How does BMW’s new small, all-diesel SUV range shape up on British roads?
BMW is carving out yet another niche! Following in the tracks of the innovative X5, X3 and X6, the all-new X1 shrinks the ‘X’ car philosophy into a more compact and affordable package. It also marks a first for the maker, as the engine line-up is exclusively diesel. We took the X1 for its debut on UK roads. Designed as a more rugged alternative to the 3-Series Touring, and a sleeker substitute for the soon-to-be-replaced X3, the new car can name only the Infiniti EX37 and VW Tiguan as direct rivals. But with the Audi Q3 and Range Rover LRX on the horizon, it won’t have things all its own way for long. The X1’s lines are a blend of boxy off-roader and curvaceous coupé. Cues from the X3 and X5, such as short overhangs and squared-off wheelarches, are carried over, but a low roofline and elongated bonnet give the car a look all of its own. The interior feels well made and durable. You sit low in the cockpit, but with a high sightline – what BMW calls the semi-command position. There’s lot
