By Otsile Kadiege

BMW’s premium compact Sports Activity Vehicle (SAV) is entering its third-generation with a robust, sporty exterior design and modern and spacious interior. The newcomer also features an expanded selection of driver assistance systems. It’s powered by a range of petrol and diesel engines as well as a plug-in hybrid and an all-electric iX1 with a range up to 438 kM.

Exterior design

With its significantly sharper exterior design, the new edition underlines its status as a member of the BMW X model family. Key ingredients here include a clean and reduced surface design and Xtypical black borders at the lower edge of the body which accentuate the vehicle’s rugged character. Plus, the upright front end increases the visual presence of the new X1. Staying upfront, the new model features a larger, almost square Black high-gloss kidney grille (Pearl-effect Chrome for the x-Line grade) with contouring highlighted by the three-dimensional chrome surround. The kidney grille is flanked by slim headlights which extend well into the sides of the car.

The new BMW X1 comes as standard with LED headlights for low and high beam.  Adaptive LED Headlights available as an option. A fresh interpretation of the distinctive light graphic splits the headlights into three units for the low beam, high beam and daytime driving lights. Positioned to the outside, the daytime driving light units also include the turn indicators. The side profile features crisply sculpted surfaces for the wheel arches, doors and shoulders of the body.

M Sport models include large cooling air inlets, exclusive 18-inch M light-alloy wheels (17-inch light-alloy wheels are standard on all models) and M High-gloss Shadowline trim. The rear of the new X1 exude power and solidity thanks to  sculptural surfaces while its horizontal lines, narrow rear window and flared wheel arches emphasise the width of the body. All the functions of the rear lights work using LED technology as standard. The all-electric iX1 sets itself apart from its ICE (Interna Combustion Engine) powered sibling with blue accents all-round the exterior.

Customers can choose from two solid and ten metallic paint finishes for the new BMW X1. And the new model generation can now also be ordered with a Frozen paint option with shimmering matt surface from BMW Individual, not to mention a wide variety of BMW Individual special paint finishes.

Exterior dimensions

The new BMW X1 has grown in its exterior dimensions compared to its predecessor – by 53 mm in length to 4,500 mm, 24 mm in width to 1,845 mm and 44 mm in height to 1,642 mm. The new car has a wheelbase of 2,692 mm, 22 mm longer than that of its predecessor. Track widths have increased by 31 mm to 1,592 mm at the front axle and 1,593 mm at the rear axle, which is said to enhance the handling composure and agility of the new BMW X1.

Interior design and technology

Moving on inside, the newcomer’s interior has a modern, spacious interior with cutting-edge technologies. The new X1 is fitted with newly developed seats designed for comfort. Optionally available are sport seats, which also stand out with their prominent bolsters and shoulder areas, and their adjustability of seat angle and depth. The two seat variants are also available with lumbar support in the backrest including massage function. Alternatives to the standard anthracite-coloured cloth upholstery are the Sensatec perforated variant and Vernasca leather with attractive quilting. Customers can choose from the colours Black, Mocha and Oyster for each variant.

As standard, the new X1 features BMW’s Curved Display formed by a 10.25-inch information display and a control display with a screen diagonal of 10.7 inches. The pair are running on BMW’s Operating System 8 with standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. The centre console has a floating-like design borrowed from the BMW iX. It houses a shift-by-wire type transmission, a start button and ‘My Modes’ personalised driving experience to list a few.

Other highlights include USB type-c ports, a 12 V power socket, wireless charging, 40 : 20 : 40 split rear seat backrests, an optional panoramic sunroof, ambient lighting, two-zone automatic climate control, optional 12-speaker Harman Kardon Sound System and a luggage capacity of 540 litres which can be expanded to as much as 1 600 litres.

Driver assistance systems

Comfort and safety in the new BMW X1 are further enhanced by a significantly expanded selection of standard and optional driver assistance systems compared with the outgoing model. As standard, the new X1 is equipped with front-collision warning system with brake intervention, which brings additional functions to help prevent an accident. It comprises features such as Collision Warning, pedestrian and cyclist warning with braking function, and Crossroads Warning. Other standard assistance systems include Cruise Control with brake function, Speed Limit Info with no-overtaking indicator and pre-warning, manual Speed Limit Assist, Evasion Assistant and Lane Departure Warning with lane return. Also included as standard equipment are BMW’s Parking Assistant, Reversing Assist Camera and Reversing Assistant.

Optionally available is Driving Assistant which include Rear Collision Prevention and rear crossing traffic warning. The Driving Assistant Plus enables automated level 2 driving.  This camera- and radar-based system includes the Steering and Lane Control Assistant as well as Active Cruise Control with Stop&Go function, which can both be used at speeds up to 180 km/h (up to 210 km/h with Driving Assistant Professional). Corrective steering inputs help the driver to keep the vehicle in the lane detected by the system.

Performance

Powering the new BMW X1 is a range of petrol, diesel as well as two plug-in hybrids and an all-electric powertrain. The BMW X1 sDrive18i and BMW X1 xDrive23i are powered by petrol engines with three and four cylinders. The 2.0-litre four-cylinder unit and 48V mild hybrid technology in the new BMW X1 xDrive23i give it a maximum output of 160 kW (developed by the combination of the combustion engine with up to 150 kW and the integrated electric motor with up to 14 kW) and peak torque of 360 Nm (developed by the combination of the combustion engine with up to 320 Nm and the integrated electric motor with up to 55 Nm). This results in a 0 to 100 km/h acceleration time of 7.1 seconds. Combined WLTP fuel consumption comes in at 7.2 – 6.5l/100 km

The upgraded three-cylinder engine in the new BMW X1 sDrive18i, meanwhile, extracts a maximum output of 100 kW and maximum torque of 230 Nm from its 1.5-litre. This enables the car to sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in 9.2 seconds. The combined fuel consumption figures as measured in the WLTP test cycle come in at 7.0 – 6.3l/100 km. The 2.0-litre four-cylinder diesel units fitted in the new BMW X1 xDrive23d and BMW X1 sDrive18d have also undergone an extensive upgrade. All engines are paired to a seven-speed Steptronic transmission with double clutch and the AWD XDrive system.

Combining these advances with 48V mild hybrid technology allows the new BMW X1 xDrive23d to deliver maximum output of 155 kW (developed by the combination of the combustion engine with up to 145 kW and the integrated electric motor with up to 14 kW) together with peak torque of 400 Nm (developed by the combination of the combustion engine with up to 400 Nm and the integrated electric motor with up to 55 Nm). The sprint from 0 to 100 km/h takes 7.4 seconds. Combined fuel consumption is at a claimed 5.4 – 4.8l/100 km (WLTP).

The 2.0-litre four-cylinder diesel engine developing maximum output of 110 kW and peak torque of 360 Nm, the BMW X1 sDrive18d reaches 100 km/h in 8.9 seconds. At the same time, it posts combined fuel consumption of 5.5 – 4.9l/100 km (WLTP)

Two plug-in hybrids will be added to the new BMW X1 model line-up immediately after launch. Their electric drive components are also the product of fifth-generation BMW eDrive technology. Power ranges between 180 kW and 240 Kw. The fifth-generation lithium-ion high-voltage batteries have an increased usable energy content of 14.2 kWh. At the same time, maximum charging capacity has climbed from 3.7 kW on the outgoing model to 7.4 kW, enabling the high-voltage battery to be fully recharged from empty in 2.5 hours. When hooked up to a conventional domestic power socket, a full vehicle charge is completed within eight hours. Electric range is now up to 78 – 89 km in the WLTP cycle.

The all-electric iX1 xDrive30 also makes use of the automaker’s fifth-generation BMW eDrive technology. Two electric motors are mounted on each axle develop a total system output is 230 kW and 494 Nm. BMW claims the iX1 sprints from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.7 seconds. Sitting in-between the axles is a 64.7 kWh battery good for a claimed WLTP of 413 km – 438 km. DC charging of up to 130 kW enables 10 – 80 percent charge of the iX1’s battery to be charged in 29 minutes.