Renault Arkana vs BMW IX1
What's the difference?

Renault Arkana

$36,990 - $45,990

2026 price

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BMW IX1

$49,880 - $82,900

2023 price

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Chery Tiggo 8 PRO MAX

Land Rover Discovery Sport

Mercedes-Benz EQ-Class

Mercedes-Benz G-Class

Mercedes-Benz G63

Mercedes-Benz GLB-Class

Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class

Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class

Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class

Mitsubishi ASX

Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross

Mitsubishi Outlander

Mitsubishi Pajero

Mitsubishi Pajero Sport

Summary

2026 Renault Arkana

2023 BMW IX1

By Emily Agar

By Byron Mathioudakis

Safety Rating

Engine Type

Turbo 4, 1.3L

Electric motor type

Electromagnetically Excited

Fuel Type

Unleaded Petrol

Vehicle type

Battery Electric

Fuel Efficiency

5.9L/100km (combined)

Electric range

440 km

Energy consumption

18.2 kWh/100km

Battery capacity

67.00 kWh

Seating

Likes

Stylish, distinctive design
Great boot space and practicality
Responsive handling

Surprising value for money
Impressive design inside and out
Decent road manners

Dislikes

Mild-hybrid gains feel limited
Snug rear seat space
Slow off the mark

Could use stronger single-pedal braking tech
Some road/tyre noise intrusion
Hides its ‘EV-ness’ with regular ICE X1 styling

2026 Renault Arkana Summary

This time around my family of three has been reviewing the updated Renault Arkana Esprit Alpine mild-hybrid, and you might be wondering… why?

In a market that is positively bursting at the seams with established and new competition, including full-hybrid rivals like the Honda HR-V RS and Hyundai Kona Premium, the Arkana has its work cut out for it.

It’s also a slightly unusual proposition, pairing the raised ride height of an SUV with the swooping roofline of a coupe, while sticking with a mild-hybrid powertrain as more and more rivals make the jump to full-hybrid.

So, does this small French SUV coupe still have enough going for it to stand out from the crowd?

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2023 BMW IX1 Summary

The world is full of shock brand announcements.

Remember the time Coke suddenly changed its cola recipe? Or when Apple decided to take on Nokia with iPhone? Nobody saw those coming.

We all know how the latter turned out and even the former eventually became a marketing masterstroke.

Now here's another super-surprise – a German electric luxury SUV that’s actually comparatively inexpensive. And not stingily equipped. Yep, we’re talking about the iX1.

Based on the really rather impressive third-generation X1, it decisively undercuts similarly-specified rivals from Mercedes-Benz (EQA, EQB) and Genesis (GV60).

But is the Bavarian EV SUV worth paying that little bit extra for against (only very slightly) cheaper alternatives like the Hyundai Ioniq 5, Kia EV6, Tesla Model Y, Polestar 2 and Volvo XC40 Recharge?

Let’s see.

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Deep dive comparison

2026 Renault Arkana 2023 BMW IX1

Verdict

The Renault Arkana Esprit Alpine mild-hybrid combines some serious design flair with a reasonable amount of practicality for a smaller family, but it’s hard to ignore the lack of improvement in efficiency following the addition of the mild-hybrid system. That said, it still succeeds on some fronts. It just does it quietly.

Verdict

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?

Renault Arkana vs BMW IX1 What's the difference?

Summary

Deep dive comparison

Verdict

Verdict

Renault Arkana vs BMW IX1
What's the difference?