Zeekr 7X vs BMW IX1

What's the difference?

Recently CarsGuide had a presence at several major electric vehicle shows in Australia and I can tell you, this car was generating a lot of buzz with prospective buyers.

It’s the just-released Zeekr 7X, a pure-electric, five-door, five-seat SUV priced and specified to challenge established EV players in the premium, mid-size SUV segment.

In this test, we’re behind the wheel of the 7X Performance, the dual-motor AWD flagship topping a three-model line-up including single-motor standard- and long-range RWD variants.

So stay with us as we assess everything from price, features, design and practicality to efficiency, driving dynamics, safety and cost of ownership. Let’s go!

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.