BMW has always been about powerful machines with great comfort. The previous gen BMW X1 was loved and enjoyed by a large crowd due to its practical yet luxurious nature in the entry-level luxury SUV segment. But when compared to the new addition X1 2023, it feels fusty appearance-wise. The new-gen comes with many upgrades, changes and a brand-new facelift. And I, for one, am a seeker of sporty looks. Thus I'm very intrigued to try my hands at this car and discover whether it is as sporty while driving as it looks with its new facelift.
Everyone has different views on what luxury is for them. For me, luxury is all about taking time out of my on-the-go life just for myself. It can be as simple as sitting at home reading a book or watching Netflix, going out on a long drive chasing the sunset, or simply going out with friends to a place and listening to some good tunes and relaxing surrounded by nature.
While I already had the key to the newest gen X1 in my hands, I decided to go for a day trip to Lonavala. Meaning I get to test out the car and have my small getaway. Let's start the journey, shall we?
Verdict:
The BMW X1 became my travel partner for my mini vacation to Lonavala, and I would use it for my next trip if given an opportunity. It has a few downs but many more ups to compensate for them, just like how I enjoyed driving up on the ghats way more than driving down the ghats. After a few food stops and a slight detour, this car still had many kms to cover in its tank. So it is a complete right tick in the mileage department.
Although its direct competitors, the Audi Q3, Mercedes GLA, and Volvo XC40, are strong in their departments. A BMW is always a BMW with high-class luxury, high-end technology, and high-speed performance. The BMW X1 has its party going for now. But with the 2023 GLA coming soon, it might shake things up.
Driving experience & Engine performance:
For the drive, we have the BMW X1 diesel variant, which is the sDrive 18d M Sport, with a 2.0L four-cylinder turbocharged, producing 148hp and 360 nm of torque. The petrol variant, the sDrive 18i xline , is powered by three cylinders turbocharged engine, pumping over 134hp and 230 nm of torque. As soon as I entered the car, I was engulfed by the sports seats, which are standard now in both variants, a neat touch. We have Active Seats for the driver and passenger, focusing more on individual comfort with the M sports variant; they are equipped with various massage options for long drives. The leather felt deluxe, and the seat kept me bucketed.
Looking ahead, my hands grabbed the steering wheel, and despite its sophisticated and minimalistic look, the wheel felt slightly chunky to me. If you have larger hands, it will feel right to you. It is very operational and has all the essentials one needs. Navigating through the Mumbai traffic is always a challenge; I thought driving the X1 would be tricky since it's an SUV, but it wasn't so bad. The steering is nimble and manageable on city roads. I like that it's playful, but more precision would have been helpful as I started carrying speed on the highway. At high speed, I can feel small bumps and movements, which means suspension units are not the best, but I'm not complaining; they are not the worst.
The 7-Speed Steptronic Automatic Sport Transmission gearbox does feel dragged out and longer at specific points. The acceleration is mediocre, and the initial punch is smooth yet slow-paced. Driving up the ghats is where I feel the challenge was, and the low initial punch didn't really help. The acceleration didn't pick up right away and with traffic around it was hard to keep up at a slow pace. Once you are at a higher speed, it does keep up firmly and doesn't lose the power. But the shifts still take slightly longer. The paddle shifters in this variant are a great help when I feel the drag. At high speeds, you can hear the car sound and surrounding noise, even if it's minimal. I had high expectations from the German brand for the insulation, and it's not meeting those expectations.
The average fuel consumption is 20.37km/ltr, and I had a good amount of fuel left when I reached Lonavala, even after going around the ghats. Thus one plus point is the Mileage. Overall, It was a smooth, comfortable driving experience, even with a few negatives, especially for long drives. I did enjoy driving on open roads with this car.
My favourite part of the driving experience is the SportsBoost Mode, which turns all the powertrain and chassis settings for high performance, a countdown of 10 seconds, and then boom. You get that full power punch and efficiency.
The boot space is huge enough to make me feel like I can just sit here comfortably while travelling too, but on a serious note, it is massive, with 476 litres of luggage space. It can be extended even further to 1,527 litres with the 40:20:40 split backrest. Talking about seats, one fascinating feature is that the back seats can be reclined and even mechanically moved to increase the legroom by 130mm. The interior does speak luxury to me from all angles. The seat cushioning is soft and comfortable, and the leather feels posh. The pearl chrome door handles make a perfect combination of classiness and feel practical, but the plastic doesn't appeal to me.
Going to the front part is the curved display, which is 100% needed! Uplifts the interior aesthetic making it more technologically marvellous. The curved display comprises a 10.25" instrument cluster and a 10.7" control display. Right below the display, we have a wireless charging port, another functional feature is that you can just slide in your phone between the bracket and hold it in place while charging. The car also equips wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay with the My BMW app and comes with an NFC key. The ambient lighting in front and rear with variable colour options gives the car a premium vibe. The 12 Harman Kardon speakers with illuminated inscriptions on stainless steel tweeter bezels add to the vibe only in the M Sports Package. We also have the floating armrest, which is a storage space too. Adding to all of these, the panoramic glass roof is just the cherry on top. I approve. Regarding safety, we have eight airbags, PDC, ABS with brake assist and quite a few others.
If you have seen the previous gen X1, you can point out the design change in the new X1. A positive change is giving it a very sophisticated and sporty look. The biggest eyecatcher is the increasingly satinated aluminium kidney grills. This is bigger than the last one and has edgier curves. It portrays the brand identity reasonably well.
The inverted L-shaped adaptive LED headlamps are standard in both variants, with more contoured edges having daytime driving and position lights with high beam assistance. The sculpted front bumper panel and the chiselled hood give a refined definition to the car. With the M Sports package, you have the front and rear bumper panelling in the vehicle colour. The contoured line flows right from the front to the rear. You get 18-inch alloy wheels with a double-spoke style blending in seamlessly.
We have the M sport badging on the side. The roofline is sloped with roof rails in a high gloss shadow line. The car's rear has undergone a complete makeover design-wise, and I prefer the current design. The rear LED tail lights, too, come as standard. Overall the car size has been increased by a few inches. And I'm kind of digging the design.
Engine - 2.0-litre, four-cylinder
Power- 150 hp
Torque - 360Nm
Transmission - 7-speed torque convertor automatic
Price - 47.90 Lakhs
