They say that BMW X1 is that good in its car category and provides you with really good experience, so it still does not have its direct competition. Let’s dig a little deeper and find out why there are so many fans of BMW X1!
Brief history
BMW X1 is launched on the market in 2009, so you can expect a very short history, considering it is a pretty new car model. Back in the days before the car was launched, many critics expressed their doubts regarding the future success of BMW X1, mainly because of the concept of a very compact car, but one in the higher budget category, having a higher price. Just to remind you, there were similar expectations before the launch of X3 a few years ago, however, the car managed to gain a lot of success and popularity.
It is the same case with BMW X1 too and people just love it. Additionally, it seems that X1 still does not have direct competition, since the competitors Mercedes and Audi are still not launching something similar and as good on the market. The BMW company is effectively reigning in this very particular car segment of the market. In addition, BMW is one of the most innovative companies in the world, able to tell the fortune and forecast what will be successful in future.
Exterior
The exterior of the smallest member of the BMW X-family definitely follows the classic for the whole X-range design and there is no way you can miss the fact that X1 belongs to its family. Compared to X3, X1 is narrower with 5,5 cm and shorter with almost 13 cm, while the distance between its two axles is just 3,5 cm less. BMW describes the exterior of X1 as “the shape of happiness” and it is targeted towards the younger generations and people, looking for a car with great performance in the city, for long drives and even off-road driving. At the same time, X1 offers first-class comfort and a very attractive appearance.
Interior
X1 is certainly keeping up with BMW’s tradition for a great comfort of the interior. The comfortable and attractive interior is achieved with the help of high-class materials, functionality and a modern design. The car seats are rather higher, which contributes to the feeling that the driver and passengers are in an SUV car. The cockpit is traditionally oriented towards the driver, while the interior designers of X1 did their best to ensure as much functional storage space as possible. The luggage compartment of X1 has a volume of 420l, but when the back seats are bent forwards, you can get up to 1350l of free space for storage.
Engine
BMW X1 is available in three different petrol and three different diesel engines for you to choose from. All six engine types meet the Euro5 standard. The basic modification is sDrive18i, relying on a 4-cylinder petrol aggregate with a power of 150 km/s. X1 speeds up from 0-100 km/s within 9.7 seconds, while the fuel consumption is 8.2l/100km. The other two types of petrol engines are xDrive25i and xDrive28i with 6-cylinder engines, and power of respectively 218 and 258 km/s, speeding up in 7.9 and 6.8 seconds, a maximum speed of respectively 223 and 230 km/h and fuel consumption of 9.3l/100km and 9.4l/100km. The three diesel engines are all 4-cylinder. Their powers are respectively 143, 177 and 204 km/s. The most powerful diesel engines are available with the xDrive system only.
Technology
As it is with all newer BMW X models, X1 is yet another car model with EfficientDynamics technologies, which are created to decrease fuel consumption and increase the pleasure of driving the car. The Start/Stop function is allowing the engine to switch off, when the car is at rest, for example, when waiting for the traffic lights, in a traffic jam, etc. X1 is provided with a system for regeneration of the braking energy, which is also used for speeding up. The dashboard is provided with an indicator of the gear shift, alarming for the best moment for switching to another speed.
BMW X1 is also provided with adaptive front lights and assistant for long lights, which switches on and off the long lights through the sensor located on the windscreen. The dynamic autopilot allows for remembering a speed above 30km/h and to increase and decrease it through a steering wheel lever. A management system iDrive is also available for X1, which allows for full control on all of the car’s functions, with a display that provides you with all information needed. The back view camera shows you what is happening behind the car and helps a lot for parking.
Safety
Just like the rest of the X-series BMW car models, X1 provides you with great safety too. The specially designed structure of the bodywork guarantees maximum safety, while the X1 model is additionally provided with airbags in front of the driver and passengers, on both sides and for their heads. The X1 model is also provided with the systems Dynamic Stability Control, Dynamic Traction Control and it could be upgraded with a Performance Control too.