NEW BMW X1: A KIDNEY PUNCH IN THE SEGMENT
BMW’s entry point into its so-called sports activity vehicle (the Munich-based car maker’s appellation for SUV) line is getting a significant refresh at the perceived midpoint of its generational life cycle.
The X1 first made a public appearance back in 2008 via the Paris Motor Show — quickly making an indelible mark in a then-burgeoning small ute-crossover scene. Production of the internally coded E84 ran from 2009 to 2015, with the second generation taking over thereafter.
Globally, 175,701 units of the X1 have been sold thus far this year from January to August. In 2018, the X1 was BMW’s top-selling X model — expectedly outpacing its bigger, more illustrious (and more expensive, of course) siblings like the iconic X5 and the burly X7. Here in the Philippines, 35 units of the X1 were sold locally last year, according to SMC Asia Car Distributors Corporation (SMCACDC).
Although there’s no word yet as to local launch of the face-lifted X1, there is definitely a lot to be excited about. The X1 (with the present generation now coded F48) we saw in Munich, Germany has been bestowed sweeping changes for a heightened look of sportiness and aggression. At first glance, the modifications are immediately apparent.
BMW first announced the arrival of the new X1 last May, and the vehicle made a world premiere by the end of June at the BMW #NEXTGen event in Munich.
It boasts updated features, and is now perhaps more keenly aligned to its in
tended audience. “Our target market is very youthful, modern, and active. They live in an urban environment, but also have an active lifestyle and like to go outdoors,” said Birte Voorgang, an X1 product manager for the BMW Group.
From the base BMW X1 to the xLine, Sport Line, and M Sport, the vehicle has been “given a standalone visual presence tailored precisely to its character profile.”
Ms. Voorgang asserted in an exclusive interview with Velocity, “We’ve updated the exterior design quite a bit with a larger kidney grille, and completely new front bumper, making the exterior design even more expressive… We’ve integrated the new LED foglights into the now-bigger outer inlets… giving it a broader stance. We have new LED headlights with a more modern hexagonal design.”
All these modifications mean a stronger look on the fascia. The large grille, whose kidneys now merge in the center, are more coherently designed with new adaptive LED headlamps. The iconic grille contributes to a rather menacing front — sort of like a bull with a nose captured in a perpetual snort. Viewed from the side, the X1 is, maintained Ms. Voorgang, a “true X model with typical X proportions — a long wheelbase, short overhangs — and what we have also done for the face-lift is introduce new colors.” One of the additions to the palette (the others being Jucaro Beige and Misano Blue) is an interesting metallic hue called Storm Bay, which now makes its way into BMW’s compact segment for the first time. The new BMW X1 also receives newly designed 19-inch shoes.
“In the rear, we have made the new X1 even more sporty with bigger exhaust pipes which are now 90 millimeters instead of 70 millimeters,” she continued. The X1 also sports new full-LED taillights. A new inlay in the body-color rear apron adopts the car’s main body color as standard. As part of an optional lights package, a side mirror-mounted LED projector assists by illuminating the door area. It also projects a classy “X1” logo on the ground.
Inside, the X1 gets “updated lines” as Ms. Voorgang put it. There are lots of new things to see up front, such as contrast stitching on the dashboard, along with a bigger 10.25-inch control touch display (as an option).
Its infotainment system now fully accepts Apple devices through wirelesscapable CarPlay. Too bad for Android Auto holdouts, though, as it doesn’t have this compatibility. With an aforementioned optional lights package comes the side mirror-mounted LED lighting and six-hue ambient lighting.
Even before this most recent revision, BMW already equipped the X1 with a wireless phone charger — located conveniently in the armrest. The feature makes a return here. And because, Ms. Voorgang averred, “the X1 stands for spaciousness and roominess, the rear seats can be moved 13 centimeters back and forth to give you more room in the rear seats or in the trunk.”
Taking the diesel-sipping xDrive25d variant around for a romp around the periphery of the BMW Group München Zeppelinstraße facility, the X1 proved capable of robust performance. It gave power on demand — with its 231hp and 450Nm output easily reachable low on the torque band. Its engine was polished and totally un-diesel like, to put it simply. Munich’s open spaces and squat buildings revealed themselves gradually outside the X1’s large windows. Even when seated in the back seat, the SUV surprised with space — something not immediately obvious when viewed from the outside.
As the market waits for its allocation and variant lineup (safe to expect the diesel to make its way here), BMW has obviously succeeded in whetting the appetite of the discriminating as they wait for the new X1.