A BMW you can buy without robbing a bank

When BMW announced that India would be one of the first markets they would launch the new X1, most in the (always squabbling) automotive writing fraternity were a bit surprised. Some believed that by bringing in a 'cheap' BMW, the Bavarian car company would devalue their brand et al. In a sign that many automotive journalists have their heads up, BMW India's problem since they launched the car has not been one of selling the car, but of having enough supplies. One of my closest friends Aditya, who ordered his X1 (a 1.8 petrol) in March, will only get delivery of his car in July.

The thing is, a BMW is a BMW, and while this car may not be the "Ultimate Driving machine" it does reflect BMW's new ad-line 'Joy' rather well. You still get the white-and-blue spinner (not a propeller, but inspired by the Bavarian flag) for less than the price of a small Gurgaon flat. Which says something. This is not a car that says so much about the owner enjoying driving as it does about the owner's status.

Driving Experience
The X1 is not a large car, nor is it very high off the road, which actually makes it quite a lot of fun to drive. It has the 2.0 litre four-cylinder diesel that also does duty on the 3-series, whose platform the X1 is actually based on and both cars share the 2760mm wheelbase. But this is hardly a sports-utility vehicle and more like a raised station wagon. That said, the engine with 177 horsepower does have some 'oomph', but the kick in the butt that say the 535i can give you, but quite an impressive turn of speed nonetheless. But the really good fun is when it comes to corners. Yes, we still prefer a BMW sedan, but this car can turn into sharp corners at speeds you would never, ever should taker a Mahindra Scorpio to on straight roads. The Toyota Fortuner feels like the Titanic, this feels like speedboat with twin outboard motors.

That is the fun bit, from a daily driving experience. This is what you have to know. Pedestrians and motorcyclists are scared of the kidney-grills. In Delhi at least, and most people know why (search for 'BMW+Delhi+Accident' on Google and you will know why). In 'normal' driving mode, the auto-box does fairly well and the engine returns a respectable 10 kilometers per litre and when you consider diesel costs Rs 37.75 a litre, that is quite frugal. But whenever you want to have fun, this car delivers that. And for that reason alone it is far better than the Fortuner or the Santa Fe.

Interiors
The seats are not as good as those on more expensive Beamers, as they do not stretch out and miss the massagers. But they are still quite comfortable and hold you side the seats quite well. Again, the driving area is very well laid out, but the car feels rather tiny when it comes to storage space. Unless pricier BMWs, it has a mechanical handbrake which eats into centre console storage space and when you are like me and have a mobile charger, auxiliary cable, cans of Diet Coke and assorted papers. The BMW iDrive control system (the round button on the centre console) has come a long way from its early days and after some initial fiddling (note do this when the car is stopped) everything is very easy to set up. I still prefer the mobile phone Bluetooth connect system on Audi's, but BMW's system is not bad at all.

The only problem is that after one has driven larger BMWs, the X1 feels small. Rear seat space is not great at all, this is not a car meant to be driven in, this is a car that is meant to be driven. And not with too much family either. The panoramic sunroof is quite a joy though, and even though using it in summer is should only be done by people who are clinically insane it should be great in Delhi's winters. There is more than enough space for a couple's luggage for a weekend getaway or two golf bags. It isn't the largest car in the world, but it isn't a Nano either.

Conclusion
Look, this is a BMW that you can buy without breaking the bank. No German car comes close to competing with this, the Audi Q3 is still a year away. It is already sold out and even when supplies stablise BMW India is expecting that a 'reasonable' wait time will be one month. You can do better for Rs 28 lakh - get a big Skoda or Volkswagen instead, which will probably be more fun when you put the pedal down. But this car is also about the 'badge' and this car has it. So much so, that this particular car had its front number plate stolen from my house before BMW took it back. Go figure!