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BMW X1 (2016-2022) review - MPG, CO2 and running costs

Efficient petrol, diesel and hybrid engines put the BMW X1 at the front of the small premium SUV pack

MPG, CO2 and Running Costs rating

4.0

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£36,690 £54,465
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£4,718 off RRP*
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The BMW X1 comes with two petrol and two diesel engines. The three-cylinder turbo petrol sDrive18i has claimed economy of up to 45.6mpg and CO2 emissions from 141g/km with the manual gearbox and 44.1mpg and 145g/km for the automatic version. Move up to the turbocharged four-cylinder sDrive20i, and economy only dips a little, to 42.8mpg, and emissions rise to 149g/km. This model comes with the eight-speed auto as standard. 

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Bar the hybrid version, the diesels are the most efficient models in the X1 range, with the front-wheel drive sDrive18d returning the best economy of 56.5mpg with the six-speed manual. When fitted with the eight-speed auto and four-wheel drive, economy drops to 51.4mpg. Emissions are 130g/km and 136g/km, respectively. Adding xDrive to the 18d sees the figures drop to 51.4mpg and 144g/km for the manual. At the top of the range, the xDrive20d is auto-only and can also manage 51.4mpg and emissions from 143g/km in SE trim. 

BMW claims the xDrive25e will achieve a fuel-efficiency figure of 156.9mpg, with CO2 emissions of between 40g/km and 41g/km depending on the trim level. Its 10kWh battery provides an all-electric range of up to 30 miles, although you can expect around 20 or so miles in real-world driving. Charging takes around five hours using a standard three-pin plug, but this can be cut to 3.5 hours using a 7.4kW home wallbox.

Insurance

The BMW X1 falls into insurance groups from 22 to 30, which is similar to rivals. However, BMW could reduce the X1's ranking if it added autonomous emergency braking as standard to the range. At the moment, it's part of the Driving Assistant Plus package which comprises front collision warning, high-beam assistant, traffic jam assist, lane departure warning and speed limit information.

Depreciation

The BMW X1 has residuals around the 45-49% mark, which is a bit behind some rivals. In comparison, the Volvo XC40 is in the 54-56% ballpark.

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Which Is Best

Cheapest

  • Name
    sDrive 20i MHT Sport 5dr Step Auto
  • Gearbox type
    Semi-auto
  • RRP
    £36,690
Select car

Most Economical

  • Name
    xDrive 23d MHT xLine 5dr Step Auto
  • Gearbox type
    Semi-auto
  • RRP
    £43,610
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Fastest

  • Name
    M35i xDrive 5dr Step Auto
  • Gearbox type
    Semi-auto
  • RRP
    £51,025
Select car

New & used car deals

BMW X1

BMW X1

RRP £36,475Avg. savings £4,718 off RRP*Used from £27,249
BMW X2

BMW X2

RRP £42,840Avg. savings £3,345 off RRP*Used from £13,199
BMW X3

BMW X3

RRP £50,275Avg. savings £2,770 off RRP*Used from £17,031
BMW iX1

BMW iX1

RRP £43,305Avg. savings £8,589 off RRP*Used from £28,300
* Average savings are calculated daily based on the best dealer prices on Auto Express vs manufacturer RRP
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