The X1’s redesign brings more power, better fuel efficiency, increased interior room, and (finally) standard blind spot warning and rear cross traffic warning. These two important active safety features weren’t available at all on the last X1. Even with a few side steps, such as inconsistent low-speed power delivery and less user-friendly controls, the X1 is a big improvement over its lackluster predecessor, and it’s now one of the better entry-level luxury SUVs.
A switch from a conventional eight-speed automatic transmission to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic brings better fuel economy—up to a best-in-class 28 mpg overall—and a sportier feel out on the road. The transmission shifts quickly and smoothly, and the gutsy 241-horsepower, 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine always has ample oomph in reserve. The X1 zipped from 0 to 60 mph in a class-quick 7.1 seconds. But, as is often the case with dual-clutch setups, there are some low-speed woes. In the X1’s case, there’s a delay of power when you step on the gas pedal coming out of a rolling stop, followed by an abrupt burst of acceleration—even when you try to be gentle—which together make it difficult to drive smoothly.
Handling is nimble, and the X1 feels light on its feet, carving through corners easily. The steering has a natural heft and delivers decent feedback to the driver about tire grip, and body roll is well controlled through corners. Braking performance is top-notch, too, with short stopping distances that aren’t far off of some sports cars. But the ride is too firm too much of the time: The suspension feels unyielding when encountering potholes and other sharp bumps, something we especially noticed when driving in cities.
Step into the cabin and you’re greeted with high-quality materials, nice stitching, metal speaker covers, and lots of padded surfaces. Our drivers raved about the optional front Sport seats, which have well-defined side bolsters. There’s more room inside the cabin than the X1’s small size would suggest; the driver has loads of headroom, plenty of knee space, and a clear view of the instruments. The rear seat is more spacious than before, with good headroom for adults and lots of foot space underneath the front seats.
BMW has caved to the latest fashion trends and moved away from tactile, physical knobs and buttons with its latest iDrive 8 infotainment system. Many tasks now require going through the touchscreen, which often means extra steps. For example, almost all climate functions, other than adjusting the temperature, require first pressing a climate icon at the bottom of the screen to bring up a separate menu. Other new oddities include having to go through the touchscreen to deactivate the engine stop/start system, rather than just pressing a physical button on the center console or the dash. And, the electronic gear selector is now just a tiny toggle lever. At least the optional head-up display is one of the better examples, making it easy for the driver to scroll through radio stations and recent phone calls without having to take their eyes off the road ahead.
Automatic emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, blind spot warning, rear cross traffic warning, reverse automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, lane keeping assistance, and automatic high beams come standard. Automatic emergency braking that operates at highway speeds is optional, instead of standard; lane centering assistance and adaptive cruise control are also optional.