New for 2020: A facelifted BMW X1 bowed for the 2020 model year, debuting a restyled front fascia with available LED headlamps and BMW’s controversial new buck-tooth grille design. The rear end has also been tweaked, now featuring bigger exhaust tips and tinted LED taillights, and inside the vehicle, a standard 8.8-inch infotainment touchscreen replaces the old base 6.5-inch unit.
The BMW X1 is the smallest, lowest-priced member of BMW’s Sports Activity Vehicle lineup, serving as the entry-level option in a portfolio that’s grown exponentially since the first X5 launched in 1999. The current second-generation model marks a significant departure from BMW’s long-established passenger vehicle formula as it employs a transverse–or FWD-based–powertrain configuration. The transverse platform on which the latest X1 rides also underpins vehicles like the Mini Countryman, BMW 1 Series, and BMW 2 Series.
Of course, all-wheel-drive remains an option, and luxury doesn’t much care which wheels the torque is being sent to, anyway. We’re not mincing words here; the BMW X1 truly is a premium offering, despite its un-BMW-like powertrain configuration and its entry-level (for BMW) pricing. Just two trims are offered–the front-wheel-drive sDrive28i, and the all-wheel-drive xDrive28i–and both come standard with premium leatherette seat upholstery, 18-inch alloy wheels, seven-speaker HiFi audio, and exactly the sort of fit and finish you’d expect from a German premium brand.
Both BMW X1 trims employ a turbocharged, 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with 228 horsepower, partnered with an eight-speed Steptronic automatic transmission that boasts both Sport and Manual shift modes.
The 2020 BMW X1 sDrive28i starts at $36,195 including destination, while the AWD xDrive model costs an extra $2,000, raising the base MSRP to $38,195.