Facelifted BMW X1

BMW has facelifted its X1 crossover, with the new car receiving some minor styling upgrades both inside and out, and a range of tweaked diesel engines.

The German compact crossover receives new headlights at the front with a more prominent underguard at the rear to “reinforce the sporty, off-road appearance” of the X1. There’s also less plastic on show, replaced by larger painted areas at both the front and rear.

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Inside, the X1’s cabin is focused on the driver. The centre console is now shallower and covered in a higher quality gloss black material. There’s revised trim for the gear lever, cup holders and some of the X1’s switchgear to create that premium feel many will expect from a BMW.

Entry-level SE specification has been upgraded for the facelifted X1 – Bluetooth and USB connectivity now comes fitted as standard, alongside 17-inch alloy wheels and dual-zone climate control as before.

Sport spec gets a dark chrome finish for the exhaust pipes, kidney grilles and bumpers, while new xLine trim gets large 18-inch alloy wheels and “X” embossed leather seats. M Sport guise still sits at the top of the range and features a sportier bodykit and leather sports seats.

Engines range from the 143hp two-wheel drive sDrive18d to the range-topping twin-turbo 218hp xDrive25d. The most potent X1 – only available in four-wheel drive guise – will complete the sprint from 0-62mph in 6.8 seconds.

Efficiency throughout the range stands at 57.6mpg combined with 128g/km CO2 emissions for the two-wheel drive 18d, rising to 47.9mpg combined with 154g/km CO2 emissions for the 25d.

For particularly environmentally conscious X1 drivers, there’s also BMW’s EfficientDynamics line – available on the sDrive20d, the motor produces 163hp, will return 62.8mpg combined and emit 119g/km CO2.

All X1 models now come equipped with Brake Energy Regeneration, Auto Start Stop and a switchable ECO PRO driving mode to help improve efficiency.

The latest X1 goes on sale in July, with prices starting from £24,660 for the entry-level sDrive18d, rising to £31,860 for the range-topping xDrive25d.