By Scott Newman, carsales.com.au
BMW has played it safe with the third generation X1 compact SUV. The German brand has copped plenty of flak for the radical design themes it has introduced on important models in recent years, but it hasn’t rocked the boat with the volume selling family-focused soft roader.
Instead, it has focused on improving key attributes such as bringing more space, technology and equipment to offset a significant price hike. Does it succeed?
New range
BMW has hidden the price hikes with an entirely new model line-up that doesn’t match-up to the previous model.
Whereas the previous X1 was offered in sDrive 18i, sDrive 18d, sDrive 20i and xDrive 25i forms, the new model arrives only in sDrive 18i and xDrive 20i guises, with the all-electric iX1 waiting in the wings for an early 2023 arrival.
Comparing the one variant that does carry over, the entry-level sDrive 18i, the entry price into an X1 has risen from $47,900 plus on-road costs to $53,900 (plus ORCs). The more powerful 20i is up from $55,900 (+ORCs) to $65,900 (plus ORCs), but the new car does now offer all-wheel drive as standard.
Further offsetting the price hike, BMW has finally joined the rest of its peers by offering a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty and basic prepaid servicing is available for $1800 over five years/80,000km.
Loaded with kit
As for standard equipment, BMW has loaded the X1 with a level of kit well beyond its predecessor.
Carryover equipment on the base model includes 18-inch wheels, digital radio, satellite navigation, reversing camera, sports steering wheel, wireless Apple CarPlay and phone charging and roof rails.
New additions to enjoy include keyless entry and start, dual-zone climate control, adaptive LED headlights, power tailgate, head-up display, digital instruments, sports seats, wireless Android Auto and a plethora of extra safety and connectivity features (see below).
The xDrive 20i adds 19-inch wheels, heated electric front seats, yet more safety equipment as well as more power and performance (see below).
Nine colours are available yet only basic Alpine White is standard. Seven metallics – Mineral White, Black Sapphire, Phytonic Blue, M Portimao Blue, Sanremo Green, Cape York Green and Utah Orange – cost an extra $1800 with the BMW Individual Storm Bay available for $2500.
There is a way around this charge, by ticking the optional Enhancement Pack ($4615 on the 18i, $4000 on the 20i) that bundles together metallic paint, a panoramic sunroof, harman/kardon stereo system, sliding rear seats and choice of interior surface.
If you want to add a little sporting character to the 20i, the M Sport pack costs another $3000 and includes Sports transmission with steering wheel paddles, 19-inch M Sport wheels, adaptive suspension, M Sport steering and various bits of interior and exterior trim.
Our test car was loaded with the works, both Enhancement and M Sport packs along with Vernasca leather and 20-inch wheels for a grand total of $77,700 (plus ORCs).
Big on safety ANCAP has yet to provide a local safety rating for the new 2022 BMW X1, but it has scored the full five stars from Euro NCAP which suggests a similar rating will be a formality, particularly as Australian cars come with a high level of safety equipment included as standard.
All X1s feature BMW’s Driving Assistant Plus including active cruise control with stop and go function, lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert and autonomous emergency braking, as well as a 360-degree camera, reversing assistant and drive recorder, which will automatically call emergency services and save important data in the event of an accident or can record vision with a USB inserted to store footage.
The X1 20i expands on this with BMW’s Driving Assistant Professional that adds steering and lane change assist.
Screening times
The headline act is the giant curved display that incorporates both the 10.7-inch infotainment and 10.25-inch instrument screens.
The latter is configurable through a variety of displays to show navigation, audio, trip or safety information, while the head-up display above it shows speed, navigation instructions, the current speed limit and more.
The greatest departure from recent BMWs comes with the new infotainment which incorporates Operating System 8. Gone is the rotary iDrive controller that has been a feature of BMWs for the past two decades, with a greater focus on voice control as well as touch-screen operation.
It requires an element of familiarity to comprehend the myriad functions available. But, once you’ve got your head around the system, there’s some genuine highlights, including the augmented reality directions displayed over the of the satellite-navigation, the improved ‘Hey BMW’ voice activation system and wireless smartphone mirroring, as well as the wireless charging ‘cradle’ that sits your phone upright.
Dig deeper and there is all manner of connected services for traffic and parking, and a digital key that can be shared with family members so they can access the car no matter where the real key is.
A premium space
The interior of the new 2022 BMW X1 is its strongest asset. With plenty of leather and interesting trim materials – not to mention that giant curved display – it now feels like a genuine premium car. It successfully adopts the architecture of the iX electric SUV, the floating centre console liberating valuable space between the front seats.
Back seat passengers will find plenty of room as long as those in the front aren’t professional basketball players and the 40:20:40-split rear seat offers plenty of flexibility, with each section able to fold or – if optioned – slide independently.
Cargo space has increased by 35 litres with the rear seats up and 50 litres with them down, to 540 and 1600 litres respectively – class-leading figures that are fractionally bigger than the Audi Q3 and well north of what’s offered in the Mercedes-Benz or Lexus competition.
In fact, the X1’s boot is effectively the equal of its larger X3 sibling, though the significant area underneath the X1’s boot floor does help its numbers. This means, of course, that there is no spare tyre arrangement of any sort.
Turbo power
The two BMW X1 models are defined by their turbo-petrol powertrains.
The entry-level X1 sDrive 18i has a 1.5-litre turbocharged three-cylinder engine powering the front wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.
It produces 115kW and 230Nm, improvements of 12kW/20Nm over the previous model, manages 0-100km/h in 9.0sec and consumes a claimed average of 6.5L/100km.
The xDrive 20i driven here offers more performance, hitting 100km/h in 7.4sec, yet the fuel consumption penalty is relatively slight at 7.2L/100km.
The 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine produces 150kW and 300Nm, driving all four wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox.
Driving dynamics
It’s difficult to imagine too many buyers in this segment making their choice based on a car’s driving dynamics, but the new 2022 BMW X1 has the brand’s reputation to uphold. It does so, as long as you don’t expect too much.
The 2.0-litre turbo engine doesn’t feel as potent as its 7.4sec 0-100km/h claim suggests, but it has ample torque, revs reasonably freely and the dual-clutch gearbox shifts swiftly without too much low-speed hesitation.
We drove two versions of the 20i, with and without the M Sport pack, and they felt remarkably similar. In both cars, the suspension is firm and yet soaks up most big lumps and bumps with little problem. However, it does feel a little jittery on broken surfaces. No big deal.
This isn’t necessarily a car for the sporting driver but there’s impressive roadholding and plenty of traction courtesy of the all-wheel drive so it can be punted along at pace without complaint should you so wish.
The biggest dynamic shortcoming comes through the steering which is very light around its central position; again, not a deal-breaker in this segment, especially as it makes for effortless low-speed manoeuvring. But it does rob the driver of any connection at speed.
Little luxury
If you’re looking for a premium compact SUV then the new 2022 BMW X1 makes a compelling case for itself; though given it’s almost the same size as the original BMW X3, you could argue just how ‘compact’ the new X1 is.
Regardless, it offers ample space, impressive technology and a generous list of standard equipment that means it deserves a place on shopping lists.
It’s not a cheap car, but one could argue that BMW buyers are more interested in having a luxury object than chasing the value and the new X1 delivers on this front, feeling like a premium package.
The only caveat for buyers of the new BMW X1 xDrive 20i is that, for an extra $17,000, the all-electric iX1 will come with all the options packages as standard and far greater performance courtesy of its 230kW/494Nm electric drivetrain.
If you’re in the market for an X1 with a reasonable budget to play with, it could be the one to wait for.
2022 BMW X1 xDrive 20i at a glance:
| Price: $65,900 (plus on-road costs) |
Transmission: Seven-speed dual-clutch automatic |
| Available: Now |
Fuel: 7.2L/100km (ADR Combined) |
| Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol |
CO2: 164g/km (ADR Combined) |
| Output: 150kW/300Nm |
Safety rating: Not tested |
Disclaimer: Images supplied by BMW Group Australia.
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