Car Deal of the Day: A bank holiday bargain – BMW iX1 for just £346 a month

• Stylish SUV; sharp handling
• Updated model with 321-mile range
• Only £345.80 a month

As the entry point to the Bavarian brand's desirable electric SUV range, the BMW iX1 neatly packages up style, tech and the German brand's famous excellent driving dynamics into a smaller, more affordable package. 

That affordability factor is underlined with our featured deal today, as the iX1 is currently over 50 per cent cheaper per month than BMW's current EV star – the iX3 Neue Klasse.

This outstanding deal from VIPGateway, through the Auto Express Buy A Car service, sees you taking the keys to an iX1 for just £345.80 a month. It's for four years and requires a 12-month initial payment that comes to £4,519.50, and there's an annual mileage cap of 5,000 miles.

That upfront cost might be a bit steep for some or that mileage limit might be slightly restrictive. Tweaking the terms to a nine-month initial payment sees a near £800 saving, with the monthly outlay only rising to £366.14. Bumping up the mileage cap to 8,000 can be done for under a tenner on both nine- and 12-month initial payment options. 

This eDrive20 model is the front-wheel drive version, so that means 204bhp and a punchy 0-62mph acceleration time of 8.6 seconds. 

This deal also gets you one of the recently updated iX1 models, so there's a boost in range. BMW claims up to 321 miles from the 65.2kWh (net) battery pack, and a maximum DC charging speed of 130kW ensures a 10-to-80-per-cent top-up should take around 30 minutes. 

Sport maybe the entry-level trim, but it gets a range of desirable standard features befitting a premium SUV wearing a BMW badge. There are 17-inch alloys, LED headlights, front and rear parking sensors, an electric tailgate, plus BMW's excellent curved display and infotainment system. 

Being a BMW the iX1 has a sporty feel on the road, with sharp steering and agile handling. However, this isn't at the cost of refinement, as the iX1 is hushed on the move and rides well. It's a roomy SUV, too, with plenty of interior space and an excellent 490-litre boot.    

The Car Deal of the Day selections we make are taken from our own Auto Express Buy A Car deals service, which includes the best current offers from car dealers and leasing companies around the UK. 

Terms and conditions apply, while prices and offers are subject to change and limited availability. If this deal expires, you can find more top BMW iX1 leasing offers from leading providers on our BMW iX1 page.

Check out the BMW iX1 deal or take a look at our previous Car Deal of the Day selection here…