BMW X1 has right price and ingredients to compete
ROAD TEST/ It’s now the stylish and desirable premium crossover it ought to have been from the outset, writes Phuti Mpyane
In the past, if I was asked which brands make the best compact luxury crossover, I’d have pointed out Mercedes-Benz, Lexus, Audi and Volvo, but not BMW.
The preceding BMW X1 models lagged rivals but this new one has got real game. The segment it competes in has become fiercely competitive as consumers move away from large SUVs into less costly but plush and practical compact crossovers.
The all-important aesthetic pizazz oozes from inside and out in the X1 with a blunt face and posterior no doubt inspired by the XM, and fancy letterbox style lights, a bolder kidney grille and stylish alloys. Two trim levels are on offer — xLine and M Sports — while initial engines are a 1.5l three-cylinder petrol badged 18i and a 2.0l four-cylinder diesel with an 18d moniker, the latter being the subject of this test. BMW SA has added a fully electric iX1 model for R1.1m
As a driver you will find a good seating position for fast or languid driving and an airy cabin on a generous 2,692mm long wheelbase. I was able to fit in the rear seat behind my usual driving position with plenty of legroom to spare. The 540l boot capacity with the rear seats up is usefully wide and deep and the loading space increases to 1,600l with seats folded down.
The cabin is mostly digital now and almost Scandinavian in look and feel. BMW has retired the iDrive mouse controller in the X1 and now mostly uses touch-operated BMW Curved screen to access menus. The screen is rather wide and requires a stretch of the hand to operate, but the voice-activated artificial assistant helps a lot.
Also new in here is a centre tunnel that acts as an armrest and houses the last semi-analogue features: the starter button, electronic parking-brake, volume toggle and driving mode selector. At the bottom is a storage bin.
On the road the diesel X1 works well with the sevenspeed automatic transmission and driving modes. These engine mood-swingers are interlinked with the interior ambient lighting and display graphics.
In Eco Mode the displays turn green and the engine prioritises fuel savings through gentler throttle and early gearshifts. The X1 promises an 800km-plus driving range on a single tank, and it consumed an impressively frugal 6.3l/100 average during the test period. This is close enough to BMW claims of 5.0l/100km.
In the red Sport mode the lower gears are used more and downshifts are more frequent to maximise the deployment of the diesel engine’s 110kW and 360Nm. It’s not the most powerful in the niche but these outputs give it healthy low-speed tractability and a performance potential of 0-100km/h in 8.9 seconds and 210km/h top speed. Not necessarily sporting, I know, but it effortlessly picks up, overtakes and maintains momentum with hushed operation.
It also has a generous 205mm ground clearance, but under no circumstances can it be considered a mudslinger. Its low-profile tyres and frontwheel drive only configuration oppose driving off-road. Keep it to tarmac and short gravel paths.
PRICING
Prices of the range start at R768,045 for the entry-level sDrive18i xLine. The sDrive18d M Sport test model demands R845,617. An added options package that equips it with sought-after niceties including panoramic roof, adaptive LED headlights, BMW Live cockpit professional, parking and reverse assistance with memory tracking and more shoots up the price to R955,000.
That price invites comparisons with the Range Rover Evoque, Jaguar E-Pace and Porsche Macan. Either way, the new BMW X1 feels impressive and there is little to nothing to dislike. It is among top-shelf contenders in the burgeoning compact premium crossover class.