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CAP Blog > CAP Blog > Martin's Blog
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Nov
18
Written by:
Martin Ward
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
The X1 is in a class of its own, as there is no real competition at the moment that sits within the same category. However, the X1 will go on choice lists alongside many other cars ranging from traditional C sector hatches to small 4x4s. The X1 really is neither one thing nor the other, but it does fit in amongst many camps.
 In its standard two wheel drive form, the X1 SE sDrive 1.8d costs £22,650. This price is therefore at the top end of many C sector hatches so will attract those buyers who spend this sort of money on a five door Golf, Focus or Astra. The price of the four wheel drive car we tested is £25,550 and fits in neatly with many other small 4x4 SUVs such as the Rav4 and CR-V. However, with the X1 you do get those all important BMW badges. There are also the newcomers to the 4WD SUV market such as the Kuga, Tiguan and XC60, all of which now, like the X1, offer a more economical two wheel drive version. These are proving to be very popular and this is maybe due to the lower price being the deciding factor for many buyers. The X1 is also likely to find buyers from the 1 Series, 3 Series touring and drivers of the A3 sportback may also be tempted into an X1.
So if Ford, VW and Volvo can excel in this new sector of the market with small, good quality SUV’s, then there is no reason why BMW shouldn’t have an instant success on their hands with the X1. Is the X1 a sports utility vehicle (SUV) or a sports activity vehicle (SAV)? It depends on who you speak to as to which it is. I really don’t know what the X1 would be classed as but whatever it is, it looks great and drives really well. We drove the car recently on the fleet launch a couple of weeks ago at Wokefield Park, the home of BMW’s UK training centre. The test drive we had then was a short one, but now after having had the X1 for a week and taking it on many journeys, we can now really appreciate what BMW were thinking when they designed this car.
 The X1 really is every thing you would ever want in a car and if no other car was to ever be built, most people would happily drive the X1 and it would do everything they need a car to do. It can carry five people in relative comfort with all seats being supportive and the quality is good throughout, but whether it is up to normal BMW standards is debateable. With it having a high roof line, the car allows plenty of head room and makes the boot very useable and spacious. The handling is probably not as good as a BMW saloon and does not have that sporty feel, but it feels safe and solid.
 Although the seats are comfortable, the choice of design and colours are suspect and not really BMW. These stripy seat covers would look good in a small, funky, fun car such as the Fiat 500, Ford Ka, Ford Fiesta, Seat Ibiza or even a Vauxhall Corsa, but not a BMW. I guess that in its first mid-life facelift, this design will disappear in favour of a more traditional, plain style. BMW may want to make the X1 look young and trendy and it will appeal to some, but there are others who just want to have a quality look and feel. The best bet with the X1 is to maybe spend a bit more money and have the leather trim option, which does look to be good quality and it makes the interior look a lot better.
The X1 we had on test was powered by a 2.0 litre diesel engine with a power output of 143ps. It goes from 0-62mph in 8.4 seconds, has CO2 emissions of 153g/km and a combined fuel consumption figure of 48.7 mpg. During the time we had the car, we achieved a very acceptable average of 45.9 mpg according to the on board computer.
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