- 2 days ago
In today's in-depth video, we're putting two electric luxury SUVs head-to-head: the European BMW iX and its bold challenger from China, the XPeng G9! Can European automotive heritage and a bold redesign stand up to China's latest technological prowess and a competitive price point? This is the ultimate electric SUV comparison you've been waiting for!
The BMW iX is a mid-sized electric SUV that has been a topic of debate since its 2021 debut, largely because of its bold design. We’ll be answering a key question: with its recent LCI (Life Cycle Impulse) facelift, has the BMW iX improved in look and performance? Is its promised 700 km range a reality?
The XPeng G9 is an electric SUV from China that is confidently taking on giants like the Lexus RX, BMW iX, and Volvo XC90. But is it truly a luxurious, spacious, and technologically advanced electric SUV? We'll find out if it has what it takes to compete in the global market.
In this detailed car review, we will look at:
Exterior design and dimensions
Boot space (trunk) and rear seat comfort
Cockpits and interior tech
Ride and handling
Real-world performance and price comparison
BMW iX Facelift – Key Information:
↔ BMW iX dimen
The BMW iX is a mid-sized electric SUV that has been a topic of debate since its 2021 debut, largely because of its bold design. We’ll be answering a key question: with its recent LCI (Life Cycle Impulse) facelift, has the BMW iX improved in look and performance? Is its promised 700 km range a reality?
The XPeng G9 is an electric SUV from China that is confidently taking on giants like the Lexus RX, BMW iX, and Volvo XC90. But is it truly a luxurious, spacious, and technologically advanced electric SUV? We'll find out if it has what it takes to compete in the global market.
In this detailed car review, we will look at:
Exterior design and dimensions
Boot space (trunk) and rear seat comfort
Cockpits and interior tech
Ride and handling
Real-world performance and price comparison
BMW iX Facelift – Key Information:
↔ BMW iX dimen
Category
🚗
MotorTranscript
00:00this is the refreshed bmw ix and this is a relative newcomer to the european market
00:05the xpeng g9 and this comparison is not as outlandish as it sounds so let's get on with it
00:13you can find reviews of both of these cars on my channel links in the video description if you're
00:19here for the first time subscribe and hit the bell icon to get notified about new reviews and
00:24comparisons channel members get to watch new videos weeks and sometimes even months before
00:30everyone else and without ads so please consider becoming a channel member in this video we will
00:38compare the exterior design boot space rear seat situation cockpits ride and handling as well as tech
01:01we've all heard the bmw ix beaver fascia jokes hell i've made some at the time of this recording we
01:07already know the bmw neuer classe models will show less beaver and more modern retro heritage and this
01:14is where i'll stop talking about beavers because i don't want this video to be demonetized for the
01:19wrong reasons bmw didn't talk about this because nobody likes to admit they're concerned about the
01:24chinese competition but in hindsight i understand what the designers wanted to achieve the ix design
01:31is a statement while the xpeng is a generic looking suv the only reason why anyone may give it a
01:38second
01:38glance is because they have no clue what it is but the same can be said about most chinese cars
01:44we
01:44get in europe these days they're bland and few people recognize new brands and models you could
01:50say that the g9 is a simple elegant suv to me it's a gray box and nothing to look at
01:56from the outside
01:58the bmw ix is more than seven centimeters longer and three centimeters wider than the xpeng g9 but the
02:04height and the wheelbase are almost identical the xpeng is also more than 200 kilograms lighter than the
02:11ix even in a version with a comparable battery here we have the ix with a larger battery than the
02:18xbank
02:18but bmw really wanted to showcase its 700 plus range and at the last minute they changed my test car
02:25from the x drive 45 to the x drive 60. the bmw ix boot is 500 liters in a five
02:34seat configuration and
02:351750 liters with the second row seats folded the backrest splits 40 20 40 and what the come on
02:4530 20 40 there is a 12 volt outlet a shopping bag hook and um some underfloor storage where you
02:54could
02:54fit your cables but not the parcel shelf unfortunately it won't fit in there anyway the charging cables have
03:02to go down here because there is no frunk the boot is 110 centimeters wide across its entire depth which
03:13by the way is 110 centimeters in five seat configuration and 207 centimeters in two seat
03:20configuration with the passenger seat pushed all the way forward the height is 46 centimeters to the
03:25parcel shelf and 73 centimeters to the roof at its highest point but there are massive hinges on the
03:31sides so that leaves about 63 centimeters i didn't measure the height with the underfloor storage
03:37compartment because of its irregular shape meanwhile the xpeng has a 71 liter frunk in which you can store
03:47for i don't know charging cables or see says here in chinese xpeng i guess anyway uh charging cables or
03:58i
03:58don't know your dirty hiking boots or whatever dirty sport you do because i'm sure it's dirty
04:09according to the specification the boot is 660 liters in five seat configuration
04:13and 1780 liters with the second row backrests folded for which there are also buttons in the boot
04:20there is also a 12 volt outlet and a shopping bag hook the cargo cover does not fit under the
04:26floor
04:27the boot is 100 centimeters wide between the wheel arches and the depth is 104 centimeters in five seat
04:34configuration drop the rear seats and you get 210 centimeters with the passenger seat pushed all the
04:41way forward the height is 40 centimeters to the cargo cover and 75 centimeters to the roof here too i
04:48did
04:48not measure the height taking into account the underfloor storage compartment because it has an irregular
04:53shape in the back there are large door pockets usb-c ports on the front seat backs there are cup
05:02holders
05:03in the armrest and dual zone climate control the floor is flat and even the middle passenger has plenty
05:13of foot room wiggle wiggle wiggle wiggle wiggle wiggle wiggle
05:18i'm 175 centimeters tall the driver's seat is set to my driving position and i have 23 centimeters of leg
05:25room
05:26behind it i also have 21 centimeters headroom the seat width is 143 centimeters at elbow height it's 156 centimeters
05:36in the bmw ix the doors do not cover the sills
05:41the x-bank's bright interior certainly works in its favor but even if the leather upholstery were a different
05:48color and this is real leather by the way the passengers sitting in the back of the g9 have
05:53adjustable backrest angle adjustable thigh support and a massage function true there are no air conditioning
06:02controls back here and the usb-a and usb-c ports are low by the floor but there are door
06:09pockets
06:10and some cup holders in the armrest and there's even some storage where you can put your phone maybe
06:19and then forget where you put it and you'll never find it again i am still 175 centimeters tall the
06:28driver's seat is still set to my driving position and i have 17 centimeters of leg room behind it the
06:35passenger seat can be moved back only a little further so with taller drivers there will be more leg room
06:42in the back in the x-bank than in the bmw i have 19 centimeters headroom the seat width is
06:49130 centimeters
06:51at elbow height it's 153 centimeters the floor is also flat and there is room for the middle passengers
07:00feet the doors cover the sills bmw has always had very legible dashboards until they finally decided to
07:09replace everything with a wide panel with a couple of displays four years after the debut of the new
07:14operating system interface firstly i got used to it secondly many things have been improved with over
07:21the air updates and thirdly most of the competition is far behind bmw in this sphere anyway it's probably
07:28often a matter of getting used to one system or another but from a perspective of a person who tests
07:33various solutions i appreciate the logic of bmw's infotainment bmw also offers a mobile app which
07:40still doesn't let me use a barely one-year-old flagship sony smartphone because some of the
07:47features such as remote parking or keyless start work only on a maybe three brands and a couple of
07:55models within them bmw attributes this to high security standards and i say it's due to poor programming
08:02on bmw's side the app shows me energy consumption on individual trips and charging data while this
08:10may not be a key feature for an average driver of a 100k plus suv for me as a journalist
08:16easy access to
08:17such data is helpful i saw bmw's remote parking feature at a launch event a couple of years ago it
08:23works fine i imagine that if i had a narrow parking space i would take advantage of it from my
08:29perspective
08:29there are other more useful features such as memory of a series of maneuvers in a given location so
08:36that the car can park automatically with the driver inside or reversing along its tracks currently bmw can
08:43go back along its tracks the last 200 meters driven there are large door pockets cup holders
08:51a wireless charger a storage compartment under the armrest and a glove box
08:57bmw left some physical switch gear which i appreciate and the air vents are controlled manually
09:03which is not so obvious in modern cars the xpank g9 cockpit is something between a tesla and a mercedes
09:12the graphics are very similar to those in a tesla to adjust the mirrors or the steering wheel for
09:18example you have to pull down a menu select mirror adjustment and then play with the buttons on
09:24the steering wheel just like in the tesla meanwhile the display in front of the passenger very much
09:30reminds me of the one in a mercedes limousine like the hyper screen business the front passenger also
09:39has a fold-out footrest but firstly i don't know how they'll reach the screen to control it and secondly
09:45the passenger seat doesn't move back far enough so the footrest is more for show the screens cut
09:51reflections from the outside so from behind the wheel i can constantly see something flashing in
09:56my peripheral vision while the display graphics are pleasing to the eye the menu logic leaves much
10:02to be desired some features such as driver's seat memory for more than one person are available only
10:09after creating an xbank account the xbank app doesn't show as much charging data as the bmw app but it
10:17can replace the key and allows you to control the car remotely moving the car back and forth works
10:24much better than in for example hyundai or kia where you have to go through a multi-stage launch
10:29procedure like before sending a spacex rocket into space and then pray it doesn't explode to park
10:35remotely you first have to drive the car yourself and detect a parking spot then you can get out and
10:41use the app to park the car which will perform a series of maneuvers on its own would i park
10:48faster
10:49and better myself probably yes but as far as the remote parking is concerned the xbank app works much
10:56better than any other solution i've seen so far for example the only successful mercedes remote parking
11:02demo i witnessed was during the uh s213 e-class estate launch event in 2016 and i've never been able
11:12to
11:12repeat it since the door pockets are spacious there are two cup holders a dual wireless charger a cubby
11:20under the console an air-conditioned storage compartment under the armrest and a glove box
11:27i'm not a fan of setting the ac vents from the screen but apart from that it's an elegant simple
11:33and modern interior audi bmw lexus and mercedes have reasons to be concerned volvo is already chinese so
11:40they don't care
11:55the bmw ix is available in three versions the x drive 45 x drive 60 and m70 x drive the
12:02x drive 45
12:04would fit best for this comparison because it has a 95 kilowatt hour traction battery 408 horsepower
12:10and a claimed range of 602 kilometers up to 602 kilometers but as i mentioned bmw wanted to show off
12:17its more than 700 kilometers range which is why i have the x drive 60 with 544 horsepower and a
12:24109
12:25kilowatt hour traction battery for testing the g9 performance with all-wheel drive has comparable
12:35performance bmw still offers dc charging up to 195 kilowatts fast charging from 10 to 80 percent takes
12:4335 minutes this means longer stops during road trips as standard the ix has an 11 kilowatt onboard
12:49charger optionally you can get 22 kilowatts the real life range in the city is up to 700 kilometers in
12:57good weather on dual carriageway maybe you'll hit 400 kilometers depending on how fast you're driving
13:03in my unofficial combined cycle the ix uses over 21 kilowatt hours per 100 kilometers
13:10bmw promises a time from 0 to 100 kilometers per hour of 4.6 seconds i checked and i managed
13:17to achieve
13:174.3 seconds both in sport mode in normal mode the bmw ix is very quick and very agile for
13:32a two and a
13:32half tonne suv helping agility and maneuvering is the rear wheel steering system
13:49the suspension is so good that i damaged two rims i tackled a curb with too much optimism the sound
13:55proofing is amazing visibility is excellent for this size of an suv and the 360 degree camera allows
14:02you to get through tight gaps the driver assist features are top notch as we came to expect of
14:08bmw the adaptive cruise control with lane keeping assist works confidently but not aggressively other
14:14assist and warning features are not intrusive the navigation system clearly shows charging stations
14:20and information about them
14:32xpeng g9 depending on the version has 313 or 551 horsepower a traction battery with a gross capacity of 78
14:42or 98
14:43kilowatt hours and a range of 460 to 570 kilometers in the combined cycle xpeng provides gross battery capacity
14:52according to information i found online this larger battery had a net capacity of 93 kilowatt hours
15:01the g9 i'm testing is the extended range rear wheel drive variant the claimed time from zero to 100
15:07kilometers per hour is 6.4 seconds i checked and in normal mode it was 0.06 seconds slower let's
15:15call it a
15:16measurement error and in sports mode it was 0.25 seconds faster
15:24remember the bmw ix charging from 10 to 80 percent in 35 minutes
15:31the xpeng g9 charges in 20 minutes because it can handle up to 300 kilowatts officially because the
15:39information online suggests that this result can be improved the promised energy consumption in the
15:45combined cycle is around 20 kilowatt hours per 100 kilometers i have observed a better result in the
15:50city so 570 kilometers in urban conditions is realistic it will be worse on the motorway but if you
15:57have really fast chargers along the way 20 minute stops are a game changer as far as evs are concerned
16:04and the xpeng recently announced a new generation of the g6 and g9 which will accept even more power
16:11and will charge in just 12 minutes so in terms of tech the xpeng leaves bmw behind however its handling
16:19is like the exterior design meh and that's okay too because not everybody expects or wants sharp
16:27handling the xpeng g9 just drives it's relatively comfortable relatively quiet relatively unobtrusive
16:39visibility is bad and the plastic triangles on the side of windows at the wing mirrors level
16:45do not help rear visibility is limited by massive headrests which i'm sure are comfortable for the
16:51passengers on larger bumps the suspension starts to get lost and sudden maneuvers or fast cornering are
16:58uncomfortable for the g9 and even more so for the driver and the passengers the driver assistance
17:04systems work when i found out how to use them some of the features were shown to me when i
17:10was handing
17:10the car back so i have only a very brief experience with the full xpilot mode but generally speaking it
17:18works as this is a very wide car on narrow country roads you should consider turning off the lane
17:25departure warning because it'll drive you nuts the specifications suggest that the xpeng g9 has
17:32numerous millimeter wave radars ultrasonic sensors and cameras but some warnings are displayed far too
17:37late to be useful and for example the parking sensors like in tesla display a moderately accurate
17:43measurement in centimeters cameras are also easy to fool for example a gopro stuck to the side of the car
17:49was perceived as a motorcyclist
18:10both cars were awarded the highest five star rating in the euro n cup crash tests the results in various
18:17categories categories are comparable prices of the refreshed bmw ix start at 83 500 euro this test car
18:25is an x drive 60 with options it costs 125 715 euro prices of the xbank g9 are very competitive
18:35the
18:36standard range model starts at 59 600 euro this test car in long range form with extras costs 68 560
18:46euro
18:48is the bmw ix better than the xpeng g9 yes it is is it about 30 40 000 euro better
18:56purely in monetary
18:58terms no it is not of course bmw has the brand image the heritage that means something but the very
19:04fact
19:04that today we are comparing german and chinese premium brands is a signal that the former need to get a
19:11grip
19:11because the latter offer a lot for a very reasonable price and which one of these two cars do you
19:17like
19:18more and why drop me a comment below if you like my sarcastic down-to-earth and possibly mildly amusing
19:26car reviews join me every friday at 3 pm central european time and don't forget to subscribe and like
19:32this video as it helps me with the youtube algorithm thanks for watching and i will see you in the
19:38next
19:38one
Comments