BMW IX1 vs Toyota HiLux

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?

The Toyota HiLux SR5 now feels nicer and more modern inside and out and it no longer lags behind some other utes – even some of the cheaper ones – in terms of comfort, refinement and all-round driveability.

Toyota has in the past been guilty of sometimes doing the bare minimum when it comes to producing a ‘new’ vehicle – especially LandCruisers or HiLuxes – but this time even though this HiLux is definitely not a new model, the exterior revamp and interior refresh have added more than enough to the HiLux package to keep fans and new buyers happy.

This is the best HiLux so far.

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.

This HiLux is 5320mm long (with a 3085mm wheelbase), 1885mm wide and 1865mm high. No change there.

It does, however, have a new distinctive front end incorporating a revised design, which includes LED headlights, retro-style ‘Toyota’ brand across the front, and honeycomb-style mesh grille.

Initially I wasn’t keen on the HiLux’s revised front end, but it looks a lot better in the metal than it does in photos and it has grown on me.

This ute’s profile remains the same as before, but the rear end has also been given a sly slap and tickle, giving it a squared-off look.

The interior has also undergone a glow-up – there’s a real 250 Series LandCruiser look and feel to this cabin – and it now has a 12.3-inch touchscreen multimedia system rather than the old 8.0-inch unit.

It still has plenty of hard plastic surfaces but, overall, the HiLux interior doesn’t look or feel anywhere near as old as it used to.

While it remains definitely a HiLux, the new look brings this Toyota ute closer to its rivals, such as the Ford Ranger, in terms of contemporary styling.

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.

The HiLux cabin is very familiar – you know where everything is and how to use it and that’s reassuring – but besides some minor changes and the introduction of an electric park brake the most noticeable change is that aforementioned new 12.3-inch unit.

Apple CarPlay is easy to get working via the multimedia system, and the screen is now big enough and clear enough to operate with ease.

Beyond that, there are plenty of durable hard plastic surfaces, numerous storage spaces, a reasonable number of charging points up front – two USB ports as well as a wireless charging pad and two 12V sockets and a 240V socket inside the centre console.

The driver’s seat is power-adjustable and comfortable without ever being at risk of being described as “plush”.

The rear seat is on the wrong side of squeezy across the shoulders and is best suited to accommodating three children, three jockeys or two adults.

People seated back there have access to two USB-C ports, bottle holders in each door and a dual cupholder in the fold-down centre armrest.

In terms of packability for touring, the SR5’s tub is 1550mm long (1100mm between the wheel arches), 1520mm wide and the load space itself is 490mm deep. Load height is 830mm.

There is nothing extra-special going on in the SR5’s tub – no marine-grade carpet, LED strip lighting, or hidden storage compartments – but it does have four tie-down points.

In terms of practicality, the HiLux, while it does have a barebones approach, still holds its own against the likes of the Ford Ranger.

The SR5 sits in the middle of the HiLux line-up. This version – with a six-speed manual gearbox – has pricing starting at $63,990 before on-road costs. Our test vehicle has Toyota’s premium interior pack ($2500) and premium paint ($675).

Standard features include a 12.3-inch touchscreen multimedia system (with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto plus wireless charging), eight-speaker stereo, dual-zone climate control, and 18-inch alloy wheels.

Other features include high-grade LED headlights, a “comfort-oriented” leaf-spring rear suspension tune, larger front brake discs, power-folding, heated exterior mirrors, an integrated tow-bar, as well as LED tail-lights and LED rear fog lights.

Exterior paint choices include 'Glacier White', 'Frosted White', 'Ash Slate', 'Eclipse Black', Feverish Red' and 'Sunglow'. Some – like 'Stunning Silver' on our test vehicle – cost $675.

The HiLux offers reasonable value for money when cross-shopped against the likes of Ford Ranger, especially the XLT (approx. $64,000) or Sport (approx. $72,000) variants.

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.

This SR5 has a 2.8-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine, producing 150kW at 3400rpm and 420Nm at 1400-3400rpm and a six-speed manual gearbox; the six-speed auto SR5 gets 500Nm at 1600-2800rpm and auto HiLuxes also have the 48-volt mild-hybrid technology onboard.

This is a proven engine-and-gearbox combination, with plenty of lowdown torque, and it’s more than a match for the likes of Ranger and D-Max/BT-50 in terms of overall performance.

This SR5 has part-time four-wheel drive and a rear diff-lock.

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.

Official fuel consumption for the manual is listed as 7.1L/100km on a combined cycle. The auto is 7.4L/100km.

Fuel consumption on this test was 9.1L/100km, which is pretty good because I have done a lot of low-range 4WDing.

The SR5 has a 80-litre fuel tank so, going by that fuel figure, you could reasonably expect a driving range of about 879km out of a full tank

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.

As mentioned, there have been no major mechanical upgrades to the HiLux, but it does now have electric power steering (rather than the hydraulic assistance it’s had in the past). Result? There’s a smoother, more precise feeling to the steering, with a nice weight and balance to it, on sealed and unsealed surfaces.

The HiLux, with a listed kerb weight of 2215kg and a turning circle of 12.6m, is not an insubstantial vehicle but, at the same time, it’s not unwieldy either and manages to feel quite nimble on and off the road.

On sealed surfaces it yields a surprisingly high level of ride and comfort. It’s actually quite compliant, controlled and somewhat refined. That’s largely because this SR5 has multi-purpose suspension on board rather than the heavy-duty suspension, which is on lower-spec, work-focussed HiLux variants for load-carrying duties.

This set-up is intended to offer a softer ride on road – and it does – but off-road it's a different story. Even on minor imperfections (small potholes, minor corrugations and the like) on dirt tracks it tends to thump and bump in and out and it doesn't offer such a comfortable all-round ride as you might be hoping.

I didn’t have much weight onboard – vehicle-recovery gear, a first-aid kit, four Maxtrax and an air compressor – and it will, of course, settle down with more of a load but I was expecting the multi-purpose suspension to be better than it was at soaking up a track’s lumps and bumps – it’s not terrible, but it is noticeable.

However, in terms of pure off-road effectiveness, the HiLux is impressive.

It's never been an underperforming 4WD, it’s simply never been as refined or as comfortably capable as others, such as the Ranger, but it is much more comfortably capable now than it used to be.

There is plenty of power and torque in this HiLux and while this six-speed manual version has 80Nm less than the auto version, it uses what it has really well. The 2.8-litre is a tractable engine and works well as part of an effective powertrain that is well suited to low-range 4WDing. There is a heap of torque at low revs, which is great for low-speed, technical off-roading.

Low-speed throttle response is also impressive, offering nice control when you need it.

I have driven auto HiLuxes in the past and the auto is very clever and it may be your better bet, but I like the manual.

Ground clearance is listed as 224mm and while the HiLux doesn’t have any trouble clearing most jagged rock steps or tree roots you’ll likely encounter on a weekend trip, I didn’t have the opportunity to seriously scrutinise the 700mm wading depth because our testing area was pretty dry. Next time.

Off-road angles – 29-degree approach and 26-degree departure (no rampover is listed) – all check out, even though they are a little shallower than the Rugged or the Rogue variants, they are fine for light-to-moderate 4WDing.

The off-road traction control system in this HiLux is well calibrated and if you do need more dirt-grabbing ability, then this ute does have a rear diff lock.

The only real off-roading weaknesses in the HiLux package are the tyres (Dunlop Grandtrek A/T 31, 265/60R18 110H). They’re not well suited for anything more than light to moderate 4WDing. If you’re planning anything rougher than a well-maintained dirt road in dry weather then consider replacing the showroom tyres with a set of decent all-terrain tires, light-truck construction preferably and away you go.

In terms of towing capacity the SR5 is rated to tow 750kg unbraked, and 3500kg braked.

Payload is a listed 900kg, Gross Vehicle Mass is 3090kg and Gross Combined Mass is 6300kg (a 450kg increase).

While nothing mechanical has changed onboard this vehicle, the combination of 4WD set-up, driver-assist tech, rear diff lock, as well as structural modifications (such as thicker steel in the ladder-frame chassis, a stiffer roll-bar, and reinforced side rails) and suspension tweaks (including retuned dampers and re-rated coil springs at the front, and new dampers and softer spring rates on the live-axle rear) all works well together in this current HiLux package.

The HiLux has now drawn closer to the Ranger in terms of comfortable capability, if not matched it.

The Toyota HiLux SR5 has the maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating, as a result of testing in 2025.

As standard, it has eight airbags (now with a front-centre airbag) and an upgraded suite of driver-assist tech including improved auto emergency braking (AEB), lane-keep assist, adaptive cruise control, and blind-spot monitoring.

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.

The HiLux has a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty.

Service intervals are scheduled for every six months or 10,000km and cost $395 per service.

Toyota Australia has about 300 dealerships across the country.

This type of warranty is pretty standard among the HiLux's rivals so the Toyota ute does remain competitive, in terms of these ownership costs.