BMW X1

Keeping the playful, vacation theme of BMW X1 in mind, the interiors of the X1 have also been kept very light, fresh and lively. The use of beige serves the purpose and the use of black and slight wooden trim on the dash keeps the elegance of the machine intact. The 2 tone ambient lighting does a good job at lifting the moods. The dials are kept classic with eye soothing lights on the panel. The panoramic glass roof is an asset for the passengers since it enables the passengers to enjoy the sunlight ad well as the night stars. The steering is completely upholstered with leather offering firm grip and reduces slips to almost negligible. The steering mounted controls are pretty handy and the console has also been designed with the driver in mind. The front seats have been kept slightly high to increase visibility which is worth appreciation. The console and the seat designs have been kept very simplistic, which looks good but might turn a little monotonous for some as the excitement present in the exteriors is absent in the interiors.

Interior Comfort

The comfort, it seems has not been on the priority list of the X1 designers. Although the seats are comfortable but the presence of run-flat tyres has seriously affected the ride quality of the X1 due to their thick rubber. The rear seats also have a conservative leg and shoulder room but a good headroom. The front seats are comfortable and offer support but lacks the proper lumbar support. However in the rear seats, there's a 40:20:40 split fold ratio which allows you to vary the storage and seating capacity as per the needs. The air conditioner does a good job at keeping the temperatures ambient. The doors have bottle holders and the center panel has cupholders. One thing however can be assured that quality has not been compromised in whatever has been installed.

Interior Measurements

Despite being an entry-level crossover which is meant for luxury rather than carrying capacity, BMW X1 still sports a very decent boot space. The 40:20:40 split ratio of the rear seats enable you to alter your storage capacities. With the rear seats upright, you get a boot capacity of a great 420-litres.

Stereo and Accessories

The BMW infotainment system comes with a very useful internet and Bluetooth office system that manages your appointments on the go, ensuring optimum use of time. The stereo offers a CD player along with Aux, USB, bluetooth and FM radio. The centre of all the entertainment and infotainment features is the 8.8 inch screen with iDrive functionality which apart from hosting all the audio video and calling features, is also home to a very advanced 3D navigation system.

Making a station wagon look attractive is a mammoth task, but the designers in Munich have succeeded in it astonishingly, we are. The fine design lines of BMW X1 turn many heads on the road. The car does not have a chunky road presence but still manages to gather a lot of attention with its smooth flowing looks. The headlights of the X1 are two rounded lights with lots of chrome and LED accent lights that stalk you in your eyes. The round fog lamps also compliment the headlights. The front kidney grills are typical of BMW outlined by chrome. The hood is lengthy but with a long wheel base and short overhangs, keeping the car on its toes always. The rear has the distinct L shaped rear LED lights that will make you recognize the BMW from a distance, without mistake. The Hofmeister Kink makes the X1 appear ready to move forward. The silver side sills and the roof rails accentuates its looks. All the body lines of the X1 are very sharp without losing its elegance. The 5 spoke alloys also compliments the X1's looks to a great deal. BMW X1 is also equipped with a broad split sunroof which offers a panoramic view for the passengers.

Exterior Measurements

BMW X1 offers a fair wheelbase of 2760mm for an elite crossover, and short front and rear overhangs of 791mm and 903mm respectively. The overall dimensions of the X1 are 4454mm X 1798 mm X 1545mm (L X W X H) with the rear view mirrors open. The Front track is slightly shorter at 1500mm than the rear track of 1529mm, offering a better turning capacity to the vehicle.

Wheels

The sDrive comes packing 17”light alloys in its chassis for both front and rear wheels and the tyre size measuring 225/50 R17. The xDrive however comes with larger 18” alloy rims with broader tyre dimensions measuring 225/45 R 18 to aid the all wheel drive.

The mileage of BMW X1 is an impressive 18.5 kmpl for the xDrive 20d diesel engine and about 15 kmpl for petrol sDrive 20i, credits to the twin turbocharged engine, Start/Stop and Brake power regeneration feature which increase the efficiency of the big drive significantly. The CO2 emissions are strikingly low at 143g/km for the diesel and 157g/km for the petrol engine.

BMW X1 comes packing with two engine options as such. First is the sDrive, 2-litre, TwinPower Turbo four cylinder petrol engine which offers a very decent 184 bhp maximum power output between 5000 to 6250 rpm alongside a maximum torque measuring 270 Nm between 1250 to 4500 rpm. It is a rear wheel drive variant and comes with the 8 speed automatic Steptronic transmission that ensures smooth gear shifting and aids high fuel economy. The second is 2.0-litre diesel xDrive variant, which is an all wheel drive containing Twinpower Turbo four cylinder diesel engine which churns out a maximum 184 bhp at 4000 rpm and a powerful max torque output of 380 Nm at just 1750-2750 rpm.

Power

BMW X1, being an entry level crossover offers a modest power of 184 bhp for a 2-cylinder engine. Keeping in mind the playful theme kept for the X1, 184 bhp between 5000 to 6250 rpm for the petrol engine is sufficient. The xDrive diesel offers the same power but at a lower torque of 4000 rpm which is good enough for an all wheel drive. The maximum torque offered by the sDrive 20i is 270 Nm between 1250 to 4500 rpm and by the xDrive is an aggressive 380 Nm at a low 1750-2750 rpm.

Acceleration and Pick Up

The sDrive accelerates to 100kmph from naught in a meager 7.7 seconds whereas the all wheel drive takes 8 seconds to reach the century mark. The top speed of both the variants is limited to 205 kmph which is more than enough for a casual city crossover like BMW X1.

The brakes on the X1 is of ventilated disc types on both the front and rear wheels. The handling is stable but a little hard due to the run flat tyres. It comes equipped with ABS as a standard. Moreover, it also features Adaptive M Suspension with variable damper control, which let the driver to select between comfortable or dynamic suspension settings using the Driving Experience Control (Let the driver to choose preferred mode: Comfort, ECO PRO and Sport).

Safety and Security

On the safety front X1 offers six airbags and an excellent crash rating making the cockpit safe. The Sat-Nav and the Navigation Professional makes it safer to drive and the iDrive system along with the dynamic cruise control keeps the driver fatigue in check, preventing accidents. The Run Flat tyres enables the car to run for 250 km in case of a tyre blow out. on system featuring roll bars that extends automatically when the vehicle overturns. In addition, BMW X1 also sports 6 dedicated airbags, intelligent emergency call (Automatically establishes a connection to the nearest rescue coordination center at the time of emergency), and cruise control with braking function, Driving Assistant (Combines Lane Departure Warning, Approach Warning and Attentiveness Assistance) and the Air Curtain which reduces the turbulence, fuel consumption and air resistance.