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By Ben Pulman
25 September 2009 23:00
The new BMW X1 is the German car giant’s fourth addition to its 4x4 range, so although the original X5 might have been beaten to market by Mercedes’ M-class, since then the company has always been one SUV step ahead of its homeland rivals. The X3 was launched in 2004, but Mercedes and Audi have only recently launched the GLK and Q5, and as yet there’s no sign (and perhaps there never will be) of either producing a rival for the oddball X6.
Now BMW has the new X1, a compact SUV that won’t have a direct premium adversary until the new Range Rover LRX and Audi Q3 are launched in 2011. CAR has just driven the new BMW X1, so read on for our full verdict on this baby BMW 4x4.
Not in the UK. BMW customers throughout the rest of the world can pick petrol power – there’s a choice of unleaded-supping 2.0-litre four-pot or a 3.0-litre straight-six – but only diesel engines will be available here in Blighty.
There are three variants on other, all 2.0-litre lumps, but various tweaks and a different number of turbochargers spirit up different power outputs. The range starts with the single-turbo 141bhp/236lb ft 18d, a more powerful 20d variant offers 174bhp and 258lb ft, and the top-dog twin-turbo 23d engine – previously the reserve of the sportier 1-series – has 201bhp and a fulsome 295lb ft.
Yes, we will. The 18d and 20d come as standard in sDrive guise, BMW-speak for rear-wheel drive. Four-wheel drive (xDrive) costs £1280 more on the former, £1305 on the latter, and on both adds several tenths to the 0-62mph times, 14g/km to the CO2 figures and worsens the official figures by nearly 5mpg. The 23d comes as standard with four-wheel drive.
>> Click 'Next' below to read more of our BMW X1 first drive review
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steadyslack says
RE: BMW X1 xDrive20d (2009) CAR review
Well I've just bought one so will let you know how I get on. My garage will fit a car up to 4.4 metres which restricts the choice. I'd tried a number of vehicles including Tiguan, Q5, Freelander and Volvo XC60. The latter three being too large, the Tiguan ubiquitous and short on options. Could have tried a Skoda Yeti, Citroen C4 Picasso, Peugeot 308, Renault Scenic................but fancied something that felt more 'premium'. Having had 3 bouts of snow in the last 12 months, a reliable 2.0 dci Nissan Qashqai 4WD in the stable got us where we wanted to go whereas the rear-wheeled-drivers were stuck at home. Thus an xDrive should fit the bill and cart my family with 4 suitcases, hand luggage and a set of golf clubs, in relative comfort, to where we chose to go.
Well I've just bought one so will let you know how I get on.
My garage will fit a car up to 4.4 metres which restricts the choice. I'd tried a number of vehicles including Tiguan, Q5, Freelander and Volvo XC60. The latter three being too large, the Tiguan ubiquitous and short on options. Could have tried a Skoda Yeti, Citroen C4 Picasso, Peugeot 308, Renault Scenic................but fancied something that felt more 'premium'.
Having had 3 bouts of snow in the last 12 months, a reliable 2.0 dci Nissan Qashqai 4WD in the stable got us where we wanted to go whereas the rear-wheeled-drivers were stuck at home. Thus an xDrive should fit the bill and cart my family with 4 suitcases, hand luggage and a set of golf clubs, in relative comfort, to where we chose to go.
28 January 2010 11:42
dzert says
Tree: Had a test drive with the X1 some days ago here in Germany. I drive an X3 and it's totally different from the X1. You sit much lower than in the X3. X1 is a bit more agile and dynamic than the X3 but the interior space is much less. And dissapointingly enough the quality of the cabin of the X1 is really bad. The plastics are far worse than those of a Golf. Especially for this price tag. I think i would buy an x-drive 3-series touring or just wait for the new X3.
16 December 2009 13:11
Tree says
I just can't understand how this car is any different from the X3. It can't be that much smaller. Do they not overlap a little too much? Regarding design it's certainly distinctive, but as with most modern cars I don't imagine it will age well and end up looking bloated and disproportionate
18 November 2009 21:30
timbo65 says
Love the dash design... but apart from that I'd say it's a waste of time & space! Anything else derogatory I'd like to add has already been said!! Its an iron pig on wheels
14 October 2009 10:33
-Joe- says
Brand0: I also struggle to see the uglyness in aall this 1 series, with proper wheels and the M-bodykit its a propely modern peice of design. Especially in white, liek the 135i coupe, sorry, Evo, had ages ago. A great peice of design. Saw a X6 the other day nothing wrong with it, neither the new M3 in London the other day. Great peieces of design.
13 October 2009 16:14
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