With the departure of the now iconic i3, BMW has made the X1, now in its third generation, the entry model to the world of electric cars in Monaco, adding the denomination 'i' in addition to the xDrive30 label which distinguishes the type of traction and power level.
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Bmw iX1 xDrive30, what an evolution of the electric 'entry level'
iX1 xDrive30 is the result of production at the BMW Group plant in Regensburg where for the first time cars with combustion engines, plug-in hybrid systems and fully electric propulsion come off a single assembly line.
And it is also the ambassador of a real qualitative leap in BMW's 'basic' electric mobility because it brings - as we were able to verify in a test on the Milan-Modena route and back - the pleasure of driving without emissions and with true BMW behavior in a segment which in terms of cost (the price list starts at 58,400 euros excluding incentives) and size is accessible to a wider public.
Among other things, iX1 is aesthetically identical to the other variants of this family.
The vigorous proportions, the now almost squared contours of the wheel arches and the new Bmw X style of the front (with the slim LED headlights and the large almost square kidney grille) which is also found at the rear do not change.
The sense of robustness of the new BMW X1 and thus also of the electric variant iX1 can be emphasized thanks to specific design elements that are part of the xLine equipment, while the M Sport level places the emphasis on sportiness and driving pleasure.
The contribution of the new interiors is also important: what is proposed by the third generation of the Monaco sav (in the same configuration for all types of propulsion) is a decidedly premium level avant-garde environment.
The key elements of the new cabin are the slim instrument panel, the BMW Curved Display, the 'floating' armrest with new integrated control panel and the new gear selector,
Traveling silently as only the battery-powered propulsion group can do, the improvements made by BMW in terms of aerodynamic noise and tire rolling are also appreciated.
occupant protection.
When travelling, even over long distances, the changes to the rear sofa are also to be judged positively, especially in terms of seating comfort.
However, it must be said that the internal configuration of the iX1 has led to a slight reduction in the useful volume of the boot which goes from 490 to 1,495 litres, therefore 50 less than the X1s with internal combustion engines.
In addition to the operating system 8, the standard equipment of the X1 and therefore also of the iX1 model includes BMW Maps navigation, a sports leather steering wheel, intelligent two-zone automatic climate control and a rain sensor with automatic headlight activation, as well as four USB-C ports, two 12-Volt power outlets and more driver assistance systems.
As regards road behavior and performance, it should be emphasized that the iX1 xDrive30 is the first four-wheel drive electric car introduced by BMW in the premium compact segment.
There are two fifth generation propulsion units (high efficiency and less use of rare earths) which are integrated on the front and rear axle.
Together they deliver a combined power of 230 kW equal to 313 Hp (taking into account the
BMW iX1 xDrive30 sprints from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.7 seconds and reaches a self-limited top speed of 180 km/h.
It should be noted that the fifth generation eDrive technology also includes improvements to the direct charging hardware and software inherited from what was done for the BMW i7.
The high-voltage battery is placed flat in the underbody and its high density (64 kW) gives the car a range of 415 - 440 km.
The charging system up to 11 kW in alternating current is supplied as standard, ideal for overnight recharging, but by purchasing the 22 kW option which also allows you to reach 130 kW in direct current, you can go up to the rapid columns from 10 to 80% charge in about 30 minutes.
