have learned more about getting the best out of a big, heavy electric vehicle in the last couple of years.

Road noise is well-muted as a result, and the shape of the iX doesn’t seem to lend itself to excessive wind noise. Even when you’re getting rather quick.

Despite being a 2525kg beast, its 5.1-second sprint to 100km/h is in the muscle car realm - the last of Holden’s V8 Commodores would do about that, for reference.

Its acceleration is also nicely progressive, rather than giving you an almighty but unnecessary jolt of torque right as you put your foot down. But once there’s traction and you’re rolling, the xDrive45 is impressive.

Meanwhile, its cornering and braking still reveal the heft behind the iX, it’s not something you can chuck around like a go-kart, but that’s also not really its area.

Anyone familiar with BMW’s steering characteristics will find the slightly higher force required for its weight (and thickness of the steering wheel rim) standard, though it’s still unnecessarily on the heavier side.

Full disclosure. My preference when it comes to Porsche propulsion is pistons in cylinders; ideally six of them, horizontally opposed. 

But if the Taycan is on your shortlist you’re ready to move past internal combustion and there is no doubt this car is properly quick. 

The entry-level RWD model accelerates from 0-100km/h in 4.8sec (0.6 faster than the outgoing model) with the Taycan Turbo S at 2.4sec which is hypercar fast.

Porsche admits to having played around with some dual-clutch transmission-type mimicry along the lines of the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N. But the boffins in Zuffenhausen left that to one side due to concerns over compromise to the car’s point-to-point ability. Porsche seemingly can’t entertain anything that makes a car slower.

It did, however, install a push-to-pass function on dual-motor versions which gives you a 10-second burst of extra performance which is fun.

Suspension is by forged alloy double-wishbone front and rear with some extra links at the back.

Adaptive air suspension is standard across the range, and ‘Active Ride’ is fitted to the upper variants which takes things one step further.

And it does ride very nicely. The launch drive covered second-class, coarse-chip B-road type surfaces and the Taycan smooths the road out beautifully.

Standard wheel diameter is 19-inch for the entry-grade, 20s for the 4S and Turbo, then 21s on the Turbo S. The cars on the launch program all featured 21-inch rims shod with Goodyear Eagle F1 or Michelin Pilot Sport 4 rubber and even on those big wheels the car still rides well.

In terms of the steering… hey, it’s a Porsche. It’s fantastic. Accurate and direct without being too jerky or snappy. It does exactly what you want the car to do. The connection with the front tyres feels like it’s almost direct.

This car may be lighter than its predecessor but all models are over 2.0 tonnes so you’d expect it to be heavy and slow. It’s not. Point and accelerate through corners with supreme confidence. It’s beautifully balanced. What you’d expect from a Porsche performance car.

Physical braking is by big ventilated discs all around with six-piston aluminium monobloc fixed-calipers at the front and four-piston units at the rear. Suffice it to say they wash off speed effectively. 

Believe it or not the Turbo S’s front brake calipers contain no less than 10 pistons, clamping ceramic composite rotors. We gave all Taycan variants a solid workout on the Baskerville Raceway just north of Hobart and stopping power felt as strong and effective at the end of the session as it did at the start.

There’s also improved recuperation capacity for the regenerative braking system, up 30 per cent from 290 to 400kW.

In terms of miscellaneous observations, beware the 11.7m turning circle. What might appear to be a three-point turn situation often turns into a five-pointer.

And entry to cars fitted with Active Ride is made easier (when activated). As soon as a door is opened, the body raises by 55mm. May seem OTT but it makes life with the Taycan that bit better.

Although Porsche and ANCAP do not intersect at this stage the Taycan ticks just about every active (crash avoidance) safety box in the book.

The highlights are AEB (including pedestrian detection), 'Intersection Assist', 'Lane Keeping Assist' and adaptive cruise control (with ‘Swerve & Turn Assist’). There’s also a high-def reversing camera, a surround view set-up, lane-change assist and a head-up display.

If a crash is unavoidable there are 10 airbags onboard (dual front and front side, driver and front passenger knee, rear side and full-length curtains) as well as an active bonnet to minimise injuries in a pedestrian impact and multi-collision brake minimises the chances of subsequent collisions following an initial crash.

There are two top tethers and two ISOFIX anchors for baby capsules and/or child seats across the second row.

BMW offers a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty with an eight-year/160,000km warranty on the battery.

BMW servicing takes place as needed rather than on a schedule, meaning you’ll be alerted via the car or app when a service is required in the near future.

For the iX a six-year all-inclusive service pack costs $3475, regardless of how many km you drive.

BMW has 54 servicing dealers listed in Australia, with each capital city covered and many more locations in the eastern states.

Porsche covers the Taycan with a three-year, unlimited km warranty which is off the pace for the premium segment where five years, unlimited km is the norm. The high-voltage drive battery is covered by an eight-year, 160,000km warranty. The paint is covered for three years and a 12-year (unlimited km) anti-corrosion warranty is included.

Porsche Roadside Assist provides 24/7/365 coverage for the life of the warranty, and after the warranty runs out is renewed for 12 months every time the vehicle is serviced at an authorised Porsche dealer.

Thanks to fewer moving parts, servicing intervals for the Taycan are relatively lengthy at two years or 30,000km, whichever comes first. 

With Porsche, final costs are determined at the dealer level (in line with variable service labour rates by state/territory).