The third-generation BMW X1 has evolved into a highly competitive and well-rounded premium compact SUV, offering a compelling value proposition that rivals its larger siblings and makes it a strong contender for first-time luxury car buyers.
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BMW or BMW as the Germans like to call
it has always been an aspirational
brand. Petro heads like you and me have
longed to own one. But that hefty price
tag has been a barrier. That's why in
2009, BMW launched the first gen X1 as
the entry point to their SUV lineup and
made it significantly more accessible as
compared to the rest of their offerings.
But it came at the cost of features,
power, and let's be honest, styling. But
buyers embraced it, and the model turned
out to be a global success. So spurred
on by the demand, BMW launched a second
gen X1 in 2015,
which was based on the Mini Countryman,
but it was a major step up in space,
tech, and refinement. Now with a third
gen X1, the value proposition is
stronger than ever. So strong, in fact,
that it makes more sense to opt for the
X1 over its bigger sibling, the X3. And
buyers across the globe are thinking the
same thing. Because between 2022 and
2024, BMW sold over 1.06 06 million
units of the X1 globally. In fact, it
was the highest selling BMW model in
countries like the US and Belgium in
2024. So, in this video, we're asking
the big question. Is the new X1 finally
worthy of that BMW badge, or is it just
[Music]
For me, the X5 has always been the best
BMW SUV in the portfolio, and the new X1
shares a lot of design cues with it, but
shrunken down. Up front, you get the
iconic wide kidney grills that's upright
and squared off. The headlamps are
slimmer and sharper and feature the
signature BMW LED TRLs. The front
bumpers are sculpted and gives it a
planted and confident look. Now, the
model we have here is the X drive 20i
with the M Sport package, meaning you
get sportier bumpers, a larger 20-in
wheels, and subtle M badging throughout.
At the sides, the resemblance to the X5
continues, especially with a shoulder
line that runs from the front of the car
all the way to the rear. With the M
Sport package, you also get bodycoled
side skirts. At the back, the design is
clean but bold, much like the X5. Here
you get C-shaped LED taillights that
wrap around the body, a sculpted
tailgate, and dual exhaust trims that's
integrated into the body. Overall, it is
compact, but it definitely doesn't look
Yes, like we mentioned before, the X1
does share its underpinnings with the
Mini Countryman, but here's the thing.
BMW has tweaked enough, especially with
the chassis, to make it distinctly their
own. So, why don't we go and test it out?
out? [Music]
[Music]
So, how does it drive?
Well, the key word here is refinement.
See, it is a compact SUV, so it doesn't
get a 3 L turbocharged engine from the
X5. What it does get is a 2 L
turbocharged engine that makes about 241
horsepower and around about 300 Nm of
torque, which is more than sufficient
for city driving and cruising on the
it isn't that aggressive. It is linear
and again refined.
Where the X1 really shines is in how
planted it feels. You can just
confidently chuck it around a corner
and make sure that you're having a lot
of fun. See that X drive all-wheel drive
system adds a layer of
shoreootedness to your drive.
And the suspension does a really good
job making you feel comfortable and
soaking up the bumps
when you're on patchy roads. You don't
get the X3 levels of power or the
X5 levels of comfort,
but it does deliver the right amount of engagement.
engagement.
See, there is a distinct BMWess in the
way it moves. It's composed, balanced,
All right, now that we are on the
highway, I want to point out a couple of
features that has really impressed me
and show you how this car makes your
everyday driving a whole lot more
easier. The first is the assisted
driving feature. What that does is when
activated, it sets the cruise control to
the speed limit of the road that you're
in and activates the lane keep assist,
the adaptive cruise control, the
distance control, and so on.
So essentially, you just have to relax.
Now, this is my go-to mode when I'm
shuttling back to Abu Dhabi when I go
back home in the evening. It just puts
me in a very relaxed mood by the time I
get home. And the second feature is the
one I love the most and that is the
speed limiter feature. Meaning you can
set the speed to a limit, say for
example 120, which is the speed limit of
this road. So, what that does is no
matter how hard you accelerate, it'll
make sure that the car doesn't go beyond
120. So, you know what that means, right?
right?
If you use it right, you can now bid
goodbye to speed tickets. So, in my
opinion, it's not a rebatch Mini. It is
a proper BMW. So, that's one important
box this car ticks. [Music]
Now that we have seen how the X1 drives,
let's talk about how it makes you feel
behind the wheel. If you were to be
spending upwards of 180,000 dirhams, the
least you would expect is let the car
pamper you. And from my experience, the
X1 does that to a great extent. For
starters, you get leather everywhere you
touch. You get leather on the dashboard,
get leather on the door pads. There's
more leather on the armrests, the
steering wheel, and of course, the
seats. Oh, and the driver's seat also
massage you, which needless to say is a
great feature to have when you're either
stuck in traffic or when you're driving
home after a long day of work. Speaking
of the seats, you also have the option
to extend the under thigh support, which
makes long drives a whole lot more
comfortable. Now comes the tech and
features. You can access most of it
through this curved display setup, which
comprises of a 10.25 in instrument
cluster and a 10.7 in infotainment
system. Here you can find BMW following
the minimalist trend and avoiding
physical buttons. So you can only access
temperature control from the
infotainment system. In the infotainment
system, you can also find features like
the wireless Android Auto and settings
to adjust your ambient lighting. Some
features worth mentioning here are the
park assist where the car parks itself,
the Harmon curtain speakers, which sound
incredible, a full panoramic moon roof,
and this rather uncommon setup of having
a vertical wireless charger, which also
has a clip to make sure that your phone
stays in place. So, overall, at the
front, the X1 feels really good. In
terms of practicality, we've already
mentioned the wireless charger, but
behind that, you also get two cup
holders and two USB type-C chargers.
Moving back, you can also find the
floating center console which houses the
engine start stop button, the gear
knobs, the media controls, and behind
that you have a small storage area under
the armrest. But there's a lot more
storage underneath the center console
where you can store your handbag, your
phone, and so on. Now, let's move over
The story continues at the rear seats as
well, because first things first, the
rear seats are super comfortable to be in.
in.
Now, for a person who's just under 6'
with the driver seat adjusted to my
driving position, I've just enough
legroom for my taste. In terms of
headroom, there's ample amount of
headroom thanks to these panoramic
sunroofs. There are also reading lights
up top. And to take that comfort factor
up a notch, I also get a folding rear
armrest. Now, in terms of practicality,
I get two AC vents, two USBC charging
ports, and storage underneath it for my
phone. There's also storage on the door
cubby and the armrests that can hold up
to 500 mls of bottles rather
comfortably. In terms of safety
features, you also get ISOIX anchors at
the back seats as well. Now, let's wrap
Now, this is where the X1 excels over
its rivals because
once you open the automatic bootlet, you
can find up to 530 L of luggage
capacity, which is one of the largest in
its category,
In short, it is pretty practical. Are
you beginning to see a pattern here? [Music]
[Music]
It's now easy to see why the BMW WX1 has
been a strong pillar for the brand.
Though it didn't manage to impress
everyone, especially during its initial
days, myself included, the newest model,
in my opinion, finally feels like a
well-rounded, premium, and practical
choice, especially for first-time luxury
car buyers. Yes, it may not be the
flashiest, but it just works, and that's
what makes it so popular. So, if you're
after a premium SUV that feels every bit
of BMW, then the X1 absolutely makes a
strong point for itself. Now, if you
feel like buying the X1 outright is not
feasible for you at the moment, you can
always opt to rent it from the Selfrive
app. Well, that's it for this video.
Thank you for joining. This is Phillip
signing off. [Music]
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