BMW X1 review - Practicality, comfort and boot space
The X1 is more practical than ever, although you’ll have to pay extra for some creature comforts
The BMW X1 is a spacious family car, offering lots of practical touches to help make journeys easier and more comfortable. Standard equipment for the entry-level Sport trim includes a power tailgate, dual-zone climate control, cruise control with a braking function and BMW’s Parking Assistant system which includes a reversing camera.
If you fancy dipping into the options list, you can specify the Comfort Pack (around £1,100) which includes a heated steering wheel, electrically-adjustable front seats with a memory function, along with lumbar support for the driver’s seat.
For around £2,900, the Technology Plus Pack adds a little extra practicality with equipment such as adaptive LED headlights, power-folding wing mirrors, BMW’s Comfort Access system (which provides keyless entry to the vehicle and allows you to open the tailgate with a sweeping movement of your foot under the rear bumper) and a head-up display.
Size
BMW has increased the size of the X1; it’s now 4,500mm long which is an increase of 53mm, while it’s 24mm wider and 44mm taller, which is why it benefits from so much extra interior space. This doesn’t mean the X1 feels unwieldy on the road, though – it’s only just longer than an Audi Q3 and not much bigger than an average family hatchback.
Leg room, head room & passenger space
An increase in overall size means that BMW has been able to free up extra room in the X1’s cabin – making it more spacious than a Mercedes GLA or Audi Q3.
Rear passengers benefit the most with good head and knee room, while the reclining seat backs make things even more comfortable. If you want the flexibility of being able to slide the rear seats back and forth, then you’ll need to stump up a further £300.
Boot Space
The X1 has a 540-litre boot, which is 45 litres more than you’ll find in a Mercedes GLA. All models feature a 40:20:40 split rear seat configuration and, if you fold all the seats forward, you’ll have a huge 1,545-litre cargo capacity. There’s also a handy under-floor area in the X1 where you can store soft bags or oddments.
Towing
If you want your petrol-powered X1 to carry out regular towing duties then you’ll probably want the 215bhp xDrive23i model, because it’s rated to tow up to 2,000kg. The 168bhp sDrive20i version has a 1,800kg maximum.
It’s the same pattern if you opt for a diesel variant, with the xDrive23d oil burner able to pull up to 2,000kg and the sDrive18d 200kg less. The plug-in hybrid models can tow 1,700kg (xDrive25e) and 1,800kg (xDrive30e).
