BMW’s smallest SUV gets more power to help it pack a punch against a ever so diminishing class of compacts. The new X1 gets a little boost underneath its tiny hood.
Bigger might not always be better. The United States market has seen a shift in the past decade or so that has witnessed the death of the mid-size anything. While SUVs remain uber popular, the trend tends to favor either end of the class spectrum. Big SUVs and cars take all the hype while smaller, more compact vehicles have also seen a rise in popularity. Since the inception of the X1– BMW’s offering as its smallest SUV-subcompact crossover mix, the vehicle has never received a high-octane treatment like some of its competitors.
Now, in times of plight for the BMW enthusiast community, mourning the news of the death of the manual transmission, fans can find some solace in the fact that the company hasn’t ditched making performance improvements in the internal combustion aspect just yet.
The X1 has always been reserved to a plebian sort of vehicle. Sitting at the lowest point of BMW’s SUV totem pole, a lineup which in some essence can span all the way up to the Alpina XB7, the X1’s measly stature hasn’t been forgotten. Loosely a replacement since BMW’s station wagon offering in 2009, the X1 has been the entry point for the growing SUV base in the United States for the Bavarian bigwig. Now, the car receives a 312 horsepower high output version of its base 2.0 liter four cylinder engine.
The M35i trim has long been set aside for the sloped back X2, trying to embody itself as the sportier version of the X1. Now, the only difference between the two has been narrowed to a design difference with the X2 following a coupier look while the X1 remains as the classic crossover piece.
With a 71 horsepower boost over the base X1’s 241, the M35i grants the buyer a 7-speed dual clutch transmission, all-wheel drive, and a limited slip differential mated at the front axle that wasn’t even available in previous iterations. One can also option out the M35i with BMW’s signature compound brakes if you so choose, but unless one plans to take the X1 out on a date with the racetrack, we don’t think it’s worth the monetary fuss.
According to BMW, the M35i will sprint to 60 mph in 5.2 seconds, a restrained figure from previous testing by multiple outlets. In fact, Car and Driver tested the X2 M35i, which only has 302 horsepower run the test in only 4.5 seconds. The package also turns the dial on the speedometer, raising the limiter from 129 mph to 155– a hallmark figure of German automobiles.
The interior and the rest of the car gets littered with M badges, a staple of the offshoot since its inception. Nowadays everyone wants to remind the world of what they have, and BMW is more than happy to oblige. In the rear, quad exhaust tips and a large rear diffuser add to the the exterior gaze of the X1, with the M treatment in full swing. Larger air intakes help feed the updated engine along with a different body kit to complete the crossover.
In order to compete with rising competition like the Hyundai Kona N and the Mercedes-Benz AMG GLA 45 the X1 offers multiple options on top of the revamped setup. 20-inch wheels wrapped in summer rubbers are available if you so choose. M sport seats also make their way onto the options list resembling the ones out of the M4 rather than your typical crossover.
In terms of competition, the new engine the M35i offers outpaces all of its direct foes. The Kona N only packs 276 horsepower while the AMG GLA 45 gets edged out barely by 10 horsepower to its 302. This means that this might be as close as the United States gets to a true hot hatch from BMW. Other companies have their goes– including Volkswagen’s Golf GTI. But this is BMW attempts at getting as small as possible with their M department, excluding the M2.
The X1 M35i will start at $50,895, a reasonable price point, beating out once again the GLA 45 by around $6,000. Obviously being a German vehicle, BMW couldn’t help tacking on some extras, which will cause the price to rise quickly when added to the window sticker.
