BMW X1 Review

Great review as always. Compass also comes with the same 225 55R18 size Turanzas as stock and I find them decent too. There aren't a lot of tyre options in this size. Vredestein Ultrac Vorti is similarly priced since they're owned by Appolo and are made in India but others from Pirelli etc are quite expensive.

I have a question and I know it is not like to like comparison when we take into account things like brand value but since I own a Jeep Compass, I am just curious.

Purely from a handling and driving dynamics perspective how much of an upgrade X1 actually is compared to Compass, Tucson etc.? If we restrict ourselves to the diesel powertains, torque and power numbers for the X1 are actually same/inferior. So for Compass and Tucson owners to feel like an upgrade do they need to skip one segment and directly buy the X3 now? Interested to know the thoughts of BHPians who have driven these cars.

Great review as usual.
Coming to the car now, are they genuinely asking 60L for a 1.5L 3-pot motor? This has got to be a bad joke. Even the 'adequate' diesel seems like a slap in the face when it could(should) have been offered with the 190HP tune. Such a wonderful vehicle ruined by underwhelming drivetrains.

As a first-time BMW buyer, I booked an X1 in April. However, since I had been using a Verna, I found the X1 as ok. When I compared it to the Q3 and GLA, it felt quite good, but as I explored more options, I started to notice several downsides with the current X1. Even though it appeared to have more features on paper, it didn't quite live up to the BMW driving dynamic I was looking for. The massage feature seemed like a gimmick, and the center console felt hollow.

After doing some research, I shared this feedback with the salesperson. Since I was considering an upgrade, I decided to check out the 3 Series. I was impressed with the cabin and its overall appearance, but I had concerns about ground clearance. I requested a long test drive, and the SP happily obliged by providing me with the car for an extended test drive. To make a more informed decision, I also asked if I could drive both the X1 and the 330Li on the same day to compare the power difference and driving dynamics.

After test driving both models, my wife and I concluded that the X1 felt underpowered compared to the 3 Series, and considering the price range, the X1 didn't offer as much value for money. As a result, we eventually decided to upgrade to the 330Li.

Is it just me who finds the rear design to be boring and unfinished?

Personally, if I were looking for options in this segment, X1 would be the last on my list because this car seems more like a gadgety Hyundai behind a BMW skin. (No offence to Hyundai though, they’ve been pushing the performance game in affordable segments recently)

I personally felt in the entry-level luxury segment, it's challenging to find a model that truly offers value for money. Let me begin with the Audi Q3. Despite carrying the same engine and power, it falls short in terms of interior quality and features. To illustrate, the Q3, with an on-the-road price of 63 lakhs in Bengaluru, lacks wireless car play and memory seats. Additionally, it exhibits non luxurious interior quality. You can find an ownership review of it(https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-...petrol-quattro).

Moving on to the GLA, despite the significant investment, it doesn't quite feel like an SUV; it's more reminiscent of a hatchback. Moreover, Mercedes has removed the rear seat armrest and doesn't offer wireless car play. On the positive side, the diesel version provides ample power and a peppy performance.

Lastly, with BMW, the decision to reduce power has been disappointing for many car enthusiasts.

In summary, it seems that the entry-level luxury SUVs should consider reducing their prices to truly deliver value for money. As far as I can recall, the GLA used to be priced around 35 lakhs in 2017, but now it costs 63 lakhs on the road.

If BMW truly wants to go about the cheapening way, why not go all the way and make the X1 a sub-4m car with 1.2L engine?

At least it’ll get some nice tax break so that a buyer who just wants the badge can afford it easily.

An Entry level Luxury SUV/CUV can't cost 60+ lakhs. In my opinion they should cost around 40-45 lakhs OTR or even less to entice the wannabe luxury car owners. Well established will go for X3/GLC or higher mostly for those people 10-20 lakhs is nothing. But anything north of 50 is ABSURD for what we (me being one representative of those group who are not multi-millionaires but still wanting finer things in life) get i.e. not even a 200 hp motor, forget about ADAS and other advanced features.

It is not just X1 has a pony 1.x-liter Petrol, MB GLA has a 1.x liter Petrol mill doing duty in a 60+ lakhs car as well. But no excuse for that 40hp power reduction in the X1’s diesel motor. It just sucks the precious juice out of the finest 2-liter diesel I have driven. F48 mid-range is the one reason I went with the F48 189 hp and saved some serious money compared with new X1 with free BSI for 4 years thrown at it.

Slightly OT but there is something really wrong with the Indian automobile market or the buyers. IMHO - we Indians generally or major percentage are happy and satisfied with MEDIOCORE and that's why we are pushed to buy cheap or middling or watered-down products. We compromise quality for price and this mentality should change. We need to make/push the car makers sell good quality products. The first sign of this change will be Fortuner kind of products will sell less or at a lesser price rather. We need to change our mindset towards finer things and appreciate complexity and quality.

Toyotas are generally selling ok but reliable products all over the world but in countries like US or Europe, their quality is top notch and feels far more solid than the products they sell elsewhere like in India or SE Asia. Why Fortuner or Innova are not sold in US? US/Europe consumers demand finest in quality in everything (I am aware this platform itself designed for Asia in mind but this is what I am annoyed with. Why a downgraded version for Asia?). I know this comes with maturity but we have come a long way from the 80s and time we change our preferences especially towards Quality. We need to reject products which are not priced properly and quality as well. See what happens with Fortuner (again) and it was sold around 27-28 lakhs in 2017 and now it is north of 50+ lakhs (on par the entry level luxury models like Cs, 1s, XC40s, Q3s) and it just sells with almost no discount. Taxation regime is to be blamed to major extent but generally, the quality + features we get are far im-matured compared to the global markets.

I second your thought on upgrading my MY2022 Jeep Compass to X1. One of my uncles owns a previous gen X1. I feel the ride quality of Jeep Compass with Koni FSDs are better than X1. Not sure of the handling dynamics, maybe they will be equal or X1 will outscore, but, by how much? Size-wise, I also felt Jeep Compass is 1/4th size bigger if not equal, interior space in 2nd row is marginally bigger. Engine wise, 2.0L Diesel with 170 horses matches performance. Maintenance wise, Jeep Compass average service cost is around 16k. Any thoughts from others?

Excellent review of a high end car with good fit and finish. X1 getting a 3 pot engine is a bummer at 50 big ones. 148 BHP Diesel would see the XUV 700 owner laughing all the way on the highway if one decides to take on the X1, that too at half the price

Good to see some usable ADAS features coming in this time.

Consumers have started trusting trusting Tata/Mahindra/Hyundai /Kia in the 20-30 L segment and they offer better features than entry level luxury cars . Seltos costing 25L is better equipped in terms of power, features, quality. For an additional 35L you get badge value and better handling.

I believe at this price range you'll get modern products like XC40 recharge, Ioniq 5.

Glad to see ADAS on offer, Autonomous Emergency Breaking (AEB) is mandated in many developed markets. This should be non negotiable for buyers in this segment.

A heart-over-head decision by all my family members and we've booked the X1 Petrol xLine in Phytonic Blue with Oyster upholstery.
My father's always been a big fan of the brand and I didn't even try to sway him away even for a bit. This car is surely a head-turner in person.

Coming from an Octavia, nothing else south of INR 80L came to wow us. So we decided to stretch our budget slightly and go for this BMW. The only other contenders were A Class Limo (too short and very low on luggage space) and Q3. The sensible head would have advised us to stick to Q3, but somehow it was just feeling in an Octavia with an Audi badge on the inside, in terms of interior structure and feel. Since X1 was the newest amongst our shortlist, it ticked more boxes and itched more family members the right way.

The only challenge is now the waiting period is 6 months for this vehicle.

Is any BHPian, part of BMW India who can help in expediting this? :P

Six months - wow! Which city and dealer is this? Did you try for a different colour combination? Max, I have heard is 1-2 months!

Excellent review, Aditya! Comprehensive and thorough in true Team-BHP fashion. I think the design of the X1 is spot on. She is quite the looker in the flesh. Really pretty car in my eyes. The only elephant in the room is the engines. Specifically, the petrol one.

While one would be confident in saying that BMW in India is getting stepmotherly treatment, that might not entirely be the case. The fact of the matter is that the all-new X1 comes with an engine design that is at least 10 years old! Yes, the production of these B38s started way back in 2013. But BMW still sells this exact engine under the sDrive18i guise (albeit in a slightly higher tune) globally.

I think it is all the regulatory pressures like CAFE, etc. that are forcing BMW to save all the actual fun for the ///M (and perhaps, M-performance) cars.

The predecessor of this engine, the N13 (2013 BMW (F20) 116i | 230 BHP + 330 Nm in a true (READ:RWD) Hot Hatchback), made +2 bhp and identical torque and was offered in the 116i (stock) when launched in India in 2013. This engine has one more cylinder and is infinitely more tuneable.

The highest state of tune on -

B38 in the 2022 to Current U11/12 X1 (available elsewhere in the world) = 116 kW (156 bhp)
at 4,400–6,000 rpm & 230 N⋅m (170 lb-ft) of torque.

Note: A 228bhp version of this engine does exist but with a different engine code and was built specifically to be used for the BMW i8 Coupe in tandem with its complex Hybrid powertrain. It comes with a GPF (Gasoline Particulate Filter). I doubt it is the same engine as in this new X1.

vs

N13 / N14 in the 2008 to 2014 Mini Cooper S JCW (R56) = 155 kW (211 PS; 208 hp) at 6,000 rpm & 261 N⋅m (193 lb-ft) of torque.

Note: The only difference in hardware, as per my understanding is that JCW has a less restrictive exhaust (aka Race-cat Downpipe), a slightly bigger intercooler, and a more aggressive tune.

I think BMW is in its twilight years of being the Ultimate Driving Machine. The older, regular BMWs are so much more characterful. Now for spice, we enthusiasts have to exclusively look at the ///M & M-performance cars or perhaps the older regular ones in the automotive classifieds section.

Don't get me wrong, this new X1 will sell like hotcakes despite the engines. As the review states, the power is adequate for our road and driving conditions. It also seems to have struck a good balance between ride and handling. The sethji's will love the additional space the FWD platform liberates, all the gizmos, and especially the rear adjustable and reclining seats and the massage function in the front for when they fancy a drive themselves.

Kolkata! Even we were surprised by this timeline.
Unfortunately, do not have any other source/contact to negotiate/ratify the timeline.

There is some thing wrong here. I know from four different dealerships at two cities, that it is no more than 4-6 weeks.

Please push harder and check for a different color combination.