The BMW X1: Redefining Space.

The new BMW X1 and its practical nature.

The BMW X1 is the car you buy if you want an SUV style vehicle, but don’t want the size or have the budget for an X3 or X5. The new X1 uses a similar configuration to the BMW 2 Series Active Tourer; it is front wheel drive. Something recently embraced by the BMW brand.

Firstly, it looks fantastic. It’s dynamic, sporty and remarkably spacious. BMW have been very clever with the new X1, the seating positions have been elevated, which means drivers and passengers have a better all round view, add this to larger window surfaces, and you get a spacious feel.

A great stand-out feature for the sporting person is the flat folding passenger seat, the backrest can be folded completely forward. The benefit of this is that any item up to 2.5 meters in length can be transported with ease. If you suddenly feel some beach vibes and want to take your longboard for a wave, no problem.  This fixes the issue of scraping and scratching the interior as you would usually try and force an object such as a surfboard at a slight angle into the vehicle. This also takes away the possibly of decapitation as the said object flies around the car at head height.

The rear seats control this method of using space well, with the pull of a small handle, the rear seating arrangement slides forwards and backwards. If you are heading on a road trip with friends, you can slide the seats back for extra legroom, but if you and a buddy are off to go diving on the coast, slide the seats forward and use the extra boot space for your gear. There is one downside to this; it enables your other half to have more room for shopping bags.

As always you have the classic BMW lines such as the Sport line, X line and M Sport line, with lots of optional extras such as the 8-inch navigation screen, Harmon Kardon loudspeaker system, reversing camera and so on. Engine choices range from S Drive 18i, S Drive 20i and the X Drive 20i and 25i.

Overall this is a smaller but spacious SUV, which is flexible and dynamic. It does not only suit families but young explorers who like to surf, ski and dive to name a few.