BMW X1: Breaking traditional barriers

MANILA, Philippines - I’ve never eaten an ostrich burger before. Nor have I had chili chocolate truffles and tequila shots with gummy bears inside. But last Thursday night, January 28, Asian Carmakers Corporation, the exclusive importer of BMW vehicles in the country, dragged several hundred guests straight out of their comfort zone and threw us straight into a cocktail of contrasts that served as some sort of foreplay to introducing us to something completely new: the BMW X1.

This is not a replacement model to anything that BMW currently has in its line up; this is an all new model that has the daunting task of carving out an entirely new segment in the market. “If you look at the X3 and the X6, these are also ground-breaking models that defined an entirely new segment,” Johannes Seibert, managing director for BMW Asia, shared with The STAR during a very private round table discussion at the Rockwell Club. “We set our own trends.”

Built up from a 3-Series touring, the X1 is unlike anything you have ever seen on our roads before. It looks like what would happen if you left an X3 and a 1-Series in a room together with a bottle of tequila and checked on them nine months later. Neither wagon or SUV, the X1 is a younger, more energetic SAV, or Sports Activity Vehicle in BMW speak.

It is powered by BMW’s sensational 2-liter diesel engine that pumps out a very lively 177 horsepower with a six speed automatic transmission, plus there’s BMW’s Xdrive which makes sure the power is distributed fairly to all four wheels. There’s power on almost every single millimeter of travel of the accelerator, which is not uncommon in sports vehicles, but the difference is that it remains quite humble about it, too. Overtaking is effortless, and despite a fairly spirited drive to Bataan, I still managed to get 15 kilometers to the liter.

It drives just like a 3-Series touring, but there’s a slightly better view thanks to the higher ground clearance. It lacks the space of a dedicated SUV, and is in fact a bit tighter in cargo room than the wagon that it’s built up from, but it still managed to swallow up a growing family of five and all the paraphernalia needed to keep everyone happy for five days at the beach.

BMW also announced a rear wheel drive model (which is a first for the X series) that promises to cut a decent chunk out of the P3.895 million price tag. Plus it should return even better fuel consumption figures. There’s no word, however on when we will see one locally.

Inside, it is all very familiar. Plastics and materials are all outstanding, and nothing less than what you would expect from a 1-Series, but the dashboard design isn’t as upright and formal. The rear cargo area also features some very clever and inconspicuous rubber straps that kept my camera bag completely secure during the drive through the winding roads leading to the historical Mt. Samat.

Controversial as it may be, cars like the X1 are a shining example of BMW’s shift in priorities and their commitment to plugging just about every gap in their customer profiles. Tragic as their pull out from F1 was, Seibert continues to explain, “The extensive resources that were devoted to F1 are much better spent on new technologies and products that will directly benefit our customers.” He brings up the example of the equally controversial X6, which was once referred to as Chris Bangle’s parting joke to BMW, and how it now enjoys phenomenal success in Europe.

Times are changing. Cars like the X6, 5-series GT, and now the X1 are mechanical proof that car companies are trying to keep up. Once you get past the initial, “what is it?” phase, it is pretty difficult to fault the X1. It’s different, yes, but then again, so are more and more new car buyers. And ostrich burgers.

When was the last time you tried something new?