Motoring: BMW X1 Diesel

By Maxmilian Wechsler

WHILE awaiting the delivery of the first lot of the BMW X1’s Diesel, assembled locally at BMW’s plant in Rayong, I looked over some reviews of this model, tested in several countries and posted on various websites.
 
Some glorified the car, others were rather harsh. A few played it safe by avoiding both excessive praise and criticism. One reviewer compared the X1 diesel to a Subaru, which I find ridiculous. Every car brand has its own character and individuality, much like human beings.
 
Anyway, I was even more anxious to get behind the wheel and find out for myself what the car is really about. So when the sparkling new white X1 diesel I was to test arrived at the Rama 4 branch of Millennium Auto, the biggest BMW dealer in Thailand, I wasted no time in jumping into the cabin. As I adjusted the seat, switched on the air and turned on the HiFi system, I said to myself: “This is a place I could sit all day.”
 
The Dakota leather seat on the driver’s side was extremely comfortable and the cool, quiet air-conditioner did not compete with the superb six-speaker all-around sound. I felt right at home inside the roomy cabin, and if it were equipped with a toilet and shower I might have checked out of my condominium immediately.

After receiving all the vital operating instructions from the sales consultant, I left the dealership and crawled along Bangkok’s congested streets for a while. Several times I asked myself a question for which I had no immediate answer: For what purpose was this car designed?

But after driving the X1 diesel for only a few minutes, my passenger had the answer. “This is a great car for a housewife with small children because it is roomy yet very compact in size. It’s an ideal car for shopping,” ventured Nina Hastings, Associate Editor of The BigChilli:
 
Adam Purcell, the magazine’s editor, who was giving his opinions from the rear, and later the front passenger seat, agreed. Why hadn’t I thought of that?
 
Instead of going shopping, however, Nina took us out of the city via a wide and surprisingly uncongested expressway, and then onto a narrow, pothole-filled country road amidst the rice fields of Pathum Thani province.
 
She commended the handling of the car and its suspension while driving deliberately over potholes and gravel surfaces. It was comforting to know that the car comes with 17-inch runflat tires that allow it to keep going for a good distance with a punctured tire. A signal on the dashboard indicates a loss of tire pressure. We didn’t need this feature, but believe me, if you ever puncture a runflat in the middle of nowhere at night, you will appreciate the innovation.
 
After a brief stop to enjoy the scenery, Nina said she had had enough of driving, complaining that her arms hurt a bit due to the heavy steering, especially while driving at low speed, something I had noticed as well. “I think that it should be adjusted to make it lighter for Thai girls, who are not as strong as foreigners,” she suggested.
 
However, the tough steering has one advantage: When I took both hands off the wheel on a straight stretch of expressway, it didn’t stray at all. The car kept going in a straight line, like it was on autopilot. Of course, I wouldn’t recommend driving like that.
 
Nina and I were happy with much of what the X1 has to offer, including the remarkable acceleration, fuel economy and highly responsive braking capabilities – when hitting the brake pedal suddenly the car stopped quickly without sliding or going into a spin. Then there is the panoramic front window which affords great visibility, the large side and back mirrors that enable you to see who is around you, the X1’s sportiness and the overall handling.

 
Like most BMWs, the car is well balanced when negotiating corners. There is no swerving, so items placed on the passenger seat like mobile phones don’t fall under the seat as you take a corner. The roof of the cabin is high enough that you don’t have to worry about hitting your head if you do something naughty like drive over a curb.
 
The doors close smoothly and the xenon lights are excellent. The window switches are easy to locate and both driver’s and passenger’s sides have mirrored shades with a light above, a feature Nina liked very much.
 
Adam pronounced the rear seat was very comfortable, with plenty of leg room. He appreciated the integrated attachment points for child seats, which are a bonus for families, and he pointed out that the onboard navigation system is easy to use, so plotting journeys is a breeze. He also liked the spaces in the vehicle’s doors for keeping miscellaneous items and the roomy boot, which has plenty of space for shopping, golf clubs or luggage. The space can be increased if no one is in the back by folding the rear seats forward. This also impressed Nina.
 
Adam liked the USB port for the sound system which will be appreciated by music lovers. But what he missed was air-conditioning in the rear of the vehicle. “The seat material made my back sweat,” he said. He also noticed that the passenger seats in the rear cannot be adjusted – so no lying down for a nap!
 
He felt that the car’s design incorporates too much plastic in some places, which is a bit of a letdown considering the price. Touch the roof liner, for example, and it feels flimsy, and the buttons on the reading lights also feel fragile.
 
If you are noise-sensitive, like the three of us, you won’t appreciate the turbo-diesel engine rattling while driving at low speed or idling at traffic lights. Adam said the rattling was more noticeable in the back. We chose to override the noise by increasing the audio volume.
 
In fact, this is the reason I have never owned a diesel car. After testing both European and noisier Japanese brands, I’ve always opted for the quieter petrol engine. However, at high speed the noise from the X1 was minimal and on a par with petrol. Credit should be given to BMW’s engineers for developing diesel engines that are quieter and better performing than those of their European and Japanese rivals.
 
We truly enjoyed the acceleration. Although the X1 diesel has only 177hp, it accelerates from 0-100km/h in 8.3 seconds. Even compared to BMW’s two-door, sportier Z4 Roadster with 204hp or the 325i Coupe muscle-car with 218hp, which reach 100km within 7.3 and 7.7 seconds respectively, this is quite good, especially for a diesel.

On the downside, at least in my opinion, the leg room for the driver, especially where you rest your left foot, was too small for my liking and as a result my leg was touching the console in the centre of the car. Nina, however, was quite happy with the leg space.
 
We all liked the behavior of the car at high speeds. It was as if we were sailing. As in all current BMW models, the cabin is almost soundproof and you don’t realize how fast you are going until you look at the tachometer. This sets BMW apart from other brands, especially Japanese.
 
While driving on steep mountain roads in Kanchanaburi province, I didn’t really need any help from the manual mode of the automatic six-speed transmission, activated by paddles on the steering wheel. You can also use the stick shift without a clutch and immediately switch to automatic or Sport mode.

I’d like to know what’s going on inside the gearbox. It is amazing how the technology has developed in such a short time.
 
I didn’t like the positioning of the slot for the electronic “key”, nor the location of the Start/Stop button. Maybe a more convenient place could be found. Nina, however, thought I was being too picky and that the positioning was no problem.

There’s one thing that puzzled us:

According to the official specifications the speed limit is 205km /h, but the tachometer shows a maximum speed of 260 km. The reason was later explained by the sales representative. “This is because BMW produces engines up to 2.8 liters that can go faster than the 2-liters assembled in Thailand. The same tachometers are used for all models.”
 
He also explained that the X1 was designed under the concept of sport activity vehicle (SAV) because BMW saw a special car was needed in this segment to suit the urban lifestyle.
 
“We could say that a majority of customers who buy the car are women. They prefer the shape and design. The car suits Bangkok because it has a higher platform level than a sedan, so it’s better to drive in flooded areas and also easily overcomes bumps and other obstacles.”

The consultant went on to say that the X1diesel is available in seven colors, but admitted that 60 to 70 percent of Thai customers prefer cars in black or white. He said the dealership has already received more than 300 orders for the X1, either diesel or petrol. The petrol model, also assembled in Rayong, has been sold here for some months.

When asked why BMW makes so many diesel models, he replied: “Because it gives the customers a choice. Many Thai people like diesel engines for several reasons, including better performance and consumption.

Asked if he thinks the manual mode is really necessary, the representative replied: “Some people like to use it in some circumstances, and if other people don’t, it is still there.”

The X1 diesel assembled in Thailand costs 2,799,000 baht, or 600,000 baht less than the same model imported earlier from Germany which didn’t have as many options, including the screen monitor, iDrive control and navigation system.
After driving the X1 diesel around Bangkok and upcountry, clocking more than 600 kilometers over four days and examining every inch of it, I can say that this vehicle is unique and therefore impossible to compare to other brands. I am however looking forward to comparing it to its bigger brother, the locally assembled X3 diesel that should be introduced to the Thai market soon.

Our final verdict on the X1 diesel was split. Nina liked it very much, but perhaps because I am old-fashioned and double her age, I wouldn’t choose it. Adam liked the X1 but said he wouldn’t spend so much money for a car.