The youngest of BMW's crossovers is the X1

However, the BMW X1 was not classified as an "SUV" by the workers of streams and rags – its appearance is purely passenger-car-like. "Unfair!" – I muttered under my breath as I drove onto the street. In reality, it's a true, honest crossover.

TOTAL DECEPTION
I'll let you in on a shameful secret: we rarely check the ground clearance claimed by the manufacturer ourselves. Companies can't outright lie in this area, and crawling under the rear axle housing to find a negligible difference between reality and paperwork is pointless – it can always be chalked up to measurement error. However, the X1's official clearance is provocative – 195 mm, like the grown-ups. At first glance, it's hard to believe. Moreover, in this case, measuring it is easy because it's uniform under the entire underbody. And what do we get? About 180 mm – also quite decent for a car without serious off-road ambitions. But is it really without ambitions? Yes, the front overhang of the "X-first" is a bit large, but in addition to a respectable ground clearance and a flat, athlete-like underbelly, the BMW X1 also has a well-tuned permanent all-wheel drive. On dirt, it allows for lively wheelspin but prevents digging in.


LUCKY FOOLS?
In practice, the off-road part of the test looked like this: we plowed through an abandoned quarry, occasionally hanging on sandy ridges, but each time sliding off them without external help. Former motocross riders stopped training and watched us as if we were lucky idiots. Indeed, from the outside, it was hard to understand how this BMW was so brazenly frolicking off the asphalt. For us, the most interesting moment was when the rear wheel lifted. Knowing that with the front axle steeply dipped and the rear floating freely in the air, the crossover would hardly be able to climb back in reverse, I braced for a dizzying descent. But I still tried reversing – and was amazed. As soon as I took my foot off the brake pedal, the "German lady" climbed the hill on her own. True, after all our adventures, the lower part of the bumper had its fill of sand, but there's nothing wrong with that. If we had been crawling over hard ground or rocks, we'd have had to watch out.


LET GO OF THE WHEEL, DRIVER
Of course, the "Bavarians" are traditionally strong on asphalt. But the latest generation X5, as well as the trendy X6 (the "dream car" according to many, but mostly never-driven, Runet users) have an unpleasant trait. I'm talking about their tendency to transmit all the ruts and bumps to the steering wheel. It's implied that this over-refinement is the flip side of handling. But I still remember old BMWs where the responsive steering somehow didn't overload the driver with unnecessary information. Well, the X1 is made in the good old traditions. It's moderately sharp but doesn't remind you of the song with the lyrics "Hold the wheel tighter, driver!" However, the suspension – yes, it's typically Bavarian.

ROAD OF SMALL CRACKS
All the small bumps, all the cracks were ours, as if the suspension had forgotten to install springs. At speeds forbidden by traffic rules, around 160–180 km/h, it became clear that the seemingly smooth highway consists entirely of small cracks. But large bumps are handled nobly. So much so that there's a temptation not to brake at all for speed bumps. Probably, for Europe, such settings are ideal. And here – well, here you can get used to it in a couple of days. Overall, the handling is tasty, with a rear-wheel-drive accent. It's even better than the BMW X3 – naturally, the center of gravity is lower. Of course, if you push it on a race track – and we did that too – you can feel the computer forcibly dragging the car onto the ideal trajectory. A driver who fancies themselves a pro will find this annoying. The electronic stability system is very advanced and each time suppresses the driver's enthusiasm differently, considering the nuances of the situation. Well, it can be turned off. But note – it works adequately and in real life will surely save at least one body. Especially considering that the version we tested had a powerful engine, shamelessly provoking aggressive driving.


ALWAYS READY
The diesel engine in the BMW X1 23d is fantastic. Despite the badge, its displacement is only 1995 cc, but the Bavarians managed to extract 204 "horses" and 400 Nm of torque from it. Moreover, the peak torque comes at 2000 rpm – exactly the mode in which the engine operates most of the time. That is, the maximum newton-meters is always under your foot. Very comfortable, especially in the city. Can the 23d be criticized? Please: at idle, you can hear that it's a diesel under the hood. Some more modest brands have already learned to make quieter compression-ignition engines. It's a pity they are far from the "Bavarians" in terms of performance. And in general – personally, I like the voice of a diesel. I also really liked that the average fuel consumption in our measurements didn't exceed 7.5 liters per hundred. This, by the way, includes highway speeds, track racing, traffic jams, and off-roading.


HANDS OFF
The "automatic" pairs well with the engine, although in normal mode it gives a slight delay during hard acceleration. However, the hesitation is negligible; no one except the BMW driver will notice anything. Want to get rid of it anyway? Switch to sport mode. Just don't try to shift gears manually: the electronics start comparing your commands with the crankshaft speed and vehicle speed, so in the end, you gain no time – quite the opposite. Unless you use the manual mode emulation for engine braking? But you're unlikely to want to do that after using the firm German brakes with extremely delicate ABS. For off-roading, manual mode can be useful, especially since it's honest and doesn't shift gears on its own.

TECH SPECS: BMW X1

DISORDER ON THE LEFT
One of the reasons to love the brand, which BMW gives its fans, is, of course, the cockpit ergonomics. The seat that firmly embraces you, the chubby small steering wheel, clearly readable instruments, sporty seating position, and, despite it, excellent visibility – all this is fully present in the X1 as well. The leather seats are good, the plastic panels are soft, and there's plenty of room for the driver and front passenger. Everything seems perfect. But what disrupts the German order? Oh, it's my left pant leg, dirty on the inside. Yes, the sills are wide, and the seating is low, and owners of the "X-first" will have to remember this. There's also another design point: behind a tall driver, a passenger will be a bit cramped. Yes, I see that a good part of the overall length is eaten by the hood, which allows fitting, among other things, an inline petrol "six." I understand that this model is not for those who have only one car in the family. But the fact remains. By the way, in my opinion, it would have been better to make the X1 a three-door. That would be more honest, and most importantly – much cooler.