BMW launches facelifted X1 at Rs 35.9 lakh

BMW’s X1 is the entry point to the company’s ‘X’ line of SUVs and it is a very important model for the company, keeping in mind the recent trend favouring SUVs. The facelifted model gets a more imposing front-end thanks to the new LED headlights and larger kidney grille. The all-around design has been updated to keep it in line with the other ‘X’ models too. It gets more technology in the form of connected car features and an updated touch-screen infotainment system. The new X1 will be offered in three trim lines ­– SportX, xLine and M Sport. Powering it is a set of petrol and diesel engines, both BS6 compliant.

Exterior

This being a minor facelift, the exterior makes up the bulk of the changes to the X1. The new all-LED headlights get a hexagonal DRL element; this paired with the larger kidney grille makes the X1 look more butch than before. The front apron is reworked too, getting integrated fog lamps and larger air intakes. The side profile makes the X1 look athletic, thanks to the rising character line. The rear gets updates as well – the taillights are LED with a new L-shaped element that makes it fit in well with the rest of the ‘X’ family of cars, as well as the new 3-series. The rear bumper has been updated with a body coloured panel at the bottom along with a scuff plate and the exhausts tips are now 20mm larger than before.

Interior

The interior of the facelifted X1 stays fairly similar to the outgoing one, however there are some additions here as well. There are higher quality materials on the inside, multi-coloured ambient lighting and a massive panoramic sunroof, that give the new X1 a more upmarket cabin. The updated iDrive software is not the latest one, but it is a welcome change. The xLine and M Sport trims get an 8.8-inch display with touchscreen functionality while the SportX variant gets a smaller 6.5-inch display and misses out on the touch inputs. The xLine and M Sport trims also get wireless Apple Carplay connectivity, however there is no Android Auto, as is the case with all BMW’s. The cabin wraps around the driver with the dashboard and controls slightly inclined toward the driver. Both front seats are electrically operated with the driver seat getting a memory function as well. The M Sport variant adds sports seats in the front. The rear bench can be reclined, offering more comfort to the passengers in the rear seats as well.

Powertrain

The new X1 gets two engines on offer, a 2-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine that makes 189bhp of power and 280Nm of torque, mated to a seven-speed dual clutch automatic transmission, helping it sprint to 100kmph in 7.7 seconds. The second is a 2-litre four-cylinder diesel engine that makes 187bhp of power and 400Nm of torque. This is mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission, getting it to 100kmph in 7.9 seconds. Needless to say, both engines are BS6 compliant.

Price

The new X1 starts at Rs 35.9 lakh for the base petrol SportX variant. The petrol xLine variant is priced at Rs 38.7 lakh while the diesel xLine comes in at Rs 39.9 lakh. The top-spec M Sport comes in diesel guise only, priced at Rs 42.9 lakh.

Currently the X1’s arch rivals, the Audi Q3 and Mercedes-Benz GLA are not on sale and await a BS6 update, although Mercedes-Benz has opened up bookings for the all-new GLA. That leaves the Volvo XC40 and the Mini Countryman, the latter of which shares the X1’s platform.