Looking very planted and capable around the Nurburigring, the recently scooped 2016 BMW X1 F48 has the feel of a totally different kind of vehicle when going fast – you don’t even have to be aboard the car to see it, and a video such as the Ring testing one uploaded by TouriClips is eloquent enough.
There’s a certain demeanor that a car projects at speed, and it is usually very similar among BMWs, all of which are pushed along by their rear-wheel drive setups and show it. However, this new X1, with its front-wheel drive biased chassis related to the one in the 2-Series Active Tourer and all the larger MINI models projects a very different picture.
It’s a big departure from the current 3-Series-based X1, but it’s a natural one since BMW will be looking to make its base SUV more approachable, and the easiest way to achieve that is to reduce costs in order to be able to charge less for it. And besides, only a very small percentage of buyers will actually care that it’s a fwd car underneath; there will be optional all-wheel drive for those who think they need it, even though it will really be an useless drain on fuel since the X1 will be flustered by even the smallest of ditches.
All this means is that if you want a real BMW experience in high-riding form, your search will begin with the still RWD-based X3.
By Andrei Nedelea
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