BMW IX1 vs Zeekr X

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?

It's a good thing in a small package, this Zeekr X, and there are a lot of things I like about it. In fact, the only sticking point for me is the price. But that's all about perspective. If you see this as a newcomer Chinese brand, then yes, there are a lot of more affordable options out there. But if you see it as a premium player, it's really a more affordable version of a Volvo.

Note: The author, Andrew Chesterton, is a co-owner of Smart As Media, a content agency and media distribution service with a number of automotive brands among its clients. When producing content for CarsGuide, he does so in accordance with the CarsGuide Editorial Guidelines and Code of Ethics, and the views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author.

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.

The visual changes aren’t massive. This AWD version welcomes a couple of new exterior colours, including the 'Matt Khaki Green' of our test car. It also gets the two-tone black roof and there are new 20-inch alloy designs.

Elsewhere, it's the futuristic-style of design we’re used to which differentiates the X from its Volvo EX30 twin under the skin.

Inside, this is a seriously well-equipped and polished-feeling small SUV, and — unlike some of the newcomer brands to Australia — it all feels very high quality and well put together. And that includes the material choices.

I don’t even hate the fact that most of the functions are controlled via this screen, thanks to the little shortcuts glued to the home screen. I do, however, hate the fact that there’s no easy way to change the wing mirrors or shortcuts for toning down some of the safety stuff.

That aside, though, it’s a nice and high-quality feeling space.

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.

You know you're in a small vehicle when you can't fit two large (not those crazy American-style jumbo cups, just normal coffee-shop takeaway) coffees in the cupholders, but so it is with the Zeekr X.

The small SUV's 4432mm length, 1836mm in width and 1566mm height doesn't leave much room to spread out up front. There's ample room for driver and passenger, of course, but we are talking about a small vehicle here.

Clever storage helps to mitigate that, though, especially the super-deep storage space in the centre console and the very clever fridge that separates the driver and passenger seats.

Weirdly, though, the space doesn’t feel overly tight in the back seat. We had a massive baby seat in there, and that fit without issue. And full size humans can genuinely get pretty comfortable. I'm 175cm, and I had enough knee and headroom.

In the boot, there’s 404 litres of volume with the rear seats upright and 1247 litres with them folded flat. And it’s worth pointing out this isn’t intended to be a family car, but there’s certainly enough space for the shopping... and a pram.

This is a small SUV with a LOT of stuff. There are two trims in the Zeekr X range – the entry-level rear-drive model is $48,900, drive-away, while the all-wheel drive version we've tested is $57,900 on the road.

The obvious comparison is to the Volvo EX30, which shares its platform with the Zeekr X through both brands' Chinese parent company Geely.

As of right now, the cheapest single-motor Volvo is $56,051, drive-away in NSW, or $49,990 plus on-roads, making the Zeekr version much, much cheaper.

Anyway, outside there are 19- or 20-inch alloys, though our test car is fitted with the optional 20-inch black alloys, paired with a black-with-red-highlights interior treatment, which adds $2000 to the price.

Ours is also fitted with the electric front doors which open or close at the push of a button, and back doors that unlatch, but don’t fully open, the same way, which adds another $2000.

Both trims also get heated and cooled front seats, and heating in the rear window seats, but this AWD version also adds a massage function for front seat riders. 

There’s also wireless charging, a 13-speaker Yamaha sound system and — very cool, literally — is the little drinks fridge between the front seats in the AWD variant.

Tech is handled by a 14.6-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and there’s a head-up display for the driver.

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.

The big news here is a more powerful rear motor – meaning you get more grunt whether you opt for the rear-wheel drive or this all-wheel drive.

In rear-drive form, that boosts your outputs from 200kW to 250kW, dropping the sprint to 100km/h to 5.6 seconds. In AWD guise, your new outputs are 365kW (up from 315kW) and 573Nm, and your sprint to 100km/h falls to 3.7 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.

This is where it starts to get weird. The rear-drive Zeekr X is fitted with a 61kWh LFP battery, which can accept up to 230kW DC fast charging, taking you from 10 to 80 per cent charged in just 18 minutes. Total claimed range is 405km.

The flagship AWD, though, charges at a slower rate. It gets a 66kWh NMN battery and can only be charged at 150kW, meaning the same charge takes 30 minutes. Zeekr is promising a 415km driving range between charges.

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.

Short answer? Pretty good, with some caveats.

I'm partial to a firmer ride. I find some Chinese car companies can feel like they get their suspension bits from Captain Snooze, such is the soft, pillowy ride served up. And to be honest, it makes me a little seasick at times.

The Zeekr is not like that. It has firmness dialled into the ride equation and can feel harsh at times, but also improves the drive experience, delivering connection and engagement at the cost of some sharpness on the wrong road. 

It's also faster than the model it replaces, but it's also one of those cars in which the real-life feeling doesn't quite match the on-paper promise.

This thing serves up supercar speed, but it doesn't feel like it from behind the wheel. Instead, the acceleration - especially from a rolling start - feels potent, but not biblical.

From a standing start it pauses for a moment, almost like an internal-combustion vehicle might, before delivering a quick (but not stratospheric) flow of power. None of that is a bad thing, by the way. Who wants their small SUV to accelerate like a supercar?

It's otherwise an entirely pleasant drive. The cabin is serene and quiet and it's a small car that doesn't feel like one. There's nothing light or tinny about the drive experience, instead there's a heft and quality.

The Zeekr X wears a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating, earned in 2024, which means the long list of required active safety stuff is present and accounted for, all wrapped up in what Zeekr calls its 'Intelligent Driving Assist System'.

There are five cameras, five radars and 12 sensors, which is a crazy number for a car this small.

And this is also not a car in which I was desperately trying to figure out how to deactivate any of the active safety systems – save the overzealous over-speed warning – which is a win these days, too. 

There are also seven airbags, including a centre front airbag.

The Zeekr X is fitted with ISOFIX anchors on the rear outboard seats and top tether anchorages for all rear seating positions.

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.

Zeekr's coverage is an underwhelming five-year, unlimited-kilometres, while the drive battery is covered for eight-years or 160,000km. There’s five years' of roadside assistance thrown in, too.

Service intervals are 20,000km or 12 months, with five years' of ownership setting you back a hefty $3072; an average of $614 per workshop visit.

There are currently 16 Zeekr dealers in Australia - two of which are 'pop-up' sites rather than full retail centres.

Multiple locations in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane with the ACT, Adelaide and Perth also covered. Others include Geelong and the Sunshine Coast but so far you're out of luck in Tassie or the NT.