By Kevin Harrison
This Canada Day weekend, I can’t help but reflect on what makes Canada such a great country. Our championing of human rights, liberation of slaves, invention of the telephone and, well, our amazingness at hockey all comes to mind.
But we have lots to be proud of in Canada when it comes to cars too. No, seriously. Did you know that Canada has its very own super car? It’s called the HTT LC-750 Plethore and it’s damned sexy and quick.
Some automakers also count on us Canadians to actually build their product. With plants in Ontario, automakers such as Toyota, Honda, Chrysler and GM know they can rely on a well built iteration of their product when it’s built by a Canadian. Automakers also like to give us some exclusivity as well. Whether it be Canada-only editions such as the Acura TL A-Spec or the Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Affalterbach Edition, automakers definitely see us as a relevant market, despite our small size compared to our American neighbours.
Speaking of our American neighbours, sometimes we’ll even get cars that they don’t get. The Mercedes-Benz B-Class, Audi TT-S and BMW 323i are vehicles that Americans don’t have the pleasure of owning (unless they make the trek north of the border).
There’s another BMW that the Americans don’t get either – at least not yet. The X1 is the smallest SUV the German automaker has ever produced. In a world where gas prices seem as unstable as Charlie Sheen, having a compact SUV seems like a good idea. But is it worthy of that BMW badge on the hood?
Firstly, BMW designs have always been a bit polarizing and the X1 is no exception. BMW decided to differentiate the X1 a bit from it’s bigger brothers, the X3 and X5, given it a long hood and a seemingly lowered stance. The long hood and short rear deck works amazingly on the Z4 roadster, but try the same formula on an SUV and you end up with a rather odd looking vehicle. That’s not to say that the X1 is ugly (though there’s a substantial crowd out there that would disagree), it’s just a bit of an unconventional design for a supposed SUV (or SAV in BMW speak).
The other thing that’s a bit unconventional is BMW’s lone entry into this segment. The usual suspects have yet to introduce a sub-compact premium SUV in to the segment, though Audi promises to tackle the X1 with the upcoming Q3. Until then, however, the most direct competition comes in the form of the Volkswagen Tiguan and even then it’s a bit of a stretch to compare the two. BMW has seemingly found its own segment, much like they did with the X6.
Inside is a fairly familiar place if you’ve ever sat in a BMW, especially if you’ve ever had seat time in a 1-series. There’s everything you need, nothing you don’t. Some may consider this to be a con against the X1 considering the price point it competes it, but I find its simplicity to be quite refreshing from the fancy gadget overload typically found in most German cars. Idrive is present on this new X1 and even though it’s improved over the old system it is still overly complicated and is probably just as distracting as texting and driving. I wish BMW would make this an option, not standard.
Even though the X1 is smaller than the X3, the interior doesn’t feel cramped, in fact, there’s a surprising amount of room in the rear seats considering its size. That said, you won’t find any Maybach-like legroom back there. One nice perk is the reclining rear seats. Cargo room is good as well and the seats fold to allow for more luggage capacity.
The X1 Xdrive 28i is one of many future BMW’s to come with a four cylinder engine. It is turbocharged and makes a healthy 241 horsepower and 258 pound feet of torque. For those used to the brilliant 3.o litre inline six, fret not because this engine is tremendous. While it doesn’t produce the same grunt of the six, it delivers satisfying amounts of power at low RPM’s. 0-100 takes a respectable 6.5 seconds. BMW decided to go with a four over the six because they were able to maintain the same level of performance that BMW lovers expect, all while returning better fuel economy. The X1 gets approximately 10.2 L/100 kms in the city and 6.5 L/100 kms on the highway. Not bad for a vehicle that weighs about 1,700 kilograms.
The engine is mated to BMW’s new eight-speed automatic that I was able to first sample in the 2011 528i. Back then I said that I didn’t understand the point of so many gears – even with fuel efficiency in mind, but I must admit, in the X1’s four cylinder it seemed to fit surprisingly well. Shifts are crisp, if a bit delayed. As usual, I prefer a manual which unfortunately is not available, so I spent most of my time in manual mode which provides a much more rewarding driving experience. With so many gears to choose from, the automatic never seems to be able to keep itself in the desired gear. Usually the highest gear for the speed I was driving was selected which resulted in a low powerless groan. This helps with fuel efficiency, however the engine noise is a bit unpleasant as a result.
BMW purists won’t be disappointed with its handling abilities either. With the Xdrive’s 40/60 split rear bias, the X1 feels quite sure footed when pushed to the limit. Uncle traction control tends to stay out of the picture unless absolutely needed as well. One thing recent BMW’s have been criticized for is softer steering and I’m happy to report this just simply is not the case with the X1. The steering is nice and heavy which allows for more driver involvement and a more pleasurable drive. The suspension is smooth, yet firm. Basically, it is a BMW through and through.
The X1 is the cheapest BMW you can buy with X drive all wheel drive and it actually offers a decent amount of value considering how poised and involving it is to drive. While my personal preference would be to shell over a bit more dough for a 3-series wagon with X drive, I can definitely see the appeal of the X1. I don’t envision the X1 cannibalizing X3 sales either since the new X3 has grown substantially and has definitely moved more upscale. But for every day Canadians, the X1 just makes sense and would make the perfect vehicle for a Canada Day weekend escapade. Until Audi, Mercedes-Benz or Lexus can come up with a credible contender, BMW has this market all to itself and specifically has the Canadian market all to itself. If the X1 does well here (BMW expects to sell 3,000 per year) then our American neighbours down south may very well be able to experience it. Until then, the X1 is definitely something us Canadians can be proud to exclusively enjoy.
Base Price: $38,500
Pros
- Nice heavy steering
- No penalty for interior room
- Excellent handling abilities
- Strong, efficient engine
- Crisp transmission shifts
- Good value
Cons:
- Questionable looks
- Options can negate value
- 8-speed automatic is a bit unsure of itself
- idrive is still frustrating to use, can be distracting