As a vehicle concept, X1 offers an innovative driving experience in the premium compact segment, in expanding and enhancing the range of BMW X models, albeit as the junior newcomer.
But is this a 1-series hatch with a slightly more muscular body? Not really. Its design reveals a punchy sort of elegance, BMW calls it ‘a versatile and sporting character with spontaneous agility’. Yet, X1 is not intended to be an all-terrain conqueror; the 2.3d example we drove was shod with low-profile 18” tyres that didn’t take kindly to rough gravel roads, like the one I live on.

X1’s interior is patently BMW: clear functional layout and the contemporary elements that all who know these cars will appreciate. The driver orientation is typical, accentuated by the forward-pushing lines within the cockpit area; R&D has provided sophisticated materials and natural colours that accentuate the X1’s dynamism; in fact the interior is slick, refined and very appealing.

July/August 2010 Issue

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