The new BMW X1. The foray into Bavaraia’s lineup from the SUV angle. The new BMW X1 is bigger, more powerful, and more complete than ever before. But in a marketplace of other highly competitive german SUVs, is it the obvious choice? That’s what we’re here to find out
Driving Impressions
The X1. now in its 3rd generation its learned a lot about what people are looking for from it, and spoiler alert..it’s delivered
The new X1 is better looking than ever. It’s bigger and more spacious than ever. AND it’s more powerful than ever. With a 2.0T 4cylinder thumping away under the hood and spitting out 241 hp and 295 lbft of torque – this micro SUV doesn’t bring micro performance
This little SUV manages to rocket to 60 in just about 6 seconds..and this isnt even the M-lite version
That number may not seem barrier shattering, but this thing manages to FEEL quick and athletic while at the same time offering a really spacious and comfy interior
Here’s an interesting thing though – the X1 here for this generation gets AWD standard BUT it sends power from the engine TO all 4 wheels via a 7 speed DCT
I mean the M cars don’t even get DCTs!
That powertrain combo isn’t just quick, but it’s also reasonably efficient. The X1 will manage 25 mpg in the city and almost 35 mpg on the highway…And it’s not even EV egg shaped!
But the reality is…like i mentioned…this isn’t even the M-lite or M-Sport one
It’s just a normal X1 which means it’s just a normal luxury SUV that comes with sporting heritage
So is it as lux as it needs to be behind the wheel?
In a word – yeah…pretty much
It’s not going to offer the same cabin isolation or refinement as an X3, but
The visibility is excellent
The Powertrain feels solid and not buzzy
The steering is sharp and accurate
The cabin is pretty quiet and relaxing
And the ride is nice and sophisticated…especially at this price point
So with that, let’s jump outside and talk finer details…
Exterior Design
So behind the wheel this thing is pretty lively and something that certain stands out from the Q3s, GLAs, and XC40s
And yanno what, it might be the best LOOKING BMW on sale today too
The X1 is a much more classic SUV shape with more boxy proportions..which I personally love
The face is more bold and aggressive, but without going to the new elongated kidney grille
The running lights are a very similar design to the new 3 Series…aka handsome
Around the side, the X1 is taller than last year, but also 2 inches longer
Which means more space on the interior
As far as wheels you can get up to 20 inches on M Sport models
You get a nice silver satin finish to your wing mirror
You can get a big pano roof
And the rear design is simple and modern looking
I like the more angular design ot the taillights
And one more thing to like about the new X1 is its segment defying trunk space..let’s step inside
Interior & Features
The inside of the new X1 is clean, modern, and done in a nice and tasteful way..i actually really like it
Starting with the design of the cabin, it’s very modern which is typical from BMW
You’ve got these new big dual screens for your gauge cluster AND infotainment
Your infotainment is running the new iDrive 8
However, unlike the iDrive 8 in the new iX, i4, and 3 Series, the curved display here is more integrated into the dash
BUT since it is iDrive 8 you get great features like
Wireless car play
Awesome 360 cameras
Reverse assist
And a homescreen that’s widget based and totally customizable
One thing to note though, is that with this new system they’ve gotten ride of pretty much all the button or switches
So climate, and radio presets you once had on the dash are in the screen now
And then jumping out of the screens you’ve got a new steering wheel design
You’ve got a very similar floating center console design to the iX we tested
And that’s where you’ll get your tab style gear selector, drive modes, etc.
One thing you WONT get on that center console is the typicaliDrive control wheel
This is one of the first BMWs to get rid of it entirely
And of course you have some nice luxury touches like upscale leathers
And the cool speaker covers for the upgraded Harmon Kardon system
You can also option ambient lighting with the flashdance effect when you open your door
To let cars at night know your door is open
And then we talk about the rear seats
And they’re surprisingly spacious
They dont offer heating in the rear, but the pano roof really brings in light
Overall it’s totally comfortable, even for adults
Ultimately, this is a nicer cabin experience than anything else you’re going to get in the this segment. The materials are nice, the build is solid, the features are rich, and it’s deceptively roomy in here…so with that, let’s get into the final thoughts
Conclusion
So there it is, the new BMW X1…i’ll reiterate what I just said. From an interior perspective, it’s what i would consider segment leading. From an exterior perspective it’s very handsome, and from the driving perspective, it’s a solid and peppy little thing that I wouldn’t mind driving every day. Thanks to my friends at International BMW for letting me have a go