While the difference between the first and second-generation BMW X1 is quite obvious, the German manufacturer is still looking to change our perspective about their newest entry-level SUV.
This commercial is about “embracing the unknown”, which is marketing talk for “feel free to think that you can do pretty much anything with this car, and go pretty much anywhere.” Of course, that’s not the case but, and this is a very important “but”, with the new X1 you get a lot more car for your money than you did with the older version.
Buying a premium sub-compact SUV generally means that you couldn’t quite stretch your budget all the way to getting a compact model – or in this case a BMW X3. At that point, an X5-sized hole in your wallet would look genuinely ridiculous, of course.
However, if you can convince your customers that by buying a small SUV, they’re not necessarily compromising in terms of practicality, comfort and looks, well then it means that your car should be on its way to selling a lot of units over the course of its life.
The new X1 does seem to be a more than sufficient answer for the Audi Q3 and Mercedes-Benz GLA. Reviewers have generally found very spacious at the back and plenty practical with tons of storage spaces and good amounts of boot space.
While not perfect, odds are you won’t find too many reasons to dislike it, especially if you’re actually going to own one and use it as your daily means of transportation.
In the UK, the new X1 costs about the same as a 3-Series Touring (both entry-level models), which means that you could be making the smart choice by going with a car that has better all-round visibility, is more practical and has a lot more ground clearance. Besides, nowadays, plenty of buyers would argue that any type of SUV is more appealing than station wagons in general.
To be fair, really clever buyers would probably want to try the 3-Series Gran Turismo first, because it certainly offers the best of both worlds when it comes to comfort and practicality.