There’s little point in trying to deny the X1’s origins; to the millimetre it shares the same wheelbase as a 3-series Touring, after all. But it is more than 80mm shorter overall, almost 20mm narrower and 127mm taller. It also comes up 15kg lighter on BMW’s scales, a telling figure that will come back to haunt it later.
The design brief, of a premium small crossover that can tempt 3-series Touring buyers who want a more elevated driving position, has produced a car with slightly ungainly proportions, albeit one that looks
more hatch-like than either X3 or X5. It’s helped in that respect by deep flanks; a sharp crease around the door handles disguises this.
The X1’s global range-topper is the xDrive28i, equipped with a mildly detuned version of the firm’s six-cylinder petrol engine. But British buyers won’t be able to buy it; instead, we get BMW’s 2.0-litre turbodiesel in two states of tune – 18d (141bhp) and 20d (174bhp) – and the 2.0-litre, 201bhp twin-turbodiesel, called 23d. The two more lowly units are available with rear or four-wheel drive (sDrive or xDrive in BMW parlance), but the 23d comes only with four driven wheels and an automatic transmission.
It weighs in at a hefty £29,055 – but it’s the more modest, £24,205 sDrive20d SE that we’re testing here. The standard gearbox on 18d and 20d models is a six-speed manual unit, although you can choose BMW’s
six-speed automatic as a £1400 option, on the xDrive20d only.
The suspension is via double-jointed axles at the front (in effect, BMW’s modified take on a MacPherson strut) and five-link suspension at the rear. The rack and pinion steering is hydraulically assisted. Interestingly, BMW UK is selling all models with regular tyres; run-flats are a £175 option across the range.
