BMW IX2 vs Xpeng G6

What's the difference?

The second-generation BMW X2 is leagues better than the car it replaces. It now sits nicely in BMW's line-up and offers genuinely tempting electric variants.

This isn't an affordable car by any means but next to rivals from Mercedes-Benz and Volvo, the well-equipped iX2 xDrive30 feels a complete package.

Similarly, the entry-level xDrive20i petrol is a very compelling choice with a comfortable ride and sporty drive.

We'd skip the contrived M35i unless your heart is set on going quickly in a straight line. With the thinking cap on, it's also hard to make a case for the X2 over the objectively better (and more affordable) X1. Then there's the more spacious, powerful, efficient and cheaper Tesla Model Y.

That's not really the point of this car, though. It'll never sell in as many numbers as the X1. Those who love its fastback styling will be pleasantly surprised by the new X2. It does what it says on the tin, marrying the BMW badge with a sporty drive and daring style.

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

I can’t say this was the verdict I was expecting going into the XPeng G6 with no major expectations, but I really like this car. It's not only a fantastic EV with future-proof tech, but it’s practical, stylish and a great car to drive.

Mainstream carmakers should be worried if we’re seeing cars this good from brands that have only been building vehicles for a few years.

The entire point of the BMW X2 is to grab attention and promote conversation. The X2's new-found success comes mainly from bigger proportions - it's grown 194mm over its predecessor and 54mm longer than X1.

It's 64mm taller and sits on tracks that have been pumped by 21mm. All the changes are built into the latest iteration of BMW/Mini's transverse UKL2 platform.

The result is presence and swagger on the road for the X2. Even the base car grabs attention, while electric iX2 variants get unique closed-off grilles and a different front bumper treatment.

It's the M35i thats most eye-catching, though. A jutting lower spoiler and butch stance highlighted by horizontal kidney grille slats and quad exhaust tips. Our test car was finished with massive (and optional) 21-inch alloy wheels.

As successful as the whole package is, there are fussy elements: the boxy rear end, awkward spoiler and peculiar tail-lights. From some very specific angles there's even a hint of SsangYong Actyon to the proportions.

The iX2 and X2 aren't made to appease everyone, though, so you don't have to love it.

Inside is a different story with elegant simplicity the X2's remit. It's much like an X1 in layout with crisply integrated curved screens running the latest iDrive 'OS9'.

Apple CarPlay was faultless (wireless Android Auto is also included) yet connected navigation makes it easy to rely on BMW's in-house features.

You get 90 days free use of BMW Digital Premium, which includes the ability to download games and apps as well as more advanced connected navigation. After the trial, you'll need to pay monthly ($9.99) or annually ($109) for the services.

The X2's door pulls and handles are particularly nice to interact with, blending visual lightness with reassuring sturdiness.

Don’t dismiss the XPeng G6 as just another generic “jelly-bean” shaped EV. Yes, there’s a roundness to the G6’s body that’s very much the trending look but the details in the design are quite special. 

JuanMa Lopez is XPeng’s VP of design, having been in charge of exterior design for Ferrari and there are sportscar touches to the G6’s styling that point to his involvement.

Look at the G6 from that rear three-quarter angle. The way the roofline curves into the tailgate is superb and very Porsche-like.

I also like the G6’s frameless side windows, the expansive windscreen and wide bonnet, the alloy wheels (and not plastic aero hubcaps) and LED strip lighting.

Actually the LED daytime running light strip that runs the width of the bonnet is new for this update and so is the sleeker tail-light design, too.

The G6’s cabin is modern and minimalist but unlike other new EV brands it’s also refined and that goes for the look and the feel of the materials and styling.

The soft Nappa leather seats lift the cabin’s look and feel to a luxurious level.

However, the white interior of our car is not the most family friendly option and we had a strict no-eating-in-this-car policy with our five- and 11-year-old. That wasn't very fun for anybody so if this was our car we’d be choosing the Dark Grey upholstery and eating hot chips without stressing.

Despite the X2 living dangerously in the style department, it hasn't sacrificed cabin practicality – at least in the front seat.

A vertical wireless charging pad holds a phone in like a kid on a rollercoaster (important, as you'll read later, because the X2 range has some serious back-road talent) with nearby USB-C plugs for additional charge.

The door bins easily fit a one-litre camping bottle, there's good storage for small bags beneath the floating armrest (which has a very small cubby for keys or mints) and a sizeable glove box.

As you'd expect from a German-built BMW (all X2s hail from Regensburg) build quality is excellent... save for the flimsy indicator stalks. The latest oblong engage with a limp click that's a far cry from the damped thump of older BMWs, such as the E90 3 Series.

The cabin materials are pleasing to touch with quality stitching and soft padding on heavy touch areas. Geometrically patterned trim inserts add some cabin flare and look sturdy as well. 

The X2 and iX2's back seat is not as good as the BMW X1's – none of the proverbial thanks, Sherlock.

Under the sloping roof headroom will be acceptable for 175cm adults and knee room is passable. Despite sharing underpinnings between electric and combustion variants there's minimal spatial compromise.

There are ISOFIX ports and top tether anchors for all seating positions. Vents are mounted in the centre console and there is a fold-out armrest with cup holders. Doors open relatively wide for a 'coupe' as well. 

Of some concern is the X2's narrow bench; the body-work sculpted appearance of the coupe tail results in lots of shoulder room intrusion. To put it in simple terms, it's best capped at four occupants.

The boot is at least very generous, offering between 525L (iX2) and 560L (X2) of VDA space.

The load bay is long and there is no load lip to lift items over. Seats fold in a 40:20:40 configuration, growing capacity up to 1400L.

Neither the X2 or iX2 is fitted with a spare tyre, so its mobility kits for X2 owners.

The G6’s cabin is spacious to the point of cavernous, despite its not-so enormous exterior dimensions. t’s 4758mm long which is considered medium sized and almost identical to the length of the Model Y and BYD Sealion 7. 

So space up front is good even for giants like me and second-row space is outstanding with excellent leg-, head-, and elbow room.

Parents beware though, the window sills in the G6 are oddly high and children may struggle to see out, but to me that feels safer than the opposite.

Storage is decent, too, with oversized door pockets along with cupholders, front and back, and there’s a storage bay under the floating centre console.

A standout feature is the proximity unlocking which picks up the key from about five metres away and unlocks the car, popping the door handles out. The safety and convenience of this can’t be exaggerated and the auto locking feature when you walk away is great for when you have armfuls of grocery bags or kids… or both.

We could have done without the giant glass roof, though. During the warm Australian spring days the cabin heated up fast under than huge sheet of glass even with the climate control trying its hardest to keep us cool. Yes, it is tinted but I felt like I needed to wear a hat when the sun was directly overhead and there’s no shade or screen.

A 517-litre boot (measured to the parcel shelf) is bang on the cargo capacity offered by rivals such as the BYD Sealion 7, but unlike that competitor, the G6 doesn't have a front boot.

The G6 doesn’t have a spare wheel, just a puncture repair kit.

The XPeng G6 RWD Long Range sits in the middle of the line-up and lists for $56,800, before on-road costs.

That’s a pretty remarkable price because it not only does it undercut the entry-level Tesla Model Y by about $1000, it's about $10,000 less than the Model Y Long Range.

It can’t be beaten on price by Zeekr’s 7X either, which is about $64K for the RWD Long Range.

BYD’s Sealion 7 comes in at about $55K but doesn’t quite have the range of this G6.

The G6 RWD Long Range’s standard features list includes:

• Nappa leather upholstery
• Heated and ventilated front seats
• 20-inch alloys wheels
• New higher-resolution 15.6-inch central media screen
• Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• 18-speaker stereo
• Dual phone chargers
• Proximity unlocking with a bluetooth phone key and NFC card
• Dual-zone climate control
• Privacy glass
• Panoramic glass roof

Compared to rivals such as the Tesla Model Y and BYD Sealion 7 I think this grade of the G6 is super close in features but better in value.

The G6 has Nappa leather seats while the Model Y and BYD have synthetic upholstery. The difference in how it feels is huge.

The G6 also comes with bigger 20-inch wheels, that look sportier than the 19s of the Model Y and Sealion 7's.

And if we're getting into it the electrical architecture of the G6 is superior from a charging speed perspective than the others. So you're getting more bang for your buck there, too.

BMW's internal combustion engines are responsive and slick in the X2, while the iX2's well-calibrated electric powertrains deliver pleasingly instant pick-up.

The range kicks off with a heavily revised version of BMW's all-aluminium 'B48' 2.0-litre four-cylinder in xDrive20i tune. It produces 150kW and 300Nm, enough to hit 100km/h in 7.4 seconds from rest.

Like the xDrive20i, the M35i employs a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission driving all four wheels.

Australian M35is are more powerful than European models, developing 233kW and 400Nm for a 0-100km/h sprint in 5.4 seconds. A freer-flowing exhaust is augmented with active sounds for a fruity (if synthetic) note.

BMW offers a pair of electric powertrains with the 150kW front-drive eDrive20 and twin-motor 230kW/494Nm iX2 xDrive30.

We only sampled the more powerful one which features Hans Zimmer-composed sound scapes and an impressive turn of pace, hitting 100km/h in 5.6 seconds (claimed).

It is limited to a 180km/h top speed which may pose an issue on German Autobahns but is no trouble in Australia.

The Rear Wheel Drive Long Range features a single motor making 218kW and 440Nm driving the rear wheels with the largest battery. To me that’s the ideal setup because you don't really need all-wheel drive which will drain power and reduce range for the sake of better traction and quicker acceleration.

Besides, the 0-100km/h time of the RWD Long Range is 6.7 seconds and that’s plenty. By the way, the 1984 Holden VK SS Commodore with a V8 had exactly the same sprint time and it had less power and torque than the XPeng G6. What I’m saying is, you’ll be fine with the grunt.

Rated at 7.5L/100km (xDrive20i) and 7.8L/100km (M35i), after a 130km jaunt, the M35i's trip computer showed 9.8L/100km.

Premium 95 RON or higher is required and the fuel tank holds 54 litres.

For the iX2 xDrive30, consumption was above the WLTP rating. We saw 18.2kWh/100km on our hilly country route which would equate to 356km from a charge of the 64.8kWh lithium-ion battery battery.

The 417km WLTP driving range figure is at 15.5kWh/100km, we'd expect to get closer to the rated figures in more typical urban and suburban use cases.

Regenerative braking was quite pronounced (there are four setting: Adaptive, Low, Moderate and High) and on a descent into Hobart the xDrive30 managed to boost charge levels from 27 to 29 per cent.

As for regular charging, the iX2 will take DC electricity at 130kW, meaning 29 minutes from 10 to 80 per cent. That interval allows you to roam around 290km between charging stops on a long run.

One great aspect of both iX2 variants are their fast 22kW AC charging capability. It means the iX2 can go from flat-full in under four hours, rather than eight hours on an 11kW wallbox.

Though most owners won't have access to three-phase electricity, this suits public charging – such as at shopping centres or destinations – very well.

Another boon is BMW's inclusion of both Mode 2 and Mode 3 charging cables and a 12-month ChargeFox subscription.

Home wallbox installation isn't included in the deal (Lexus offers this with its UX300e) though BMW does offer the service at a cost for those who want it.

The G6 Rear Wheel Drive Long Range has an 80.8kWh battery and XPeng says this gives it a driving range of up to 525km. After a week of our regular driving (approximately 215km) we had 58 per cent of our battery charge left.

Energy usage was excellent, with our trip computer reporting 13.8kWh/100km, which is better than XPeng’s official claim of 17.9kWh/100km.

The big news for the update is the change of battery from Nickel Manganese Cobalt (NMC) to Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) which reduces range but lowers production costs.

 LFP batteries also have less thermal runaway and are therefore safer.

The other big news is an update in electrical architecture from 400V to 800V and this means much faster charging. The G6 RWD Long Range can now charge from 10-80 per cent in 12 minutes flat at a DC rate of 451kW.

That of course requires a 450kW charger of which there are none. The fastest publicly available in Australia is 400kW and there’s fewer than a handful of them in the country.

But this means the G6 is future-proofed and that’s much better than having an out-of-date car in a couple of years.

The previous-generation X2 always felt a bit more Audi or Volkswagen than BMW in the way it went down a road.

This latest iteration has a secure, dynamic balance more in-keeping with the blue-and-white roundel and is far more impressive than its predecessor.

We spent our first leg in the performance-oriented M35i. The punchy engine, front-biased AWD and slick transmission felt just right in the sporty small SUV.

It sits 15mm lower than the other variants on differently tuned springs and adaptive dampers.

The M35i holds onto the tarmac like a limpet with minimal body roll at very high limits partly thanks to the efficiency-oriented 245/35R21 Continental Eco Contact 6 Q tyres.

Yet this comes at the cost of adjustability. With such tight rebound damping in Sport and Sport Plus modes, the M35i's body is too tied down. Even in Comfort, the M35i hopped and fidgeted over Tasmania's broken tarmac, a trait not aided by the 21-inch alloys.

We would have preferred more build-up in the steering weight, too, given the sporting intentions. That chubby wheel rim does its best to remove any sensation of feedback, too.

BMW's iDrive is mostly fantastic except when it comes to changing drive modes, which you need to do fairly regularly in the M35i.

More than just normal – or Personal here – there's configurable Sport and Efficiency modes. There's also Digital Art and other less useful options.

Thankfully, the xDrive20 is much sweeter. Even optioned up with the 20-inch alloy wheels the ride is a lot more agreeable and well-suited to Tasmania's lumpy roads.

All the damper modes were usable with Sport providing welcome extra support without being too strict. Turning into corners felt more natural in the xDrive20 thanks to a bit more body roll which helps communicate grip levels.

The xDrive20i did feel low on grunt after the M35i and iX2 xDrive30 but that was only in a direct comparison - grunt levels were plenty once accustomed. We did miss the M35i's front limited-slip differential on loose surfaces, but it wasn't a deal breaker.

Seeing that the iX2 xDrive30's kerb weight was 325kg higher than the M35i (2020kg) set alarm bells going initially. That's a lot of extra weight for a 'small SUV' to be carrying around, and is beyond a Tesla Model Y Long Range (1979kg).

The iX2 uses the same kinematics and suspension components as the petrol cars but in completely retuned states. Encouragingly, the result is rather excellent.

You do notices the weight when pushing through patchily surfaced corners. The iX2 bobbles and hops occasionally as you approach the damper's limits, but to their credit they never gave up.

That light steering – which is frustrating in the M35i – aids to disguise the xDrive30's extra mass, too. As all X2's are front-biased AWD models, they never quite reach the dynamic heights of BMW's Cluster Architecture models.

Still, grunt is prodigious and, although it's officially slower than the M35i, the xDrive30's rolling response is predictably excellent. BMW has done a great job calibrating the regenerative braking, too.

I found Moderate was my preference, and because the brake pedal blends caliper and regenerative forces you lose precious little range from not having it jacked all the way up.

The iX2 is quiet inside, too. There's almost no wind intrusion and tyre roar is kept to a bare minimum inside, especially impressive given that the M35i sends quite some road noise into the cabin.

Returning through Hobart's outer suburbs, we notice some shortcomings. The iX2's high bonnet, low-set seating position and letterbox rear glass with protruding rear lip spoiler mean visibility is compromised. The X1 doesn't suffer from such issues.

That's the cost of visual flare and the excellent 360-degree camera and head-up display help to alleviate guesswork and keep eyes on the road.

The M35i didn't feel the most complete on the road. If you're chasing a sporty coupe statement at this kind of price, the BMW 230i coupe is a great driver's car.

Instead, you're better to spend money on either the xDrive20i or iX2 xDrive30 with some choice options and enjoy a slick coupe SUV driving experience.

The XPeng G6 RWD Long Range is one of the few new EV brands that's both a great tech package and a great car to drive. Many new EV brands can’t master the combination, or specifically the driving side, which established brands have refined over decades.

The G6 RWD Long Range has a soft ride, but good dynamics. I tried to unsettle it in some of the quicker corners on my regular test route and it refused to even hint at coming unstuck. That’s great for engaging driving but more so for safety where this car feels planted and stable even under pressure.

Steering is light and direct, and the cabin is tranquil even at higher speeds where road and wind noise is also remarkably low.

Honestly I’m quite amazed. I thought the G6 would just be a sophisticated tech device. But it's also a good car to drive.

The XPeng G6 scored the maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating in 2024 and it comes with every bit of tech you can imagine including:

• Front and rear auto emergency braking (AEB)
• Blind spot warning
• Lane keeping assistance
• Auto-lane changing
• Traffic sign recognition
• Emergency lane keeping
• Intelligent high beam
• Forward distance monitoring
• Forward collision warning
• Door opening warning
• Rear cross-traffic alert

I really have to give a shout out to the reversing camera which is superb in its clarity but also its function of identifying stationary and moving cars around you.

There’s also auto parking which is superb, and a remote parking function, too.

And finally, you may be happy to hear that the driver safety alert system in the G6 is quite subtle. Yes there are nudges (audible and vibration) to tell you that you may have slightly exceeded the speed limit or strayed out of a lane, but it's not as sensitive or intrusive as some rivals.

Since 2022, BMW has backed all of its cars with a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty.

You’ll need to service the iX2 ands X2 based on condition, rather than kilometres traveled. The multimedia system will prompt you when it's time to visit a workshop. 

You can pay upfront for service plans with BMW: a five-year servicing package will cost you $3171 for the petrol X2s, while the iX2 is $2186 for six years.

The XPeng G6 is covered by a seven-year/unlimited kilometre warranty and servicing is recommended every 20,000km or 12 months. While there’s no capped-price servicing you can expect to pay about $2000 over five years.

The battery is covered by an eight-year/160,000km warranty which is the industry standard.

There’s good news for owners as well regarding XPeng’s presence in Australia. Xpeng took back distribution of its vehicles from a third party and is selling its car directly with an expansion of the dealer network to 66 locations around Australia.

New owners will also benefit from complimentary roadside assistance and an improved parts supply chain.