For luxury companies, entry-level SUV vehicles account for a major share of sales. Customers also want to buy a luxury car at a low price. Apart from Mercedes-Benz GLA and Audi Q3, a big name in this segment is the BMW X1. The price of this SUV from the company starts from Rs 41.5 lakh (ex-showroom). For you we have test-drive this car and have got its review. Let us know what is special about the car.
Exterior Design
First let’s start with its exterior. We got this car in white color. Apart from this, the SUV comes in Storm Bay Metallic, Sunset Orange, Mediterranean Blue, Sparking Brown Metallic and Black Sapphire. When viewed from the front, the first sight goes to its large kidney grille, which has been given a lot of vertical slats. The grille is similar to the X5, X6 and X7. It has been given a beautiful looking headlamp setup, which has low-beam, high beam and DRL together. The headlight light is very powerful. Fog lamps are also integrated into the bumper at the bottom.
There are 17-inch wheels on the side, whose design is very basic. It gets body color ORVMs that come with fold function and automatic anti-dazzle function. The window glasses are quite wide. The special thing is that at night, all the door handles have lights on, as well as the feature of welcome greeting. That is, when you unlock the car, an LED light coming out of the ORVM projects the name of the car (X1). It looks very beautiful at night. At the rear, you have been given dual exhaust, LED taillights, large rear bumper, wipers and shark fin antenna. Overall, the car does not seem too tall to you, although the length is decent. Its length is 4447 mm and height is 1598 mm.
such is the interior
It has an 8.8-inch touchscreen infotainment system. However, due to its placement, it appears a bit small. You can control the display by touch or through the rotating dial given in the center panel. It gets wireless Apple CarPlay, but doesn’t support Android Auto. Apple CarPlay gives you remote access to apps like iMessage, WhatsApp, and Apple Music. You can also use the Voice button on the steering wheel to access the Siri voice assistant.
Just below the touchscreen are the AC vents and below that are the controls for the automatic air condition. In this you get the facility of 2 zone climate control. It gets a huge panoramic glass roof, due to which you feel comfortable and airy. The SUV also features ambient lighting. The driver and co-passenger seats can be electrically adjusted for your comfort and better position. Memory function is also provided in the seat.
It has an analog instrument cluster with TFT multimedia display. Mounted controls are available in its steering wheel. Telephone, voice control and audio functions can be controlled via the multifunctional steering wheel. The manual speed limiter is integrated into the steering wheel. Through this you can set the speed limit of the car. It has a powerful sound system for the best music. It has the feature of park distance control with rear view camera. Through sound alerts and visuals, it also tells you about the vehicle or object coming from behind. Although the feature of 360 degree camera seems to be missing in it.
Overall, its interior is good, but it looks a bit less luxury than the rivals. Like the front, the comfort of the rear seats is also good. Three people can easily sit here. It has rear armrests and three headrests. For the convenience of rear passengers, two USB Type-C ports and rear AC vents have also been provided in it. You get ample leg room and headroom. It also gets a lot of options for storage, such as in the four doors, in the front armrest and behind the driver and co-passenger seats. The vehicle has a boot space of 500 liters, which is quite big for a family.
Engine and performance
Petrol and diesel engines have been given in BMW X1. It is powered by a 1,998cc in-line four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine, which generates 189bhp and 280Nm of torque. The other is a 1,995cc in-line four-cylinder turbocharged diesel engine, which can generate 188bhp and 400Nm of torque. The petrol engine is mated to a 7-speed automatic transmission while the diesel is mated to an 8-speed unit. We were given a petrol variant for review. It gets three driving modes – Eco Pro, Comfort and Sports. While Eco mode gives you better mileage, sports mode will be right if you want more performance. The difference between Eco and Sports mode can be gauged from the fact that while in Eco mode the car will be at 1500 RPM, only then it reaches 2300 RPM when the sports mode is applied. The car gives a mileage of 10 KMPL in traffic and normal condition, while on the highway and driving well, this mileage reached 14KMPL. Suspension setup felt a bit stiff.
BMW claims that the car can accelerate from 0 to 100 kmph in just 7.9 seconds. The gearbox is also very quick and smooth. It also has paddle shifters for takeover. It also gets features like brake-energy regeneration, electronic power steering, auto start stop. For safety, it gets 6 airbags, Attentive Attention, TPMS, Traction Control, Dynamic Stability Control, Corning Brake Control, ISOFIX Child Seat Anchor, Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Electronic Parking Brake and Auto Hold.
our decision
It is a practical and good looking car. Most people on the road recognize it. It does not disappoint you even in driving experience. Along with this, you also get good comfort and space in it. However, where this car can be criticized is its interior. It doesn’t look as modern to you as the Mercedes GLA or other competitors. Apart from Mercedes, it competes with vehicles like Audi Q2, and Volvo XC40. Overall, if you are looking to buy an affordable luxury SUV, then this car definitely makes a place in your test drive list.