New BMW X1 gets botox, dizzying spec list

The BMW X1 is only three years old, but it’s already been given a facelift. The vehicle, which BMW says invented the premium compact crossover segment, now features revised styling, new engines and a dizzying array of trim levels.

The BMW X1 has been tweaked. It still looks a bit like a shoe, mind.

The new X1 features tweaked front and rear bumpers and slightly revised headlamps that feature optional LED “corona rings” and a white LED eyebrow under the headlamp lenses. There are minor tweaks inside, too, including higher quality surface materials, and a high gloss black finish to the speakers and air vent surrounds. It’s not a massive change — it’s more botox than facelift, really — but it dusts off the cobweb quite nicely.

The car is available with a range of diesel engines, all of which are based on BMW’s 2-litre, all-aluminium TwinPower Turbo unit. Most engine versions are available in either two-wheel-drive sDrive or four-wheel-drive xDrive guises.

For its flagship £31,860 X1 xDrive25d, BMW has gone to town by fitting a pair of turbos — one small unit responsible for low rev response and a larger blower that kicks in at higher revs. Together, they help the engine produce 218bhp and 450Nm of torque, which allows for a pretty startling 0-62mph time of 6.8 seconds. Emissions and economy aren’t too shabby, either — it returns 47.9mpg combined and spits just 154g/km.

At the entry level, BMW offers a two-wheel-drive X1 sDrive18d, which sells for a more reasonable £24,660. In this car, the engine produces 143bhp, 320Nm of torque, emits 128g/km of CO2 and will return 57.6mpg on the combined cycle. If you really must have four-wheel-drive, the £26,150 xDrive18d is your best bet. It uses the same engine as the sDrive18d, but returns around 6 fewer miles per gallon and spits 16g more CO2 every kilometre.

The new X1 is available in a host of trim levels including SE at the entry level and M Sport at the top end. In the middle, just above SE, BMW offers Sport trim, which comes with a dark chrome exhaust pipe, a high gloss finish on the black bumper trims, roof rails and side sills, and switchable ambient light that makes the cabin more lust-worthy. Above that is the new xLine trim. This bumps up the wheel size from 17 to 18 inches, provides a chrome finish to the exhaust and kidney grill engine vents at the front, and gets a dark copper interior with Nevada leather.

The new X1 goes on sale in July 2012.

Images: