BMW’s X1 small SUV looms much larger in all the right areas – and vice versa – for increased appeal to Singapore’s car shoppers

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 SINGAPORE
The BMW X1 is one of the German luxury brand’s most popular cars here, and in its all-new, third-generation form it has managed an admirable feat: It has maximised the things that SUV buyers here love, while minimising the bad.

But first let’s round up all we know about the X1. CarBuyer’s tested every X1 to date, from the 3 Series-based first-gen model, to the second-gen model most recently in 2019, both sDrive18i M Sport and sDrive20i M Sport versions. With a Singapore-appropriate price and size, and a BMW badge of course, it sold very well here, coming in just behind the 2 Series Active/Gran Tourer on the popularity scale.

The third-gen X1 was announced globally in 2021 and it launched here in Singapore earlier in December. We break it down in detail in that story, but to sum up there’s only one version here at launch, the sDrive16i, in either xLine or M Sport trim.

Singapore will see the all-electric iX1 some time in 2023, but the car shown here has two very relevant shocking facts for the Lion City : It’s the first X1 to be eligible for the cheaper Category A COE, and – drum roll – it’s not significantly more expensive than before.

Design and Appearance

The first thing you’ll notice about the X1 is how much larger it looms in the flesh, and that’s because it is quite a bit larger. To be precise, it’s 4,500mm long, 1,845mm wide, and 1,642mm tall and packs a 2,692mm wheelbase – that means it’s increased in those dimensions by 53mm, 24mm and 44mm respectively, with a 22mm stretch to its wheelbase. To compare, it’s much larger than a Yaris Cross (4.18-metres) but still slightly smaller than a Toyota Harrier (4.74-metres).

We’re all thoroughly used to BMW’s enlarged grille by now, but even if you detest it, you can’t ignore the fact that the taller grille looks particularly apt on an SUV – and even on an MPV, as with the 2 Series AT. As our theory goes, an SUV looks good when it leans into the boxy, strong aesthetic, and the X1 surely does. 

BMW’s made the X1 more mature, thanks to the more angular design language, there’s a clear resemblance to the new flagship X car, the XM, and even shades of the iX EV. We also like the well-executed design details : the tall tail-lights, the sculpted bonnet, the gloss finish of the contrast fenders.

Because of the switch to the small car platform, the divide between the second-gen X1 and its contemporary X3 was always very clear, but the X1 has begun to blur the lines significantly – and not just in design terms.

Page 2 : The X1 shows it’s smartened up on the inside too

1. Introduction / Design and Appearance
2. Interior and Features / Space and Practicality
3. Driving Experience / Comparison / Conclusion

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