2012 BMW X1: Sports car in disguise

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 02/03/2012 (5314 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Driving the X1 seemed to elicit responses of both extremes when I asked people whether they thought it was a good value. And my own opinion started at one of these and finished up near the other during my week with the car.

At first blush, I thought BMW’s smallest crossover was a bit dear at our tester’s $42K-and-change sticker price. After all, this four-cylinder pumped-up hatchback doesn’t come with a premium interior or especially graceful proportions when viewed from the exterior. It’s not very roomy, nor does it have a particularly commodious cargo hold. So what is it about the X1 that changed my mind? Well, I drove it. That four-banger I mentioned is BMW’s new twin-scroll turbo unit that pumps out 241 hp and 258 pound-feet of torque from just 2.0 litres. Hooked up to all four wheels through an eight — yes eight — speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters, this little ute is a sports car in disguise. Quiet, powerful, and smooth, engines like this almost make one forget about the Bavarian automaker’s legendary inline-six engines. Almost.

Lest you think I’m going soft by singing the praises of a slushbox, just know BMW has exorcised almost all of the slush out of this automatic and it simply needs to be experienced. One might expect a transmission with so many gears to be busy and easily confused, but this is one well-sorted unit. Left to its own devices in Drive, it makes its way through the gears smoothly, but it upshifts a bit too early for my liking. Heavily biased toward low fuel consumption, this mode is best reserved for leisurely Sunday drives. Only when the shift lever is moved to the left into Sport mode does the X1 drive like a BMW should. Low gears are held longer and downshifts are more immediate. It’s not the preferred way to minimize your fuel consumption, but it sure wakes up what becomes a very willing chassis.

And the beauty of this transmission is when put into Manual mode, either by tapping the shift lever up or down, or by pulling one of the two shift paddles, drivers can get the best control of gear changes. Now, this doesn’t hold true for most so-called “manumatic” transmissions, which quickly lose their appeal because they don’t really add to the driving experience, but this system is different.

Not to put too fine a point on it, but being able to execute immediate, perfectly rev-matched downshifts and responsive, well-timed upshifts with an automatic transmission is no small feat. But it has been achieved here.

Once up to speed, steering response is near-telepathic, but at low speeds the system requires artificially high effort I didn’t come to appreciate.

Inside, though, is where it becomes obvious the X1 was built to a price. It starts off with the use of hard plastics on the dash and an overall impression of austerity. Amber displays and backlighting lend a bit of a dated feel to the passenger cabin as well. The leatherette on the seats doesn’t feel premium at all; at least this can be rectified by shelling out another $1,900 for the real deal.

In back, room is decent for two but three across is a bit snug. It’s the cargo space that limits the X1’s utility, though, with only 420 litres of volume behind the rear seat (which expands to 1,350 when the split rear bench is folded). That means it has a smaller cargo hold than a Mazda 3 Sport.

Indeed, something has to give at this price point.

To start, the X1’s sticker price is $38,500; the most accessible in BMW’s lineup save the two-door 1 Series Coupe. That fabulous engine/transmission combination and all-wheel drive are standard. Other standard kit includes heated front seats, rain-sensing wipers, automatic climate control, distance-sensing cruise control, regenerative braking, hill descent control, eight-speaker audio, Bluetooth connectivity and more.

Our tester was equipped with the $1,490 premium package that adds a heated steering wheel, a panoramic sunroof and some other goodies. The $1,500 sport package adds sport seats, 18-inch wheels and the shift paddles, which I used almost constantly. Add the $950 power front seats with driver’s memory and you get up to the $42,440 price of our tester. Other options of note include a $1,000 lighting package with swivelling bi-Xenon headlights and a $2,000 navigation package.

But, like most smaller BMWs, the X1’s appeal is apparent to those who relish a good driving experience. And it’s tough to fault them for that.

THE SPECS

Vehicle type: compact luxury crossover

Engine: twin-scroll turbocharged 2.0L four-cylinder, 16 valves

Power: 241 hp @ 5,000 rpm; 258 lb-ft of torque @ 1,250 rpm

Transmission: eight-speed automatic with manual shift mode and wheel-mounted paddles

Drivetrain: full-time all-wheel drive

Suspension: four-wheel independent; double joint front and double wishbone rear

Length: 4,468 mm

Wheelbase: 2,760 mm

Curb weight: 1,690 kg

Fuel consumption (L/100 km): 10.2 city, 6.5 highway

Base price: $38,500

Options: $3,940

Destination: $1,995

Price as tested: $44,435