BMW'S FIRST AWD EV SAV ARRIVES IN THE FORM OF THE BMW IX1 XDRIVE30
When it comes to the world of SUVs, things are very tightly contested. So much so that those in the know are certain that the amount of R&D and money thrown into the expanding world of Sports Utility Vehicles is 100% responsible for the demise of the beloved estate/wagon/Avante. This vehicle segment is actually so big with so many models, that some automakers have ensured the creation of a segment within a segment and so the SAVs were born - or Sports Activity Vehicle in the full vernacular. There really is no reason for this divide except that it gives automakers a reason to dedicate a whole chunk of their budget and technical people at the project and rebrand their smaller but equally capable SUVs into their own new segment. BMW’s X1 is the automaker’s entry model into their world of SUVs, I mean SAVs. It’s the smaller sibling to the X5, which is, in turn, the in-between one as it sits below the X5. The X1 is every bit as cool and capable, and when fully optioned, can see buyers end up trying to choose between a fully-loaded X1 and a decently-optioned X5. Be that as it may, the all-new X1 is here, and more importantly, the iX1 - the Bavarian automaker’s first all-electric, all-wheel drive SAV.
Visually the new X1 range features thinner headlights up front and some more aggressive and angular taillights, some interesting trim options and details, as well as some large 20-inch wheels. The visuals see the SAV looking even bigger than it is, onlookers would be forgiven for mistaking the smallest of the automaker’s SAVs for the in-between X3. We’re actually pretty sure that the current X1’s dimensions are what the X3 used to be, and the same for the X3, it’s at the side of the first X5 models - these cars are getting fatter, but at least the extra space available is still filled up with all the right tech in all the right places. Inside the new X1 range, we find some big changes, in keeping with the way things are heading, just about all of the tactile buttons have been relegated to the parts bin. As it stands, the only physical controls left can be found on the steering wheel and in the stylish floating armrest found between the front seats. Buttons have been replaced with your voice - by saying “Hey BMW’ and barking your command, these little fiddly things have no place anymore. It would be quite the fun drive if you’re travelling a few hundred kilometres while suffering a bout of laryngitis.
There will initially be a choice of two petrol and two diesel engines that will be mated to a 7-speed Steptronic DCT transmission driving either the front or all four wheels, depending on the model optioned. These will be followed by this all-electric BMW iX1 xDrive30 as well as a pair of plug-in hybrids and another two ICE-powered variants that feature 48V mild-hybrid technology. The all-electric BMW iX1 boasts dual motors capable of producing a combined 230kW (313 hp) with 494 Nm of torque that will allow the BMW SAV to hit 100 km/h in the region of a claimed 5.7-seconds with an estimated range of a decent 272 miles.
Take a look at the YouTube video where Mat takes us in and around the latest Sports Activity Vehicle from the Bavarian automaker - the all-new BMW X1 and it's EV sibling, the iX1: New BMW X1: You won't believe what they've done! | carwow
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