BMW X1 xDrive20i Sport Line – has the X1 grown to fulfil more of a dual role?

BMW X1 – a change of season

Just like the autumn season is visible as the trees do their annual leave-shedding, car companies also go through a change to adapt to their surroundings. 

Take the BMW X1 as prime example – the original BMW X1 was pioneering in creating a premium-brand small SUV, and it was a huge sales success.  This original BMW X1 was summed up when it had its Auto Trader review:  “To understand the BMW X1, think of it as a replacement (locally, at least) of the traditional station wagon, with a higher stance, and the same agility and versatility… without the extra weight and size of compact SUVs.  In concept and execution the BMW X1 is brilliant, fitting its body perfectly into the gap between these more traditional segments, and taking over successfully from the Touring models.”

So why the change from the above mission statement of creating a station wagon meets SUV to “Let us make the new X1 more of an SUV”?  Market demand is the simple answer.  X1-buying people may have been happy with their X1 choice, but since the X1’s 2010 launch, just about every car producer has come up with its own iteration of the SUV which still forms an upward trend-line.

Also, it was the baby in the BMW X family’s turn in the X circle to come up for a redesign.  The result?  A new X1 aligned more closely to the BMW X3 and X5.

It may appear much larger than the previous car, but the new X1 is actually slightly shorter than it was, though a bit wider (with those much bigger nostrils giving it a wider face) and about 5cm higher which will account for the new bigger look.

BMW X1 xDrive20i Sport Line

Which one do we have here to assess?  The new-gen BMW X1 made its local showroom appearance in October 2015, and the line-up is split into the sDrive front-wheel-drive models and the higher-specced xDrive all-wheel-drive automatic-only variants.  The xDrive adds spec like leather, automatic climate control and rear park distance control.

Engine options are 18i with a 1.5-litre 3-cylinder turbo (the engine found in the new MINI Cooper, 218i Active Tourer and new 318i) or 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo in a choice of petrol or diesel fuel, for the 20i and 25i (2 power levels) or 20d. 

Prices, effective April 2016, start at R 454 500 for the X1 sDrive18i manual standard, reaching R 672 406 for the X1 xDrive25i M Sport with sports-Steptronic.  The “lines” (optional trim packages) are Sport Line, xLine and M Sport.  The autos are 8-speed, as a choice of the standard Steptronic gearbox or the Automatic Sports Transmission Steptronic option adding a sportier gearbox with steering gearshift paddles.  One complaint/observation is the gear selector which is not the usual stylish BMW shaped lever, but a normal-looking (almost manual gear knob) item similar to the 2 Series Active Tourer (BMW’s first “minivan”).

The spec test is the BMW X1 xDrive20i Sport Line, sitting somewhere above the middle in the X1 range.  In base form it costs R 586 600 (R 589 564 including emissions tax).

More nice touches include the front split-slide striped cupholder/tray covers, and a rear armrest with flip-out storage and built-in cupholders.

Urban driver-bility

When receiving the test BMW X1, it was immediately noticeable how much more refined and softer the new X1 has become.  It feels like a much bigger car inside, and has that refined new-generation BMW driving feel, helped by soft-touch materials.

Leaving the office with a colleague in the passenger seat to attend a meeting quickly showed how ideal the X1 is in its urban surroundings.  The X1 is much more nimble than the large X5, and quite similar in height and feel to the slightly bigger (than X1) BMW X3.  The only initial getting-used-to was the brake pedal modulating, which had an unusual delayed-switch pedal feel, as if it took a split second to “switch on” then grab the brakes, rather than a smooth brake feel.  After some more driving, this became more normal-feeling.

The 20i engine is good for 141kW coming from a smooth petrol turbo engine, with 280Nm being enough to make for brisk in-town drives.  The 20d is the diesel option, which is more fuel-economical along built-up roads, though costs R19k more, and you get the sometimes rough-sounding diesel engine sound.  The X1 engines also have the auto stop-start fuel-saving feature, and the petrol is certainly smoother on the start-up.

The 20i auto is likely the ideal engine-gearbox for the X1, giving this X1 urban driver-bility.

Open-road comfort

During a free day, the desired destination 150km away was programmed into the BMW X1, and a good highway trip taken on.  On the highway, the X1 again impressed with its newfound grown-up feel.  Where the previous X1 felt more intimate and sportier, the new X1 is refined and much more of a cruiser.

On-road speed limit travelling showed its good tyre- and wind noise insulation, and that 20i engine with 8-speed auto proved ideal for low-rev highway-speed driving (helping to keep engine revs low to both minimize fuel use and engine noise).  The spec says 6.3 l/100km on average, and the long-distance trip showed around 6 l/100km for highway driving, with 8+ in urban driving.  Economical, then, and with enough power when you need it.

The boot space has good volume of 505 litres, while the rear seat can be easily be folded down in 40:20:40 sections thanks to quick-release switches in the boot area, expandable to 1550 litres.

Spec it wisely

Sport Line (as fitted here) adds items like front bumper air guide trims in gloss black, front and rear underbody protection elements in body colour, and side skirt inserts in body colour.  The interior gets extras like sports seats and Coral Red matt highlights for the dash and door trim.

While many people complain about the German manufacturers adding a long options list, the intention is to allow a buyer to add the items s/he wants, rather than pay for items they might not want.  By speccing the car to one’s wants, you select certain options.

When fitting optional extras, stick with your budget.  The car as tested had over R100k worth of options, though spec it wisely and you can get in at much less, though some basic items (nowadays) are still extra-cost, such as auto-dimming mirrors with electric fold-in at R 4 200. 

Options include the Panorama glass sliding/tilting sunroof at R 16 900, Automatic tailgate operation (electric) for R 5 600, Electric front seats with memory function for driver’s seat and door mirror (R 11 300), Park Assist semi-automated parking (R 5 900) and Navigation or Navigation Plus (R 10 600 / R 23 300).

While ABS to stability control and curtain airbags are all standard, safety can be extended by options like LED headlights and Driving Assist or Driving Assist Plus packages which covers items like Lane Departure Warning, Approach Control Warning (closing in on another vehicle too quickly, and can detect a person/pedestrian then brake to avoid hitting a human) and High-Beam Assist.

Unless you want the extra power of the more expensive 25i model (170kW versus 141kW in the 20i), consider that you could get a bigger BMW X3 or Mercedes-Benz GLC for about the same price.  Rather stick with the 18i, 20i or 20d models.

BMW X1 xDrive20i Sport Line – has the X1 grown to fulfil more of a dual role?

The X1 is still the smallest BMW X car, though drives like a bigger car than its predecessor was.  Seasons change, and so has the BMW X1 – it has grown to fulfill more of a dual role, being both compact premium SUV (less individualistic than the high estate car it was before) and more aligned with the bigger BMW X family.