BMW IX1 vs Nissan Ariya

What's the difference?

BMW is a true EV pioneer, as the 2014 i3 and subsequent models prove. There’s never been one that we didn’t like. The only problem was that all were expensive. And at times, prohibitively so.

Astoundingly, the iX1 breaks that cycle, comparatively speaking, while impressing us with its design, quality, packaging, dynamics and equipment levels.

As it stands, the xDrive30 is one of the most convincing and best-value medium-sized luxury SUV EVs on the market right now.

Who’d have thought it from a BMW?

I can see how the Nissan Ariya would have changed the game if it launched in Australia back in 2022.

While it is a solid car that’s quiet, comfort-oriented and tech-heavy, there’s now little separating it from the competition apart from the fact it has a Nissan badge and a cracking aftersales package. This is disappointing as we’ve waited a long time for this car to arrive.

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

Arguably the prettiest new BMW SUV you can buy today, the well-proportioned iX1 is nearly impossible to spot over its almost-identical ICE (U11) X1 siblings.

Besides the badging, look for some blue trim bits and pieces inside and out, along with additional digital touchpoints inside.

And while both ride on the same all-new platform that’s resulted in a substantially larger body compared to previous X1 generations, the EV version seems a bit more slammed.

Dimensionally, the iX1 mirrors today’s X1 at 4500mm long and 1845mm wide, and still sits on the same 2692mm wheelbase, but is 26mm shorter at 1616mm tall and offers 35mm less ground clearance at 170mm.

Result? These plus a bunch of aero enhancements mean the slipperiest iX1 manages a Cd of just 0.26, according to BMW.

And, inevitably, the extra size equals more space inside.

Back when the Ariya was revealed, it started a new design language for Nissan, but five years later almost every model in the Japanese carmaker’s line-up has taken some element of this car’s design.

What this means is while the Ariya was unique, it now doesn’t stand out from the crowd as much as it once did. This doesn’t help given there are now so many competitors out there.

However, in person the exterior of this car is stunning. I’m particularly a fan of the two-tone copper paint available on the Advance+ and Evolve e-4orce.

At the front there is a slim and striking LED lighting set-up that stands out, plus the gloss black faux grille is an interesting take on the brand’s ‘V-Motion’ grille. It has illuminated sections that are only noticeable in dark conditions.

Around the side the Ariya appears to be a lot more coupe-like than you’d expect. There’s a body line that runs from the A-pillar all the way to the tailgate. It gives the car a floating roof effect, which is a current design trend.

Other notable design elements on the side include the charge flap on the passenger side front quarter panel, aero covers for the alloy wheels, and an extensive use of gloss black around the wheel arches and door sills. It’ll be interesting to see how the latter hold up in the long run.

At the back there isn’t a whole heap going on beyond the large rear spoiler, which is intricately designed and there to improve aerodynamics.

There’s also a full-width LED light bar for the tail-lights, which is sandwiched by a Nissan wordmark badge. These lighting set-ups are so common now that they’re a little cliche.

Inside, the Ariya is befitting of its flagship status for the Nissan brand. In the top-spec Evolve trim with the blue Nappa leather upholstery and suede dash highlights. I don’t think it pairs well with every exterior paint colour, but it still looks great.

This also isn’t to belittle the lesser trims. While they have darker interiors, this is likely more preferable for many buyers as they’re less out there. The materials, at least in the Advance+, are still at a high quality.

The steering wheel is leather-wrapped and feels buttery soft in the hand. While I loathe the fact there are gloss-black covers over the physical buttons on the steering wheel, it’s still a step in the right direction.

Ahead of the driver are dual 12.3-inch screens across the line-up. It took me a while to notice there’s a wave between the screens as it’s covered by the steering wheel rim. The touchscreen is incrementally closer so you can reach it more easily.

Another major element of the Ariya’s interior design is the centre console. In the Advance+ and Evolve it has electric sliding adjustment, allowing you to customise the position to your desire.

The use of the faux wood trim looks premium, especially because you don’t expect there to be haptic buttons on it. This helps for a clean, button-less look.

BMW also says the iX1’s cabin is almost as roomy in some ways as the larger X3.

Large doors allow for easy entry and egress, onto sumptuous front seats that provide exceptional comfort and support even on longer journeys.

Surrounded by an expansive feeling of space, the interior feels light and airy, as well as fresh, inviting and premium looking – something previous-gen X1s were rarely accused of being.

We’re talking on-brand stuff here, beginning with the excellent driving position, ahead of a crisp and attractive dash that’s pleasing to behold. Push-button starting and a small toggle lever operates the transmission.

An ever-so-slightly curved (towards the driver in the best-BMW old-school way) rectangular binnacle houses two digital displays – a 10.25-inch one ahead of the driver offering an array of configurable electronic dials, as well as a 10.7-inch multimedia touchscreen.

BMW pioneered the multimedia controller more than 20 years ago with iDrive, and this descendent of that system reveals all that expertise gained by being intuitive to operate and quick to respond to commands once familiarised. Which shouldn’t take too long.

It’s all very-EV centric, as the industry inexorably moves to total electrification, but there were a couple of voice-command errors in the iX1, revealing that such systems are still far from perfect. BMW does provide audio volume and climate hard buttons, thankfully, so the basics are looked after.

Speaking of which, the iX1 offers decent levels of vision out, superb ventilation and ample storage in the doors, on the dash and between the front seats. And, as we’ve noted previously in BMWs, the upright smartphone charger is a clever idea. Keeps it in position and is handy to glance at.

Out back, backrest comfort and support is A-OK, and even with the optional sunroof, our test iX1 provided sufficient space for taller bodies, while expected items like ventilation grilles, USB ports and cupholders are fitted.

Note that, though the 40/20/40-split backrests recline slightly, they do not slide as per in the ICE X1, as this is a desirable option.

Nor is the cargo capacity as good in the iX1, due to the inevitable space demanded by that rear-axle-mounted electric motor and battery pack. For the record, ranges from 490 litres to 1495L instead of 540-1527L. Plus, there’s no spare tyre, with just a tyre repair kit fitted.

These aside, the iX1’s spacious and inviting interior remains one of the compact SUV segment’s best.

This car is built on a dedicated electric architecture which theoretically gives it many benefits as there’s no space needed for a combustion engine, nor its transmission or driveline components.

While the Ariya benefits from this by pushing the wheels to the extremities, it underwhelms in others. More on this in a bit.

As standard the driver’s seat is mounted very high. I’m 182cm tall and in the seat's lowest position I was only a few centimetres off my hair tickling the roofliner. While this is nice from a forward visibility standpoint, I instinctively want to sit lower in the cabin.

Despite this, the front seats are deliciously comfortable. They offer plenty of electric adjustability, allowing you to find your desired seating position. Depending on the trim they’re heated and ventilated, which is a treat in fickle Melbourne weather.

As noted before, the steering wheel features physical buttons, which is a major plus. They’re clearly labelled and are easy to understand.

Ahead of the driver the digital instrument cluster is classic Nissan. There are a range of informative pages to cycle through, as well as two layouts to choose from. All of them look high-res.

Moving across, the touchscreen multimedia system is also a classic Nissan unit. Almost every Nissan model has a variation of this touchscreen now, which kind of makes the Ariya feel less special.

Thankfully however, the user interface is clear and easy to understand. It’s hard to get lost and even if you do, there are shortcut buttons on the side of the screen.

As standard there’s wireless Apple CarPlay, which is great if you have an iPhone and almost expected nowadays, however Android Auto is only offered in wired form only. This is disappointing from a high-tech flagship.

I appreciate there are haptic buttons for the climate control under the touchscreen. It’s much better than having these functions built into the touchscreen. However, the seat heating/ventilation and the steering wheel heating is in the touchscreen, but you can program it to an automatic mode so it’ll turn on and off with the climate control.

The haptic buttons extend onto the centre console which electrically slides in the Advance+ and Evolve. These ones are for the drive mode and ePedal selection.

Speaking of the centre console, it’s a big bulky unit but it barely offers any storage. Under the centre console lid there’s a wireless charger and a miniscule amount of storage. There’s also a tiny phone-sized slot at the front of the centre console, plus a 12V socket and some USB ports.

It’s disappointing Nissan hasn’t taken better advantage of the flat floor accommodated by the dedicated electric architecture. There’s open space between the driver and passenger, which makes it feel like you’re in dedicated recliners.

As a result of the paltry centre console storage, there are two gloveboxes. One on the passenger side and another in the centre. Both look like they’re sizeable, but that’s just the lid as the actual storage space is a fraction of this.

Moving to the second row I have a decent amount of legroom behind my own driving position. Toe room is negligible however and headroom suffers from the panoramic glass sunroof.

Despite this the second-row bench is still comfortable. It’s laid back, though there’s not much lateral support. This means in the bends you’ll be thrown into the door or into the centre of the car.

There continues to be a flat floor in the second row, plus a minimal hump in the rear bench means you could technically go three-up if you wanted. The limitation at this point is shoulder space.

In terms of amenities there are centre console-mounted air vents, USB-C ports, heated outboard seats (depending on the trim) and a fold-down armrest with cupholders. It’s fairly standard.

From the Advance trim and up there’s a standard hands-free power tailgate. This is handy if you’ve got your hands full.

For the boot space itself, it’s fine but not standout. Two-wheel-drive variants are notably better with 466L of boot space with the rear seats upright. The Evolve e-4orce only has 408L due to the rear electric motor.

As expected there’s no spare tyre at all across the line-up. Instead there’s a tyre repair kit under the boot floor.

No Ariya trim has a front boot.

The Nissan Ariya is launching in Australia with four trim levels – Engage, Advance, Advance+ and Evolve e-4orce.

Pricing starts from $55,840 before on-roads and extends to $71,840 before on-roads. This is more than top-selling rivals like the BYD Sealion 7 and Tesla Model Y. It’s more on par with the likes of the Kia EV5 and Zeekr 7X.

With the Ariya Engage at $55,840 before on-roads, you get 19-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, dual 12.3-inch screens, wireless Apple CarPlay and wired Android Auto, a wireless phone charger, a six-speaker sound system, dual-zone climate control and charcoal fabric upholstery.

Stepping up to the Advance at $59,840 before on-roads brings a hands-free power tailgate, a 10-speaker Bose sound system, heated front seats and steering wheel, as well as black cloth and synthetic leather upholstery.

The Advance+ at $63,840 before on-roads gains a larger 87kWh battery pack as standard, plus a panoramic glass sunroof, a power sliding centre console, ventilated front seats, heated rear outboard seats, as well as black synthetic leather upholstery with suede inserts.

Lastly, the flagship Evolve e-4orce at $71,840 before on-roads gets an all-wheel drive set-up, 20-inch alloy wheels, adaptive high beams, a digital rear-view mirror, electric steering column adjustment and blue Nappa leather upholstery.

This is a generous spread of variants and while the pricing and equipment list doesn’t stand out from the crowd, none of the trims miss out on the basics.

The iX1 boasts BMW’s fifth-generation EV drive system, known as eDrive 5.0 (M170SF).

Being an xDrive30, there are two electric motors fitted – one on each axle to provide all-wheel drive. Both are electrically excited synchronous motor set-ups.

Drive is predominantly to the front wheels via a single-speed reduction gear transmission, unless extra traction is required, in which case the rear motor kicks in to power the back axle.

Combined with the aid of an overboost function, they deliver 230kW of power and 494Nm of torque, for a 0-100km/h sprint time of 5.6 seconds, on the way to a 180km/h top speed.

Tipping the scales at 2010kg, the xDrive30 provides a power-to-weight ratio of 114kW per tonne, which is a healthy number.

Suspension is via MacPherson-style struts up front and an independent three-link design out back.

If you care, towing limits are 1200kg braked and 750kg unbraked, with a 570kg maximum payload.

There are only two electric powertrain configurations available in Australia.

The Ariya Engage and Advance are powered by a single, front-mounted electric motor that produces 160kW of power and 300Nm of torque. The Advance+ bumps the power figure up to 178kW to compensate for the larger battery pack.

The flagship Evolve e-4orce is the only trim with all-wheel drive. It has a dual-motor set-up with total system outputs of 290kW and 600Nm. This trim is claimed to be able to do the 0-100km/h sprint in 5.6 seconds.

BMW says the xDrive30 consumes an average of 18.3kWh/100km.

On the launch drive program, the vehicle displayed 21.3kWh/100km. That included some spirited highway and mountain-road driving conditions.

Fitted with a 67kWh lithium-ion battery pack with a useable 65kWh, the iX1 offers an ADR 81/02-rated range of 400km.

This means a relatively common 50kW DC public charger with a CCS Combo 2 socket will need about 65 minutes to replenish the battery from 10 to 80 per cent or about half an hour with a 150kW charger.

If neither are available, you'll require about 34 hours to charge to 100 per cent maximum using the normal household powerpoint plug. Or, as mentioned earlier, a 22kW AC Wallbox cuts that down to about 3.5 hours.

Each iX1 includes a three-year subscription with Chargefox.

There are also two battery pack options in Australia.

The Ariya Engage and Advance come with a 63kWh lithium-ion battery with a WLTP claimed range of 385km. This isn’t much for a car that’s around $60,000.

The Advance+ and Evolve e-4orce, on the other hand, get a larger 87kWh lithium-ion battery. WLTP claimed range is 504km and 487km, respectively, which is much more like it for a vehicle of this size.

All variants have a Type 2 CCS combination charge port on the passenger side front quarter panel with a maximum DC charge rate of 130kW. At this rate this will see the battery charge from 10 to 80 per cent in 35 minutes.

AC charging is offered at rates up to 7.4kW on the Engage, Advance and Advance+ trims. 22kW AC charging is optional on the Advance+ and standard on the Evolve e-4orce.

However, thanks to a launch offer for the first 400 vehicles, all Ariyas are getting standard 22kW AC charging, even the ones that typically don’t get it at all. This is a cool offer and an interesting incentive if you are on the fence on actually buying one.

There’s also a free 22kW AC home charger provided as an additional launch offer. You’ll need to install this unit at your own expense.

For energy consumption it depends on the trim level. It ranges between 18.4 and 20.8kWh/100km. During our testing of the Advance+ we saw an average of 14.2kWh and the Evolve e-4orce we saw an average of 18.0kWh/100km. This would give a theoretical range of 613km and 483km, respectively.

It’s worth noting these average energy consumption figures were according to the trip computer and the driving was on higher speed roads on the outskirts of Melbourne.

One of the best things about the iX1 xDrive30 is that it has just enough EV smoothness, refinement and speed to feel special, yet still drives and behaves as a BMW should.

Which hasn't always been the case with previous-gen X1s.

It helps that, from the driver’s seat, everything falls into place: the bracing seats, thoughtfully positioned relative to all controls; and the overall sporty/quality ambience that puts you into the brand mindset.

Select Drive, and the iX1 leaps away sweetly and silently, accompanied by an electric motor whir that's quite pleasing. At speed, acceleration is instant for fast overtaking and there’s plenty more in reserve if you really need to hustle along.

For a 2.0-tonne compact SUV, the steering is remarkably responsive, providing nimble yet secure handling. Maybe it’s all the low-slung weight and near-50:50 weight distribution, but the iX1 displays impressive cornering and road grip. It’s an enjoyable drive.

Initially, novices might find the brakes a bit sudden, but they’re actually pretty progressive once you get used to them, and they feel and stop with a more natural pedal feel than many hybrids we’ve experienced. Again, BMW has tuned the xDrive30 to feel inclusive.   

Speaking of the stoppers, there are no paddle shifters to control the amount of single-pedal off-accelerator braking as per many other EVs, but putting the transmission from ‘D’ to ‘B’ brings a decent level of deceleration if not a full stop – as if you’re lighting resting your foot on the pedal. We’d like the option of a heavier self-braking function, though.

The launch program avoided city roads and heavy traffic, but we still found plenty of bad, pot-holed surfaces to favourably judge the adaptive dampers’ ability to help soak up the bumps.

While not super-soft or supple, the suspension is cushy enough for a comfy ride. And certainly better than many past BMW SUVs.

A bit too much road and tyre noise intrusion aside, the xDrive30 is dynamically very sorted indeed.

Which, when you consider all the other positive aspects of the iX1, you end up with a BMW offering an impressively broad band of capabilities.

It’s rapid, nimble and reactive to driver inputs, as you’d expect an SUV from this brand to be, without the compromise of harshness or discomfort.

What it’s like around town in a peak-hour crawl, or how far you can really get from a fully-charged battery, is something we’ll find out when we can conduct a full road test, so please watch this space.

Until then, as it stands, things are looking promising indeed for the xDrive30. Especially factoring in the value pricing.

We only got to experience Ariya trim levels with the larger 87kWh battery pack at this launch. It’d be interesting to see how trims with the smaller battery pack fare from a comparative standpoint as they’re lighter but offer less range.

With the Ariya Advance+, it has a single electric motor that offers a decent amount of power and torque. It’s probably all that you’d ever need in everyday traffic.

However, it’s far from being a sporty offering – it’s more comfort-oriented – but when you push it, the limitations of it being front-wheel drive become apparent. Traction control cuts power as soon as the corners get too sharp, but thankfully it never feels like this car is out of line.

For more oomph, this is where the flagship Evolve e-4orce comes in with its dual-motor all-wheel-drive set-up. Although 290kW and 600Nm sounds like a lot, it doesn’t provide neck-snapping acceleration. Instead, acceleration intentionally ramps up incrementally to maintain a serene vibe in the cabin.

This isn’t to call this Ariya trim slow, though. It can do 0-100km/h in 5.6 seconds, which is far from a slouch. The way the power piles on though feels nice during rolling acceleration, making it a lovely tourer. If you do lean into the performance this trim offers however, be prepared to pay for it with a higher energy consumption.

There are multiple regenerative braking modes offered in the Ariya. ‘D’ is normal, ‘B’ exaggerates the effects, then ‘ePedal’ is the closest you get to a one-pedal driving mode. All the modes require you to press the brake pedal to come to a complete stop.

Thankfully, there’s no awkward interaction between the regen brakes and the traditional friction brakes. This helps make it feel like a regular car that just happens to be electric.

The steering changes its weight depending on the drive mode. Regardless of this, however, there is a direct feel through the wheel which is confidence-inspiring, especially out on the open road.

As standard the suspension set-up comprises MacPherson strut front and a multi-link rear across the line-up. With the smaller 18-inch wheels across the majority of the line-up there’s plenty of tyre sidewall to play around with, which makes the ride feel composed and comfortable. It balances the line between being too bouncy and too firm nicely.

The top-spec Evolve e-4orce with its larger 20-inch alloy wheels, however, has less tyre sidewall and as a result the ride is much busier. The effects are made worse when you load more people or weight into the car as it becomes very reactive to every road imperfection, especially large bumps.

Lastly in terms of noise, vibration and harshness levels, it’s extremely quiet in the cabin. This is surprising because the lack of a combustion engine typically makes other noises more apparent.

The Nissan Ariya has a five-star ANCAP safety rating based on testing conducted by Euro NCAP in 2022.

Standard safety equipment includes seven airbags, autonomous emergency braking (AEB), blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-keeping assist, lane centring, adaptive cruise control, driver attention alert, front and rear parking sensors, as well as a reversing camera.

Stepping up to the Advance brings surround-view cameras. This is pretty standard on the safety front.

The AEB system is active from 5km/h and lane-keep assist is active from 60km/h.

Last year, BMW introduced a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty with all its products, finally catching up with the industry warranty average after a protracted period of just a three-year coverage.

While there’s no capped-price servicing, you can pre-purchase a number of service bundles, to help save a bit more money further down the track.

There's a choice of 'Basic' or 'Plus' packages, in four or six-year (both with unlimited kilometre) programs, known as 'Service Inclusive'. They cost $1263/$4784 and $1800/$5784, respectively. 'Plus' covers brake pads/discs and wiper blade rubbers.

Note, however, that roadside assistance remains at three years.

Keep in mind, too, that BMW vehicles have a self-diagnosis feature that varies the service intervals according to how they’re used as well as wear and tear.

Our advice is to keep making an appointment annually or at about every 10,000km, just to be on the safe side.

Like other Nissans, the Ariya is covered by a 10-year/300,000km warranty, providing you service at authorised Nissan service centres when required. If you don't, there's only five years of coverage.

The battery pack on the other hand is covered by an eight-year/160,000km warranty.

There’s also up to 10 years of roadside assistance if you service at authorised Nissan service centres.

Logbook servicing is required every 12 months or 20,000km, whichever comes first, and the first five services are capped at $299 each.

Overall this is a fairly compelling aftersales package, plus it helps that Nissan has a substantial dealer network around Australia.