The BMW X1 is a bestseller with 1.9 million models sold since 2009. Of course, this should also remain the third generation, which will go on sale from October. ntv.de was allowed to take a seat in the new X1 and find out what will make the Bavarian attractive for potential buyers in the future.
It is the third generation of the X1 that BMW will launch in October 2022. This time, the bestseller, which has sold 1.9 million units worldwide to date, will not only be launched with combustion engines, but also as a plug-in hybrid and as a purely electrically powered iX1 xDrive30. The diverse drive portfolio is successful because the Bavarians are also using the modular UKL 2 platform here, as with the new Active Tourer already presented.
But before we write about the possible drives here, we should take a look at the design. Because, of course, BMW also relies on an upright front end with a significantly larger kidney grille in the X1, which gives the 4.50 meter long and 1.85 meter wide SUV significantly more presence. In fact, the X1 has also grown a bit, increasing by five centimeters in length, two centimeters in width and four centimeters in height. Otherwise, the designers have ensured clear and reduced surfaces for the new X1, which are intended to emphasize the off-road character with black borders.
"As with our other vehicles with electric drive, blue elements are intended to show that it is an electrified vehicle," explains product manager Tobias Heger. However, he immediately concedes that anyone who wants to "can easily deselect these elements". In this respect, the battery-powered X1 can also be provided with a sports package and any color. And something else will be noticed by the connoisseur of a BMW front: The BMW headlight graphic, known at the time as Angel Eyes, but popularly known as Corona rings, was mirrored, so it now seems to be upside down. The reason is very simple: "It raises the front a little bit," explains Heger.
What gives the X1 more presence are the 20-inch wheels, which for the first time can stand in the wheel arches. These are of course optional, the entrance is at 17 inches. "Personally, I think the rear is the nicest," says Heger. "On the one hand, the rear lights have this three-dimensionality, which is visually very nice, and on the other hand, it has an aerodynamic effect that shouldn't be underestimated." BMW gives the cW value for the new X1 at 0.26, which is a really good value for an SUV - or as the Bavarians say, SAV.
But those who opt for an X1 will probably perceive it longer from the inside than from the outside. Here, too, the SUV has grown in size, which not only benefits the occupants, but also the storage space behind the tailgate. It varies depending on the engine, but is still decent even with the plug-in hybrid with 490 liters. It is most lush for the combustion engines with 540 liters. Incidentally, the combustion engines also have the advantage that the rear row of seats, which can be shifted longitudinally by 13 centimeters and in a ratio of 60:40, can be ordered as an option.
Once the luggage is stowed away, the driver finds himself in front of the "Curved Display", which is already familiar from other models, i.e. the digital, frameless information and control unit that characterizes the inner workings of the new Bayern and makes it as questionable for many as the large kidney. Because BMW has now also dispensed with the iDrive Controller on the X1, the much praised and now also missing rotary pushbutton. "We rely on the "Operating System 8" here, which is designed for language and touch," explains Heger. "We no longer have an iDrive controller, but we still have what are known as quick-response buttons, with which certain programs can be called up immediately."
Despite all the similarities to the Active Tourer, it is important that the X1, in addition to a few fine tactile additions in the interior, also has a fully integrated head-up display, which is not available in the Tourer due to the lack of space in the front. As in the Active Tourer, there is also the floating center console in the X1. The compartment under the armrest is correspondingly small, but there is a lot of storage space underneath. Also new are the seats in the X1, which, in addition to a high-quality appearance at the first seat test, also convey the feeling of long-distance suitability.
In the end, of course, the question is how to cover the distances - as before with the combustion engine or electrified. However, if you take it very precisely, there is no longer a pure combustion engine for the BMW X1, because both the petrol and diesel models have 48-volt mild hybrid technology. Only the entry-level engines in the form of the 18i with three cylinders and 18d have been further developed and optimized, but have no electrical helpers on the side. For the xDrive 23d, however, the 4-volt architecture means that it is able, for example, to boost its 197 hp to 211 hp with the help of the integrated electric motor and generate a maximum torque of 400 Newton meters. The xDrive 23i brings it to 218 hp and a maximum torque of 360 Newton meters. In all models, power is distributed via a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.
If you want more electric power but don't want to do without the combustion engine, you can use the plug-in hybrid in the form of the X1 xDrive30e. Not only is the maximum output 326 hp, the all-electric range is said to be up to 89 kilometers. The 14.2 kWh battery can now be charged from 0 to 100 percent in 2.5 hours with a maximum charging capacity of 7.4 kW. The iX1 xDrive30 can charge even faster and drives purely electrically. The high-voltage battery with an energy content of 64.7 kWh is charged from 10 to 80 percent within 29 minutes on the corresponding fast charger, because the charging capacity here is up to 130 kW. In ten minutes there would even be enough electricity for a further 120 kilometers. And if you push it to the limit, you only have to go to the column after 413 to 438 kilometers.
But BMW wouldn't be BMW if the new X1 generation didn't also have an eye on driving dynamics: "Both the plug-in hybrid and the purely electric iX1 accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.7 seconds ", explains Heger. "That's a very sporting value, even compared to the competition." In the end, it stays that way, the slogan "driving pleasure" applies to vehicles with the blue and white propeller logo. It doesn't matter how the propulsion takes place at the end and no matter how much you want to spend on it. The price of the X1 sDrive18i starts at 41,400 euros. The end of the line is then the iX1 xDrive30 with 55,000 euros. However, those interested in the plug-in hybrid and the electrician have one month more to think about it. Because while the combustion engines will be launched on the market in October 2022, they will only follow in November.
