Smallest Beemer packs a punch
Enough power, space for trips to the mall but still a few niggles
Wither the wagon. The station wagon is deemed uncouth by the majority of the motoring public, and the replacement is the compact utility vehicle. The CUV somehow puts a respectable shine on the mindnumbing domestic errands we all have to make. You can’t go to any auto show now without cracking your knees into a new CUV.
The $44,040, all-wheel drive X1 is not a beautiful vehicle — in fact, its long hood reminded me of a beagle’s snout — but it’s so laden with sensible qualities and excellent driving chops that it chips away at your heart.
Take its size: it’s small, that’s why it’s a ‘1’. Never does it wallow like a hippo. It can be parked easily at the mall, even by the most tentative driver; it doesn’t feel tippy, it carves a sharp corner, and it can be skippered like a car around obstacles.
Rough roads don’t produce any rock and roll in the X1, and the general demeanor, while compliant, is still tight and assured.
Steering feel is not at all wimpy. In fact, at parallel parking speeds it’s heavy enough to be kind of like turning a manhole cover. That surprised me.
Asmall body can be propelled by a small engine and so the X1 is fitted with BMW’S all-new 2.0 litre turbocharged four-cylinder. It produces 241 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque. Forward thrust is always at hand.
Motoring on the various roads up the escarpment in Hamilton, a slight push of the gas pedal shifts the X1 down to a gear with more grunt, and up it waltzes to the top of the mountain. The X1’s close ratio 8-speed automatic transmission shifts swiftly and politely, without any clumsy intrusions into the cabin.
The only oddity I noted about this engine was its sound at start-up: It rats and tats a bit like a diesel. It either diminishes as it’s driven, or I got used to it. Though I didn’t achieve it, the claimed combined fuel economy is 8.5 L/100km. I av- eraged 9.4 L/100km in combined driving with much of it taking place in the city. The cozy dimensions of the cabin make the interior styling shine. The dash was two-toned in my tester, black on top and beige on the lower panel — a welcome change from BMW’S usual tar pit black everywhere. In the X1 the driver is king, the seating position is high and all the instruments, dials, buttons and sliders are so close no stretching is needed to operate them. The leatherette on the seats looks sharp, but I find it a bit grabby, and I could have used more mid-back support in the seats. For tall people there’s plenty of headroom. Hoarders will regret the diminutive storage bins in the cabin and the mid-air cup holders that won’t support a big gulp. The steering wheel is pleasantly chunky, there’s good elbow padding on the armrest, and driver visibility is excellent. There’s a little gap between the side mirror and the A pillar which opens the view up when cornering or turning through an intersection. In the back, there’s room for three, but two people will be happier. There’s good foot room under the front seats, but overall leg room is tight and getting into the back seats through the smallish door opening requires some shimmying. The clever 40:20:40 split rear seats make flexible cargo storage opportunities. Lowering all the seat backs will increase cargo space from 420 to 1,350 litres.
The base price of the X1is $38,500. The more expensive options on my tester included a $2,000 navigation package, and $1,490 premium package that included heated steering wheel, roof rails, panorama sunroof and X-line trim details. I would forego the nav to lower the $44,040 price tag.
At testing by the Automotive Journalists Association of Canada in the fall, the X1 finished third behind the pricier VW Touareg and the chiseled Range Rover Evoque.
Still, the sturdy-shoes X1 hardly makes a false move. The size is right, the performance is right and I think the price is right. Freelance writer Kathy Renwald reviews vehicles for Toronto Star Wheels. www.kathyrenwald.com