BMW iX1 Review

Practicality and boot space

The BMW iX1 is far roomier than the old i3. There's plenty of space up front and you can have a touch of luxury too – the seats can be electrically adjustable and have a massage function. There’s another 22mm in the wheelbase over the outgoing X1, to the immediate benefit of anyone climbing into the back. Rear seat passengers will be basking in the kind of room normally found in SUVs a size bigger – handy given the batteries naturally eat into room a little over stock X1s, as well as robbing them of sliding/reclining rear seats. Nevertheless, boot capacity suffers far less than you might fear, peaking at 490 litres seats up/1,495 litres seats down.

Interior and design

There’s definitely a bit of a late-Nineties MPV vibe to the interior, which is praise rather than criticism. For years, car interiors have favoured earnest tones and a feeling of cosiness as ‘premium’. This is BMW claiming back brightness and roominess as a virtue, and while you might miss iDrive’s famous rotary wheel when you first navigate the vast touchscreen, there’s no doubt this is a car well suited to the task at hand. Some pretty natural voice control is there to help if the screen gets a bit discombobulating.

Dashboard

The BMW iX1 uses the same dashboard as the 2 Series Active Tourer. It's all very minimalist, and the few buttons BMW has actually fitted are neatly grouped on the centre console. The interior is dominated by BMW's latest curved screen which stretches across the dashboard and combines a 10.7-inch infotainment screen and a 10.25-inch driver's display. There are plenty of storage spaces – our favourites include the huge area beneath the centre console, and the wireless charging pad for your phone which is vertically placed behind the cupholders. Overall, the interior is very neat and clutter-free.

Technology & Equipment

The iX1 sticks to BMW's tried and tested trim line-up, comprising Sport, xLine and M Sport. The good news is equipment is strong even in the entry-level Sport, meaning you don't have to pay extra for fancier styling of the other two models or plunder the options list too much. 

Standard tech includes the large screens, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, LED headlights, dual-zone climate control, a reversing camera with rear parking sensors, and a powered tailgate. Move up to xLine and you slightly more off-roader look and bright trim for the exterior, while for the inside there's a stitched dashboard and heated seats. The xLine also gets adaptive dampers meaning you can soften or firm up the suspension. 

The range-topping model is the predicted best-seller, though. M Sport is traditionally the favourite among British buyers due to the sportier styling and those little 'M' badges dotted around the car which reference BMW's M high performance division. M Sport cars also get a darker, sportier interior with sports seats, keyless entry, wireless phone charging and adaptive LED headlights.

Safety 

The iX1 gets a whole host of safety kit as standard, all wrapped up in its 'Active Guard' system, and an attentiveness monitor. It means the iX1 earned the top five-star safety rating under Euro NCAP's new testing rules. It scored 73% in Safe Driving, 83% in Crash Avoidance, 86% in Crash Protection, and an impressive 95% in Post Crash Safety.