The BMW X1 takes its styling cues from its bigger siblings and offers a compact, sporty package. Nobody expects you to take the X1 out on the mud-track or trail, however. What it can do is to be a capable urban commuter and a comfortable long distance vehicle. Plus, you get all the driver-centric design features and quality of a BMW. The compact size does not mean that it is impractical – the rear row offers adequate seating for three adults. Using the four-wheel-drive system of its X family sibling the X3, the new X1 will inherit its engines from the 1-Series range it is packaged around. Setting its sights on upcoming pint-sized off-road offerings, the launch of the new car will take on Honda CRV and Nissan X-Trail owners looking to move up in the vehicle food chain. But it will be the latest Hyundai Tucson that should worry BMW.
BMW claims that the X1 provides ‘supreme agility’ in its class. Currently available in the form of the diesel powered BMW X1 xDrive20d, BMW Group Malaysia also plans to introduce the petrol driven BMW X1 sDrive18i by June 2010.The new BMW X1 xDrive20d features the latest BMW Advanced Diesel Technology and possesses a 2-litre four-cylinder turbo diesel engine capable of producing 130kw/ 177 hp, 350Nm of torque and completes the 0-100kmh sprint in a respectable 8.6 seconds. Meanwhile, the rear wheel drive BMW X1 sDrive18i features a 2 litre four-cylinder petrol engine which generates 110kW/150hp and 200Nm of torque. Both variants of the BMW X1 also features best in its class fuel efficiency as its six-speed automatic transmission provides a unique ratio between driving dynamics and fuel consumption.
The retail prices for the BMW X1 xDrive20d and the BMW X1 sDrive18i
BMW X1 xDrive20d – RM299,800
BMW X1 sDrive18i – RM263,800 (Available from June 2010)
