Like a lot of car manufacturers, and certainly all the ones with the premium or prestige badges, BMW’s move to SUVs and Crossovers started near the top of their range with the X5, and over time, smaller models were then added, first the X3 with the smaller and cheaper X1 arriving in 2009, after the display of a concept model at the 2008 Paris Show. Based on the then current 3 Series, this was a little smaller than the X3, and was intended to provide a cheaper entry point to the range and to complement the also rear wheel drive 1 series hatch models in the mid-size segments, which is where there are the largest sales volumes of all. The first cars received something of a mixed reaction, with many finding them somewhat disappointing. For the second generation model, BMW tried harder – as indeed they needed to do, with strong competition from Audi’s Q3 and Mercedes’ GLA as well as whole slew of other rivals – and build a completely different car, now with standard front wheel drive, sharing its platform with the MINI Countryman as well as BMW’s own 2 Series Active and Gran Tourer and later also the sportier X2. This time, the press were more favourably impressed and most of them put the car close to the top of the class. Sales have been strong, though BMW’s larger X3 still outsells it on a global basis. I’ve driven a couple of examples of the X3 and found it to be very competent but not exactly exciting or even to feel particularly BMW like from behind the wheel even the interior design does impart that family style very well. I found the X2 to even more un-BMW like, and opined that it could pass for almost anything even if you were not able to see the badges. So now, with this latest rental car, picked up from Hertz’ LAX airport, it is the turn of the X1.

The second generation X1 made its debut in 2016, and as is the way with pretty much every car that has a 6 or 7 year production life, as well as very few detailed but very minor changes made very year, it has received what is often referred to as the mid-cycle update. That came in 2019 for the 2020 model years in the American market. I did actually spot examples of both 2019 and 2020 cars at Hertz when I selected this one and you can most readily tell the more recent car from the earlier by the slightly larger front grille. The bumpers were also restyled and the infotainment screen has been enlarged as part of the upgrade to iDrive 6, as well as some changes in spec and equipment, but these are all pretty minor, so in essence the X1 of 2020 is pretty similar to the models of three or four years back, during which time both its main rivals have been moved to a new generation and there are plenty of other fresh alternatives on offer for those who can look beyond a German badge. So how would the X1 fare?

There is only one engine available in US market X1 cars, so they are all badged X1 28i. Of course that does not mean a 2.8 litre engine, but rather a 2.0 litre turbo four, but it does put out a healthy 228 bhp which is enough to give the car a decent performance. There is a slightly rorty sound when the car is worked hard which most will find quite pleasing, but otherwise, the lasting impression is of a car which is smooth, refined and generally quiet. The eight speed automatic gearbox is well matched to the engine and makes barely perceptible upshifts when accelerating. Mid-range acceleration is strong and the car never seemed to get caught out. Quoted performance figures suggest that this is one of the fastest cars in its class. The Stop/start system, so unloved by Americans, actually worked pretty well. I covered a total of 222 miles in my time with the X1and put 8.3 gallons in to fill it up, which works out at 26,78 mpg US or 31.95 mpg Imperial, not that impressive a result. Of course, it is quite possible that despite the car appearing to be full on collection, it may well have only been “rental car full”, but I suspect that the downside of the relatively potent engine by class standards is a greater appetite for fuel.

If you expect this to feel like a “proper” BMW to drive then prepare to be disappointed. The steering is rather lifeless, so whilst the car is easy to drive and manoeuvre, there really is not much feel to it. Whilst the X1 grips well, perhaps thanks to the xDrive four-wheel drive system of the test car, the handling is nothing special, and the car seemingly runs wide on turns, understeering quite readily. Body roll is kept in check, though. It is all safe and predictable, but a long way from what you would call fun. BMW have probably figured out that the target market for the car don’t actually want it any other way, and they are probably right. US market BMWs generally do not have run flat tyres and so the ride tends to be a lot better than the very stiff experience you get in UK market cars with their M Sport suspensions further compounding the problem. The test car came on relatively high profile 225/60R18 wheels and the ride was pretty good. There were no issues with the brakes which did what was required of them without undue pedal effort. Visibility is as good as you get in most modern cars, with a rear-view camera and parking sensors helping out when reversing. The X1 does not yet have the full suite of so-called safety features such as Lane Keep Assist to annoy one, which I see as a Good Thing.

The interior of the X1 is very obviously a BMW, and that means a mix of good and bad. Thankfully, more of the former. There is lots of leather on the dash, along with grey and gloss black inlays, and whilst the quality is still not up to that of an Audi, it is still better than a lot of cars in this class. There is a very chunky leather-wrapped steering wheel, which is, as is the case with most BMWs a bit too chunky for most people, and this one was looking decidedly worn after 32k miles of rental car duty. As the X1 goes back to 2016, it has yet to be given the latest rather trendy and over fussy looking instrumentation, so here you get two nice simple large dials for the speedometer and rev counter with smaller fuel level and water temperature gauges inset. The area between them is use for trip computer functions. As seems to be the case with all current BMWs, the odometer is right at the bottom of the display and I cannot read it from my driving position, which is a bit frustrating. On the plus side, BMW abandoned their brief sojourn with one-touch column stalks, so you get conventional ones here for indicators and wipers, with lights operated by a rotary dial on the dash to the left of the wheel. The centre of the dash, mounted high, above the air vents, contains the 8.8” colour infotainment touch screen. The graphics are crisp and clear and it is easily operated using the iDrive rotary control wheel and buttons in the centre console. Others should take note (Including BMW themselves with their most recent models!). The system also includes XM Satellite radio and navigation as well as Apple car Play. Pleasingly there are still knobs and buttons to operate the audio system. Beneath these are the buttons for the dual zone climate control.

Seat upholstery is a faux leather which is just about nice enough, though like all lower-end BMW models, you always feel that it is as cheap as they can they can get away with. The seats themselves have full electric adjustment and a 2 position memory to store settings once you’ve found the one that works for you. The SUV-esque styling means that there is plenty of headroom, so this feels like quite a spacious car. It is also quite a comfortable one, with plenty of padding in the seats but this model lacks the customary extensible bolster for those who are long in the thigh bone that features in many BMW products.

Rear passenger space is also good. Even with the front seats set well back, there should be ample legroom for most people and just as in the front, there is lots of headroom, though the central armrest unit does extend a long way back, so a middle seat occupant might struggle for somewhere to put their legs. Passengers here benefit from a central armrest with cupholders in the upper surface, a couple of USB ports, their own air vents, seat nets and door bins for small items.

Access to the boot is with a power-assisted tailgate, which is a standard feature of the car, a slightly unusual feature in this market sector. There is a good-sized boot which is both long and wide and the total capacity is a little larger than that of the Audi Q3 or Mercedes GLA. There is a stowage well under the floor where once there would have been a spare wheel and this is good for more than a few odds and ends. The rear seat backrests are split 40/20/40 and simply drop down onto the seat backrests to create a much longer load platform. Inside the passenger cabin there is a decently-sized glovebox, the usual door bins and under armrest cubby as well as a small lidded one over the driver’s left knee, which means that there should be ample provision for holding the various bits and pieces that tend to accumulate in a family car.

The US range is very different from that offered in Europe. Americans get the choice of just two models, the front-wheel drive X1 sDrive28i or the all-wheel-drive X1 xDrive28i. That means that every US market X1 comes with a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine good for 228 bhp and 258 lb-ft of torque. An eight-speed automatic transmission is also standard, whereas in Europe,  there is a whole array of models, petrol, diesel and hybrid all of them with less power than this. European also get more in the way of trim options. The US market X1 comes with a reasonable list of standard features, and BMW will happily sell you more in one of its option packages. Every X1 comes with features such as simulated leather seats, an 8.8-inch touchscreen, a navigation system, Apple CarPlay smartphone integration, power-adjustable front seats, automatic wipers and a power liftgate. A variety of advanced driver safety features, such as forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking, are also standard. The Convenience package adds a sunroof, auto-dimming interior and exterior mirrors, LED foglights, keyless entry and several other niceties. The Premium package offers upgraded navigation, heated front seats and a heated steering wheel, a head-up display, and LED headlights with cornering lights. Other notable upgrades include 19-inch wheels, leather upholstery, a sport-tuned suspension, traffic-adaptive cruise control and a premium sound system.

The X1 is a perfectly competent family car, no question. There are no serous weaknesses that I could discern, unless you want the very latest in tech features. It goes well, is smooth and refined, is easy to drive, roomy enough for a family and their luggage and in this US spec, is quite well equipped without resorting to costly options. If that’s what you want, then the X1 is unlikely to disappoint. But if you buy it because you are expecting to feel like a BMW, the once so-called “Ultimate Driving Machine”, then if will fall some way of short of your hopes and expectations. Takes away the badges and the obvious BMW design to the dash and this really could be anything. It’s not alone, as the Audi Q3 and the Mercedes GLA have, to an extent, some of the same challenges, though your expectations of both of these may be for something more comfortable and less overtly sporty, so their offerings are perhaps closer to what you would expect from the badge than this X1 manages to be. A couple of days after driving this X1, I had a Mazda CX-5 for the day. It might lack the premium badge, and although on paper it looks cheaper, fiancé deals would probably wipe that advantage out, but in other respects, I thought it had the X1 licked. It looks better to my eyes, it goes well, and it was sharper to drive. It would get my vote for a car in this class.