After the presentation last year of the new BMW X1, now it is the turn of the electrified variants of this model. With the BMW iX1, BMW's small SUV becomes a 100% electric car that we have already been able to test and learn in detail, to tell you all its details.
The brand talks about the new BMW iX1 as its first all-wheel drive electric car developed for the premium compact segment. Starting from the same base as the X1, and keeping its dimensions and exterior design almost unchanged, this car changes significantly on the inside for its new role.
Two motors and one battery
Instead of having a front engine and front-wheel drive or xDrive like the combustion versions, this BMW iX1 has two electric motors integrated into the front and rear axles, which offer 313 hp of maximum power and 494 Nm of torque.
We are therefore facing a car that always circulates with all-wheel drive, but that offers benefits far superior to those of any other X1. It does 0 to 100 km/h in 5.7 seconds and reaches a top speed of 180 km/h since it is electronically limited.
Under the floor of the vehicle and with a very flat shape, the BMW iX1 houses a lithium battery pack with a capacity of 64.7 kWh, which gives it a range of more than 413 km in the WLTP cycle.
The charging socket is located on the right rear wing, and as standard it accepts a maximum charging power of 11 kWh in AC (22 kWh available as an option) while in DC the power reaches 130 kWh.
In this way, you can charge the battery from 0 to 100 in 6.5 hours at 11 kW, while in a fast charger at 130 kW in 29 minutes you can go from 10 to 80% charge.
Small design changes
At the design level, there are very few elements that change compared to the combustion versions that we can consider conventional. The main change is found in the front kidneys, which are completely bricked up, but by maintaining their vertical blade design as in the normal X1, they hardly attract attention.
The shape of the air intake and the front bumper have been slightly modified to make it more aerodynamic and for the air to flow more correctly towards the sides.
There are details in blue color in some sections. For example, the BMW logo in all its internal and external locations is outlined in blue, indicating that we are dealing with the electric version.
There are many body colors available, most without the blue details that the unit we tested shows, which are eligible for the customer who wants to get one of these cars.
Nor does it logically have exhaust outlets. In the place where they should be located there is nothing, although that also happens in the combustion versions that do not have visible exhausts.
Sensations behind the wheel of the BMW iX1
During the presentation of this 100% electric version of the BMW X1, we had the opportunity to drive it in different types of environments to get our first impressions of the car before being able to do an in-depth test later on.
The first thing that stands out about this car on the road is the isolation that is perceived inside. It is extremely quiet and only the murmur of the tires when contacting the road is heard slightly.
The feeling of silence becomes a bit strange, and perhaps that is why each driving mode has its own melody that emits with more or less intensity based on how much we are stepping on the accelerator at each moment.
The car is very well soundproofed. Undoubtedly, a fine job has been done in this regard, which results in a very high ride quality, something that also stood out when we tested the 18d combustion version.
There is plenty of power and the delivery of this instantly as the electric one's command makes the perception be that of driving a sports version of this model.
It weighs two tons due to the batteries, but you don't have
the feeling of driving a heavy car, neither on a highway-type road nor on curvy
roads. In the latter the car has very good poise, it allows us to do the
sections between curves with unprecedented speed and then within them, it
maintains well the trajectories that we set for it.
At the systems level, the BMW 8 operating system and the new BMW iDrive allow you to move through overly complex menus, which are not extremely complete and require an adaptation time to learn to move between them with ease.
I really like the clarity of the information displayed on the curved screen (BMW Curved Display), which unites two screens, one 10.25-inch, and the other 10.7-inch.
If you have programmed a route to your destination in the navigator, the experience of driving it changes a lot compared to not doing it. Because? On the one hand, it shows the navigation instructions by combining the perimeter camera system with augmented reality, drawing dynamic arrows and very clear indications of where we should go at all times.
But beyond this, by having the navigation activated, the system is interpreting the route and adapting the circulation to what precedes us. This means that when reaching the most pronounced curves or going downhill, the car brakes noticeably without even having to touch the brake pedal.
It takes some getting used to the car deciding the pace and braking, but once you get used to it, the level of efficiency is very high.
Prices of the BMW iX1 in Spain
The BMW iX1 costs 56,400 euros in Spain, standing halfway
between the two plug-in hybrid versions, the X1 xDrive 25e which costs 55,050
euros, and the 30e which goes to 58,050 euros with its 326 CV.
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