If you have ever sat in any of the current BMW cars, than you will instantly identify the interior with the German company. The fit and finish justify the premium tag. Overlaid with plush soft-feel plastic, Nevada leather and wood trims, the cabin raises the segment benchmark. The dashboard design is clean and the layout elegant. The 8.8-inch display sits in the middle of the dash, tilted towards the driver for better visibility. The three-spoke steering is compact and sporty, like the SUV; has controls for the infotainment system and can be adjusted for reach and tilt. There are plenty of cubbyholes, a sliding front armrest with storage compartment, the RVMs have auto anti-dazzle function and you also get a rain sensor. BMW have thrown in a new gear knob and the iDrive is conveniently placed below it. The driving position is in between regular sedans and full-fledged SUV and seems even lower than some soft-roaders. The seats can be electrically adjusted and also have four-way adjustable lumbar support. The rear seats are flat and firm and the backrest adjustable. The rear seat would be apt for two occupants, but a third one can also be accommodated, albeit with some difficulty. They split and fold individually in 40:20:40 ratio. The boot seems small and has a capacity of 420 litres, which is less than what the 3-Series offers. However, it can be increased to 1,350 litres by folding the seats.
The X1 sDrive20d is powered by a two-litre diesel engine that spins smoothly and is well engineered, which, by the way, also does the duty on the 3-Series’ corporate edition 320d. The specs also remain unchanged at 180 PS of peak power at an engine speed of 4,000 rpm and a healthy torque of 350 Nm that begins from 1,750 rpm. There is enough flow of torque to keep you going, be it a highway or a steep climb. The six-speed automatic is beautiful but strains under the extra kerb-weight of the SUV shell. The hydraulic-assisted steering feels heavy at low speeds, but tends to lighten up a mite at speed. It remains accurate with good feedback, as expected of a BMW. It’s like driving a taller 3-Series. You can throw the X1 round sharp corners with ease as there is very little body-roll and no slack in the power supply. The suspension setting is stiff, again a BMW trait, and at lower speeds larger bumps hit you hard. As you increase speed the ride improves and can take large ditches in its stride. While driving over a bad patch of road at an unrecommended speed, there was some body noise, probably from the outer-RVMs. On the whole, the ride is enthusiastic with a fair degree of poise.
