New BMW X1 first drive

Already the coldest Winter for 25 years and the forecast by the Met Office is for 2009/2010 Winter to be the coldest for over 30 years so with our ice and snow covered roads already crumbling from the frost, a 4x4 is not just for Winter - it’s for UK life.

The new BMW X1, based on the current 1 Series platform, completes the X line-up of X3, X5 and X6 models. However the X1 is less obviously a brashly styled 4x4, it looks more of a chunky five door, five seater, estate with a bit more ground clearance than a conventional BMW Touring model.

Unlike the larger X3/X5/X6 stablemates the X1 range includes rear wheel drive and permanent four wheel drive models called sDrive and xDrive.  Because of the dominance of diesel engines in the SUV/SAC (Sports Utility and Sports Activity Vehicles) sector there is the choice of three power outputs, all using a core 2.0-litre, four cylinder turbodiesel power plant. The 18d with 143bhp and 320Nm of torque and the 20d with 177bhp and 350Nm is available with sDrive rear wheel drive and xDrive all wheel drive specifications whilst the third  23d, 204bhp, 400Nm unit is xDrive only.

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