BMW X1 xDrive23d M Sport
More crossover than SUV, baby BMW has its work cut out here
X-badged cars account for 15 per cent of UK BMW sales, and the entry-level X1 is an obvious rival for the new Q3. But a long bonnet and relatively low height mean it looks more like a rugged estate car than a baby SUV.
This crossover feel continues inside, where you don’t get the lofty view of the road offered by the Ford and to a lesser extent the Audi. In fact, after a while it’s easy to forget you’re driving a 4x4.
It’s comfortable, though, with the cabin wrapping around you and the supportive driver’s seat and chunky steering wheel giving a wide range of adjustment.
The interior design owes much to the old 1 Series, and as a result is starting to look old-fashioned – especially after you’ve sat in the Q3. As you’d expect, there’s no faulting the X1’s build quality; it’s just that the shiny plastics lower on the dash look a bit cheap, and overall the design lacks the bang-up-to-date smartness of the Audi.
In the back, legroom is on a par with the Q3’s, but a large transmission tunnel makes the middle seat a poor choice for long trips. Small rear doors mean access is tricky as well.
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Still, the back seats fold flat without the need to tumble the bases, to create a decent load space. And with the seats in place, the 420-litre boot has the edge over the Ford in terms of capacity. For many buyers, though, BMW’s famed driver involvement will be the main reason for choosing the X1. And first impressions are good.
There’s not much body roll and loads of grip. Plus, as you’d expect from an all-wheel-drive car, traction is superb, while the standard six-speed manual gearbox has a snappy action.
So it’s a shame that our 23d delivers such an uncomfortably firm ride – this is down to the sports suspension, run-flat tyres and optional 18-inch wheels. It’s crashy around town and rigid at higher speeds, and gives the X1 a brittleness that will disappoint any downsizing owners who are used to the cushioned motoring of a full-sized 4x4.
Adding driveshafts to the front axle has done the BMW no favours, either. The steering is heavy at low speeds and it lacks the responsiveness you’d find in a rear-drive BMW. Overall, unlike the new X3, the X1 doesn’t find the sweet spot between the brand’s traditional dynamics and the comfort of an SUV.
More importantly, the Kuga is more engaging and the Q3 is a better all-rounder. Performance is a strong point – but so it should be when you look at the figures, as the 23d has 201bhp and 400Nm of torque. Even then, the Audi is more flexible, due to the extra ratio of its S tronic box, and had the upper hand in our in-gear tests.
A six-speed auto adds £1,640 to the X1’s price – and the £31,425 23d already costs £2,965 more than the Audi. But then you could have the 20d SE, which is closer in terms of power and £1,245 cheaper than the Q3 SE. Better still, this model emits less CO2 than the Audi and Ford, at only 153g/km.
Either way, there’s no faulting the BMW for engine refinement. But the looks and ride could still leave it trailing against the Audi.
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Chart position: 3
WHY: The rivalry between BMW and Audi goes way back, and both will want to win this head-to-head. Quirky X1 comes with the usual BMW quality and performance.
