BMW's crossover cruises over the winter ice spots

YOU ONLY had to look at the year the motoring industry had in 2009, like so many other industries, to see that it wasn’t a memorable one. Well, not for the right reasons anyway. One symptom of the changes to the car market was that the SUV segment was pretty much decimated.

Sales of large four-wheel-drive vehicles, which were so common just a few short years ago, dissolved as buyers turned away from their high purchase and running costs.

But for those of you who might have felt a little silly still driving around in your Celtic Tiger SUV relic over the summer of 2009, probably felt somewhat better in this Christmas period as we were on the receiving end of some of the worst winter conditions that we have seen in Ireland for some time. And you know what happens when Ireland gets hit with extremes of weather, don’t you?

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VW Tiguan 2.0 TDi 4wd 140bhp Auto

There are those who decide, wisely, that their journey is pretty pointless and that they would be much better off with another turkey sandwich and that visit to that family member that you can’t really stand anyway can wait another little while.

Those who simply have to venture out to attend to sick relatives or to work while the rest of us gorge ourselves are at the mercy of their respective county councils who, supposing they have imported enough grit, then hopefully decide to spread it.

But there are others for whom the ice and snow are a mere challenge, despite the fact that they are driving a front-wheel drive, eight-year old car with bald tyres: they are unburdened by the weight of any common sense or wisdom and will venture out and drive the way they normally do.

Many of these people wind up in ditches, see-sawing perilously, missing bits of bumper.

This year, however, Range Rover drivers and those blessed with four-wheel drives finally had to look up the owner’s manual to see what all those buttons on the centre console were for and were amazed to find that, up to a point (black ice takes no prisoners), they could drive around as normal.

We spent the Christmas period in BMW’s latest SOSUV, or sort-of-sports utility-vehicle as we sometimes like to call this new genre of crossover vehicle, which looks to the entire world like an SUV but might be as useful off-road as a pair of ballet slippers.

The X1 is the smallest of all BMW’s crossover vehicles, a world away from the bulk and majesty of the X5, a car that was adored by property developers and auctioneers alike, before they had to sell them all.

Sitting on the same platform as the BMW 3-Series Touring, the X1 comes in several variations of a worthy 2.0-litre diesel engine and comes with the choice of either BMW’s traditional rear-wheel drive (sDrive) or, in our case, four-wheel drive (xDrive). The decision to offer both in the X1 is something that is likely to be mirrored in future X models, such as the next X3 and even perhaps in the X5 as emissions become increasingly important.

Adding heavier all-wheel drive tends to play havoc with the all-important CO2 emissions and many, if not most, owners tend not to need their vehicle’s off-road potential anyway.

This means that the majority of sales for the X1 in Ireland, are likely to come from the X1 sDrive 18d, which has a 143bhp 2.0-litre diesel engine, costs just €33,130 and with CO2 emissions of just 136g/km will cost you just €156 to tax each year.

It is one of the bargain buys of 2010, for us, and we would expect them to be a familiar sight in 2010, should anyone decide to buy a car this year.

We’ve driven the sDrive 18d and while it isn’t particularly quick it is more than adequate. But, in the interests of science, we took the top-of-the-range 204 bhp xDrive (you can only have the 23d as an xDrive) version. Over the first few days we smiled at its extra power, which means that it takes three seconds less to get to 100km/h, has a slightly bigger top speed and 80Nm more torque, and felt rather smug in the top-specification model which had been added to munificently by someone in charge of the options list with items such as satellite navigation, leather upholstery and special alloys. And then it started to get really cold. And then it started to snow.

No car can defy the laws of physics. That is why in mainland Europe and in places like Scandinavia they have winter and summer tyres, and when things get really bad, they add snow chains to their wheels.

In Ireland, we are lucky if we pay any attention to the tyres, until they practically fall off from wear. But in most cases of ice and snow the xDrive coped way better than most, providing much better grip and, together with the car’s stability control systems, it meant that, together with some careful driving, the X1 was being returned to BMW in the same shape it was presented to us.

On black ice, as many motorists will have found out, in many cases you will sail on regardless whether you are driving a BMW X1 or a Ford Anglia and we spent much of the Christmas period steering around those who decided their car and their driving were invincible.

Of course, Ireland isn’t always like this, but it did make the case for the extra cost of the all-wheel drive. Choose xDrive in the 18d and it will cost you €3,520 over the cost of the sDrive model and increase your CO2 emissions, but it certainly proved its worth when the weather got nasty.

The 23d comes only as an automatic and only with all-wheel drive and the price rises accordingly and when it gets closer to €50,000 it becomes a totally different prospect. The X1 isn’t a huge vehicle. Four adults on an airport run with hand luggage had to load some of their baggage in the back seat. The luggage space is similar enough to a small family car with interior dimensions to match. And at this price you could get into a 325d Touring with better luggage space and similar levels of performance.

Where the X1 really comes into its own is at the other engine levels. We liked the 23d, but it wasn’t so much better than the 18d that we’d want to pay the vast difference in price. Granted, the 23d comes better equipped but the price of the 18d puts it into its own category and is quite irresistible.

The 18d is comparable in price to models from Ford and Volkswagen and is cheaper than the Audi Q5 and Volvo XC60 models, although those cars are bigger. But the size is right for now. It isn’t so big that it draws angry looks from environmentalists and should you be on the receiving end of some tree-hugging abuse you can point at the clean diesel engine, Stop/Start technology in the manual versions and the regenerative braking that make the 18d version have CO2 emissions of 136g/km, and even the all-wheel drive 23d with automatic transmission has Band D emissions.

The SUV is dead in Ireland, but so-called crossovers like this will take its place. Nissan showed, with the Qashqai, that we have an appetite for this genre and Peugeot will continue the trend with the 3008, but for just a few euro more than both of these you can wear a BMW badge without much of a guilty conscious and have enough rugged safety to get you out of the ice and, perhaps more worryingly, enough ability to make visiting those relatives possible without excuse.

Engine: four-cylinder 204bhp, 1,995cc twin turbo diesel engine putting out 204bhp @ 4,400rpm and 400Nm @ 2,000-2,250rpm

Specification: Standard equipment includes 17 light alloy V-spoke 318 wheels with 255/50 R17 non-run-flat tyres, six-speed automatic transmission with electronic gear selector, and with Steptronic function controlled by rocking the gear selector or via steering wheel paddles, automatic air-conditioning with two-zone control, front armrest with sliding adjustment, electric windows front and rear, sport multi-function steering wheel, BMW professional radio with single CD player, on-board computer with information on average fuel consumption, fuel range and ambient temperature, xDrive four-wheel drive system with fully-variable torque split, xLine package, chromeline exterior trim, auto-dimming rear view mirror.

Options fitted to test car: design package (sports seats front, armrest front with sliding, Fineline wave interior trim, anthracite headlining €3,203.67, comfort package (park distance control front, rain sensor with auto headlight €498.39, Y-spoke style 322 8/9Jx18 €1,250.21, luggage compartment separating net €195.35, ext. mirrors – folding, auto dimming €403.72, extended storage €201.86, seat heating, front €429.76, navigation system business €2,396.24, Bluetooth phone prep €807.43, USB interface €390.69, metallic paint €859.52

Factfile: BMW X1 xDrive 23d

L/100km (mpg): urban 7.8 (36.2); extra-urban 5.5 (51.3); combined 6.3 (44.8)

CO2 emissions: 167g/km

Tax: VRT 24 per cent; motor tax €447

Price: €46,800

The competition: alternatives

Ford Kuga 2.0 TDCi Titanium 4wd 5dr

CC: 1997

BHP: 136

Speed: 180km/h

0-100km/h: 10.7 secs

L/100km: 6.4

CO2: 169g/km

Motor tax: €447

Price: €34,410

Audi Q5 2.0 TDi 170bhp Quattro

CC: 1968

BHP: 170

Speed: 204km/h

0-100km/h: 9.5 secs

L/100km: 6.7

CO2: 175g/km

Motor tax: €630

Price: €48,900

Volvo XC60 2.4D Drive SE

CC: 2400

BHP: 175

Speed: 205km/h

0-100km/h: 9.8 secs

L/100km: 6.0

CO2 159g/km

Motor tax: €447

Price: €47,400

VW Tiguan 2.0 TDi 4wd 140bhp Auto

CC: 1986

BHP: 140

Speed: 182km/h

0-100km/h: 10.7 secs

L/100km: 7.1

CO2 186g/km

Motor tax: €630

Price: €42,550