The subcompact luxury SUV segment has been booming in the last few years, and in turn, many brands offer some very compelling products in this space, which wasn't very competitive a few years back. The BMW X1, which came to the American market back in 2009, was one of the best-selling offerings of the segment. However, the weird design and the lack of space were some of its downsides. To sort this out, BMW came with the second generation of the X1 in 2015 and the current 2022 model is part of the same generation too.
The 2022 BMW X1 has lots of things going for it. The peppy four-pot turbocharged motor coupled with the lively chassis and sophisticated suspension setup make it the best driving machine in the segment, even after more than 7 years of being in continuous production. With the rising competition from the likes of the Volvo XC40, Audi Q3, and Mercedes-Benz GLA, here are 10 things to know before getting the 2022 BMW X1.
10 Powerful Motor Makes It Very Fun To Drive
The 2022 BMW X1 comes in with the same 2L TwinPower turbocharged inline-4 motor that produces 228 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque. Being a gasoline direct injection DOHC 4-valve motor, the X1 feels quite peppy throughout the rev range and comes out as the best of the lot in terms of performance. It comes mated to both FWD and xDrive AWD drivetrains.
Even with a small 2-liter motor with a single turbocharger on board, the low-end performance is better than the rivals like the Mercedes-Benz GLA 250 and the Volvo XC40, both of which come at a similar price. The mid-range is where the X1 shines, and that makes it a capable cruiser. Even the top-end performance is adequate, and the motor revs cleanly to about 6,000 RPM.
9 Sharp Handler
Being a Bimmer, the sporty personality of the brand is retained well in the 2022 X1. Similar to the outgoing 2021 model, the 2022 BMW X1 comes with the strut front suspension with coil springs and multi-link rear suspension with coil springs. The stiff unibody chassis and the 18" wheels wrapped in 225 section tires are on board too.
All of these qualities of the 2022 BMW X1 make it the best handling vehicle of the subcompact luxury SUV segment. Take the corners a bit enthusiastically and the driver would be rewarded with sharp precision and minimal understeer. The steering, even though an electric unit, is razor sharp and offers a decent feel and feedback. The AWD drivetrain makes it grip well at the limits as well.
8 Interior Is Spacious
What makes this an even more interesting proposition of the subcompact luxury SUV segment is that it still is one of the most spacious offerings of the segment. Being a 7-year-old model, the 2022 BMW X1s cabin is superior to that of the rivals in terms of interior space. The lower wheelbase of 105.1" is well taken care of by the intelligent interior design too.
The front seat occupants would be happy with the best-in-class headroom and legroom. The seats are well-bolstered and the under-thigh and lower back support is excellent too. The same can also be said about the rear seat space, and the seats are crafted with comfort in mind. The SensaTec upholstery feels high quality, too. If you opt for the M-Sport option, the seats are even more sporty and premium.
7 Exterior Styling Feels Old
With no major design changes in the past few years and being in production for close to 7 years, the second-generation BMW X1 looks a bit old. The front end retains the kidney grille wrapped in chrome, blacked-out air dam & foglamp inserts, and a striking LED headlight with LED DRL incorporated neatly to it. The 9 exterior colors add to the character.
If you want it to stand out further from the more modern rivals, we would recommend you to opt for the M Sport kit, and that adds the beautiful 18" M double-spoke alloy wheels, Shadowline exterior trim, roof rails in high gloss Shadowline, and many more. The LED taillight and the neat character lines of the X1 look elegant too.
6 Great Highway And City Ride Quality
The suspension of the 2022 BMW X1 is tuned to the stiffer side, especially when compared to the 2022 Cadillac XT4. However, that doesn't mean that the passenger has to suffer the harsh ride quality. The 2022 X1 is capable of absorbing almost all the irregularities of the American roads with ease and only transmits the biggest of the potholes. Even then, it doesn't throw the passengers around.
While driving through the fast-moving freeways, the 2022 BMW X1 does a phenomenal job of making the ride very comfortable. The slight stiffness makes for a ride that is not choppy and the passengers wouldn't feel those undulations that are common on our roads. The Suspension works silently, and the body roll is very well controlled as well.
5 Great Braking
The 2022 BMW X1 comes with the same braking hardware found in the outgoing 2021 model. This subcompact luxury SUV comes with 4 wheel disc brakes, all of which are ventilated. Other braking features like ABS with EBD, brake assist, hill descent control, hill hold control, and electronic parking brake are on board as well.
When it comes to the braking performance, the driver would have no major complaints. Even with a fairly heavy curb weight of 3,726 lbs, the braking hardware is more than enough to anchor the car with ease. The feel and feedback offered through the pedal are excellent. The initial bite and progression are top-notch, too. All of these help the car to do the 60-0 mph braking in just 122 feet.
4 Infotainment Leaves A Lot To Be Desired
The 8.8" iDrive touchscreen infotainment system comes unchanged in the 2022 BMW X1 and that is one of the sore points of this subcompact SUV. In comparison to the massive 10.3" MBUX infotainment found in the 2022 GLA-Class, the one in the X1 feels a few years old, both in terms of intuitiveness and tech and features on offer.
This infotainment is not as polished as the ones offered with the rivals and there are minor stutters too. However, the screen is adequately bright and sharp. When it comes to features, Apple CarPlay, navigation, SiriusXM radio, Bluetooth, and many more are standard. However, Android Auto support is not on board. The optional 12-speaker Harman Kardon audio system is superb, offering punchy bass and high-frequency audio output.
3 Plenty Of Safety Features
Safety has always been a USP of almost all the BMWs out there, and the same holds true for the 2022 BMW X1. This SUV has the excellent build quality and that could be understood through the toughness of the panel. Constructed entirely in high-tensile steel and aluminum, it feels safe and secure while on the road. Apart from that, it gets all the relevant features to make it an even safer offering.
Many driver-assistance features, like forward-collision warning, lane departure warning, automatic high beams, lane-keeping assist, etc. come as standard. All the other regular safety features like ABS, airbags, traction control, etc. are there too. This helps the car to achieve an overall safety rating of 5-stars in the NHTSA crash test and a good rating in most of the subsections of the IIHS crash test.
2 Fuel Efficiency Is Pretty Decent
The turbocharged 2-liter inline-4 motor of the 2022 BMW X1 offers above-average fuel efficiency, and that is going to impress all the family buyers out there. The car could do 23 mpg in the cities and an impressive 31 mpg on the highways. With a smooth-shifting transmission that could shift to the 8th gear when riding through the freeways at a moderate speed of close to 60 mph, the 2022 X1 turned out to be quite frugal.
Combined gas mileage of 26 mpg is superior to the 2022 Audi Q3 and the 2022 Volvo XC40. However, the 2022 Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class managed to churn out a slightly superior city and highway gas mileage. With a 16.1-gallon fuel tank capacity, the 2022 BMW X1 could do a city range of 370 miles and a highway range of 499 miles on a full tank.
1 Cabin Feels A Bit Dated
The aging interior design is likely to turn away many of the prospective buyers from the 2022 BMW X1. The interior design is nowhere as striking and classy as the 2022 Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class, which is a brand-new offering of the segment. Even the less expensive Volvo XC40 comes with a more gorgeous interior design.
However, the cabin quality is pretty decent for the segment and all the touchpoints come wrapped in a premium material. The dashboard gets leather and soft-touch plastics, and the switches have a clicky feel to them. The wooden and brushed aluminum inserts accentuate the design too. However, it doesn't have the same appeal as the rivals and feels a bit old school, especially in comparison to the GLAs beautiful-looking dashboard and steering design.