Car review (launch report): BMW X1
Another compact SUV review? Yip! What can we say? The segment is booming. But this time, it is not a new competitor to the market but the revised BMW X1. And boy, what a difference! The outgoing BMW X1 left a lot to be desired, in the looks department that is, however this new model is (*insert best Zoolander impression) “really, really good looking.”
The old model was pinned on the previous generation 3 Series Touring platform and it just a looked a bit bulbous and, well, odd. But this new one sports the underpinnings of the 2 Series Active Tourer and it is now 36mm shorter, 21 mm wider and 53 mm taller making it look more like an SUV than a tall hatch.In fact, it really looks quite similar to its older X siblings, the X3 and X5.
It may not have been a looker, but the previous X1 sold like hotcakes. BMW boasts 730 000 since it was launched back in 2010. The front now sports a large “kidney-shaped” grille, far more sporty-looking air intakes and the combination of BMW’s signature headlight clusters and fog lamps. The interior is just as impressive. I have found BMW’s interiors to be somewhat bland. They haven’t changed much and they weren’t exactly inspiring. But the new X1’s interior is modern and superbly refined. Just take a look at the picture below. Isn’t it purrty?
Two petrol and one diesel engine will be available. I drove the xDrive20d on the launch this week along the gorgeous Garden Route and can say it was a very enjoyable experience. The 8-speed automatic transmission shifts so smoothly you hardly notice the gear changes. The engine purrs rather than growls, but the road noise is a bit overwhelming, we had to turn up the volume of the radio quite high when we were cruising at the national speed limit and the drone can get to you.
As superbly as the car is on-road, it doesn’t impress as much off-road. The suspension was far to firm and so the car shakes and rattles and it sounds as if you are in a car that was made for cotton wool rather than gravel. But again, we have to consider the low-profile tyres we were riding on. I would instead opt for the standard 17-inch alloys.
The BMW X1 was never a car I took much notice of. It didn’t do much for me and it was never a car I would recommend, perhaps from a more subjective point of view. But this new model left me very impressed and I enjoyed every moment of driving it. I love the new look, I love the interior, I love the space, I love the diesel engine and I love the automatic transmission. That leaves me with little to dislike really! It is an ideal car if you have kids or even if you are a single, image conscious BMW-lover who just wants more space and a raised seating position. I have no doubt this will sell as it’s predecessor did, if not better.
PRICING (inclusive of a two-year/unlimited km warranty and five-year/100 000 km maintenance plan):
xDrive20i AT – R539 500
xDrive20d – R557 500
xDrive25i AT– R602 500
The following will be available in dealers from January 2016:
sDrive18i – R435 000
sDrive18i 6AT – R452 400
sDrive20i AT – R492 000
sDrive20d – R479 500
Look out for an in-depth video review I did on the BMW X1 for Ignition TV coming in the next few weeks.