Model tested: BMW X1 sDrive20d SE
Price: £24,205
Date tested: October 2009
Road tester: Keith Collantine

The all-new X1 is the fourth member of BMW's 'X' family, breakings new ground for the company with an all-diesel line-up and rear-wheel-drive for the first time on an 'X' car. Is it up to the job?

BMW calls it the X1, but this isn't a jacked-up 1-Series. The underpinnings of BMW's new SUV match the 3-Series, so it's noticeably larger than the 1-Series in every dimension.

A prominent grille, squared-off wheelarches and chunky fog lights give the X1 a rugged look. But a close look underneath reveals black trim designed to give the impression of high ground clearance - but this isn't a bona fide off-roader.

Once you dismiss thoughts of driving through muddy fields and treat the X1 as a super-sized 3-Series, it starts to make sense.

Correctly anticipating that most X1s will spend more time near schoolyards than farmyards, four-wheel-drive is offered only as an option. Plump for the rear-wheel-drive version and you'll benefit from reduced weight and significantly superior fuel economy; up to 53.3mpg for the sDrive20d.

BMW's Efficient Dynamics technology means the X1 returns some impressive efficiency figures. Start/stop automatically cuts out the engine with the car in neutral and the clutch raised; depress the clutch and the car fires into life again, having saved precious seconds of wasted fuel.

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Over nearly a thousand miles, the X1 felt more like a saloon than an SUV; it also rode smoothly, partly thanks to conventional tyres instead of run-flats. However, upgrade from 17 to 18-inch rims and you'll get run-flats, with a likely loss of ride comfort.

The interior is the usual BMW fare - our base-spec car came with only a few upgrades but the dashboard and trim felt solid.

Most of the equipment is straightforward to use, except the air-con, which blasted air and was slow to change temperature.

With all the seats in place, rear luggage space is slightly disappointing at 420 litres. They fold flat quickly and easily, however, giving 1,350 litres of storage, and they split 40-20-40.

A high driving position offers a good view of the road around, but the generously-sized wing mirrors can obscure visibility at junctions.

With the Range Rover LRX not due for before 2011, the X1's closest rivals in the meantime are the Volkswagen Tiguan, Nissan Qashqai, Ford Kuga and Toyota RAV 4.

Only Volkswagen comes close to having the brand appeal of a BMW, and that combined with the X1's superior power and fuel economy should seal the deal for the many prospective buyers BMW hopes to capture.