The appearance is handsome, the blue color of the test car is what really turns heads (photo: Keinan Cohen)
Price:
NIS 360,000 (test), NIS 340,000 (base)
Competitors:
Genesis GV60, Tesla Model Y, Volvo XC40, Mercedes EQA, Audi Q4 E TRON
We liked:
performance, behavior, cabin, accessories
We didn't like:
interface User, brakes
Score:
8.5
The transition to electric propulsion brings with it world order changes in the automotive industry.
Even beyond contributing to the reduction of pollutant emissions, it also changes perceptions that have been established for years, those that placed versions with large and powerful gasoline engines at the top of the range.
The BMW of the last decade is a great example of this change.
Take its first baptism of fire in the electric world - the i3 which aimed for maximum efficiency and although it was a lovely car, produced no drift in that direction and certainly did not benefit the company's image.
But since then, if we put aside the products of the dedicated M division, it was actually the plug-in versions that offered the higher powers.
Even today when its offer includes dedicated electrics and convertibles such as i7 in the luxury category, i4 in the sports sedan or iX3 and iX in the worlds of crossovers - if available power is what you are looking for, this is the place to go.
This is also the case for the third generation of the small crossover in its family the iX1 - the electric version of the current X1.
After driving the gasoline version from which we returned full of appreciation to the car and full of criticism regarding its weak link - the engine, he got a chance to correct the impression with his electric version.
The opaque grill is the one that betrays the fact that this is the electric version, apart from the silence of course (photo: Keinan Cohen)
Design:
The exterior is the same as the X1, except for some bluish decorations and the inscription with the name of the model and of course an opaque grill, at first glance it is hard to tell that it is one with an electric drive.
It may work less for customers who are looking to make a visual statement to the environment about their concern for the environment.
Passenger cabin:
The passenger compartment also looks exactly like that of the petrol version.
The most prominent element in it is the cleanliness of its entire upper level from buttons and the layout of the displays on a digital dashboard with a multitude of displays (to the point of overload) and next to it a multimedia screen that centralizes the control of most of the vehicle's systems.
As part of the minimization in the cabin, it gives up the historic i Drive dial from the central console, which becomes a "floating" one with a storage space below it.
The quality of the materials and the composition are excellent, the sports seats combine exceptional support and comfort, and the driving position is high and the outward visibility is very good.
The main criticism about the passenger cabin focuses on the user interface that requires too much attention to operate the climate control and too small symbols on the display.
Functions such as controlling the power of the regenerative braking, for example, which should be in a fast accessible button and buried in the menus.
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The quality of the materials is excellent, the operating system of the vehicle systems is unnecessarily cumbersome at times (Photo: Keinan Cohen)
Another thing at the user interface level is the car's default to start playing music from the connected phone right when the car is opened and continue playing it even when we arrived, left the car and closed the door and it will only stop when you lock it.
It also turns itself off every time you get out of the car, even if it's just to take something out of the trunk for a moment or take something from the back seat.
The rear seat is suitable for two adults only, also due to the width, but also due to the remainder of the gasoline version - a bump in the floor that is used here for a small storage compartment, above it air conditioning ports and charging sockets.
The spacing itself is very good for what is ultimately a compact crossover.
Trunk:
The trunk maintains its convenient configuration and the wide loading opening.
It does sacrifice 50 liters of its volume and goes down to 490 liters due to the need to place an engine there and also the spare wheel gives way to a lower storage compartment.
Good space for two passengers in the back (photo: Keinan Cohen)
Equipment:
The test car came in the M Sport trim level, which includes a host of decorations and decorations in the spirit of the performance division.
In addition to these, there is a nice list of comfort accessories such as electric adjustment for the front seats with heating and massage for the lower back, a panoramic sun window, an electric trunk door, a Harman Kardon audio system, a wireless charging pad for mobile phones.
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And there is also the extended parking package with the reverse assistant that is able to drive in reverse gear the last 50 meters to assist in exiting tight parking spaces.
The safety systems include automatic braking, adaptive cruise control, rear cross traffic warning, lane departure correction, "dead zone" vehicle warning with steering wheel correction to prevent lane deviation and peripheral cameras.
50 liters less than in the gasoline version (Photo: Keinan Cohen)
Performance:
In our test drive of the gasoline version of the X1 we touched on the fact that the 1.5-liter engine with its 136 horses is the car's literal weak link.
Well, the iX1 definitely changes the picture.
Two electric motors throw 313 horses and 50.4 kg on the two axles of the wheels. And that means that even with a curb weight of 2 tons, it is kicked off the place with power, and not only from the place, also at intermediate accelerations. It translates every increase in pressure on the throttle at lightning speed. And that's even before we switched to the sport mode which sharpens the whole business even more.
Immediately recognized as a BMW even with a quick glance from the side (photo: Keinan Cohen)
Power consumption and range: At the end of the test drive, the power consumption was 5.5 km per kilowatt hour, or 18.2 kilowatt hours per 100 km.
Reasonable consumption, we have come across more economical cars, but considering its performance, capabilities and purpose it is not unusual.
The range under these conditions was 356 km. In administrative driving segments the consumption was such that it would allow him to effortlessly reach 400 kilometers in real world conditions.
Even without exhausts, he remembers how to move (Photo: Keinan Cohen)
Comfort and Handling:
In its normal driving situations, the iX1's ride comfort is very good.
Its adaptive shock absorbers manage to combine the restraint of the chassis with the absorption of road shocks.
The noise isolation is very good and even with tires with a section of 45 on a 19 rim, except for the constant problem of such dimensions in braking the small disturbances, the general impression is very good.
Like all BMWs, the expectation from him on the winding road is to be the benchmark of the group.
The electric version definitely does the job in this section.
The steering wheel is sharp and very precise, its weight is good and it is possible to make the entrance in front of it more precise with minor repairs.
Here, too, the shock absorbers manage to restrain the chassis and maintain very moderate roll angles, and both of these have BMW's excellent power transmission system.
Every time you leave it, you can really feel how the horses come down to the wheels exactly when and where they are needed.
It doesn't deliver as much as a real driving experience of precise power level control, but it does provide it with a very fast sewing pace on a twisty road.
Those who did not meet the expectations and the high level of the other assemblies are the brakes.
Their non-progressive movement makes precise braking difficult.
Not forgetting where he came from in the world of electricity (Photo: Keinan Cohen)
The bottom line
The iX1 is BMW's representative in the most turbulent group in the luxury market, from Lexus to Genesis, from Volvo to Audi, Mercedes and Tesla, all have a competitor in the category.
The game here is not only in terms of range and efficiency, but also on image and its justification.
In these respects, the iX1 fulfills this task with distinction.
It combines an excellent passenger cabin, proper utility in a small crossover, very nice equipment and these are the added value of BMW - performance and road behavior.
Among the converted versions such as the Mercedes EQA, the Volvo XC40 is a right-wing marker in terms of its capabilities, compared to dedicated models such as the Genesis GV60 or the Audi Q4 E TRON, it may pay a price in terms of space, usability and electrical efficiency, how much and where exactly?
The comparative test will answer this question.
By the way, the price of the test car is NIS 360,000, you won't hear us say that it's an affordable price, but it places it in the center of the competition, and when compared to the competition in terms of dimensions, performance and equipment, it can even be said that it is completely fair for a car that is not Free from flaws (and who isn't), manages to successfully and admirably sit on the seam line between the old world of BMW, the one from which it grew and the new era it is marching towards.
The prefix iX accompanies all BMW off-road trams (Photo: Keinan Cohen)
On the technical side: BMW iX1
Engine, drive:
electric, two engines, double
Battery:
64.7 kWh (net)
Power (hp):
313
Torque (kgm):
50.4
Gearbox:
automatic single ratio
Dimensions:
Length (m):
4.5
Width (m):
1.8
Height (m):
1.6
Wheelbase (cm):
269
Trunk (liters):
490
Performance:
0-100 acceleration (seconds):
5.6
Maximum speed (km/h):
180
Range (test):
355 km
Safety:
European crash test score:
not performed
Active safety:
Automatic braking, lane departure correction, "dead zone" vehicle warning with steering intervention, adaptive cruise control, rear cross traffic warning with
air pollution braking:
Group 1 of 15
Warranty:
3 years/ 100,000 km
vehicle
Vehicle tests
Tags
BMW
BMW X1
electric car
electric car