BMW X1 2015 News

European manufacturers Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar Land Rover and Peugeot have all issued recent recall notices.

The BMW X1 xDrive20d was one of the 11 finalists chosen to compete for the 2015 CarsGuide Car of the Year crown.

My pick for COTY king this year is the Mercedes-Benz GLC.But it's not the COTY car or contest you might be thinking, since this is all about Bluetooth.We have 11 of the best cars of 2015 assembled for this year's COTY shootout and that makes it an ideal time and place to take a closer look at Bluetooth.The phone link has become a very big deal this year, with more and more driver distractions contributing to crashes and, in NSW, prompting the extension of double-demerit penalties.Now car testing also covers the vital Bluetooth connectivityEven the car companies are split, internally and externally, as some engineers push for more and more connectivity and others say the connected car is disconnecting people from driving and safety.Car testing has always been about comfort and safety and performance and economy — with value at the very top — but now it also covers app-friendly infotainment and the vital Bluetooth connectivity.Hyundai makes some excellent cars but its Bluetooth is patchy, at best, even on the latest Tucson. If you were choosing a phone-friendly car then a Hyundai would slip well down the list.So at COTY, with help from techno king Craig Duff, I go searching for my Bluetooth champion.The Mazda CX-3 is all right but booms in the cabin, the BMW X1 and the Commodore are workmanlike, the Jaguar XE is not great.I'm expecting a lot from the Sync system in the Ford Ranger and it's good, but difficult to connect. And so it goes. Until I jump into the Benz.The phone pairs instantly, delivers excellent clarity at both ends — I've been calling the same person to check — and the call display is good and clear. For me, it wins.

Kia's family seven-seater stands out, setting a precedent in a singular field.

There are few bad cars on the road these days, which made it tougher than ever to pick a field for CarsGuide's 2015 Car of the Year award.The process started in December last year. A week after we awarded the Mercedes-Benz C-Class our gong, we were on the launch of the new Subaru Outback.It was the first of more than 300 new cars we pored over before arriving at 11 finalists. In between there were head-to-head battles and three-way shootouts between the most impressive of the newcomers and the existing benchmarks.Comparison tests are vital because it's easy to come away from a new car launch impressed by Brand X's latest and greatest. But it takes back-to-back testing — on the same stretch of bitumen, same potholes, same freeway — to sort the winners from the also-rans.This year's COTY judging threw up a few surprises. The first was the CX-3. It felt good to drive on the launch and when we tested it against the best in its class, it also came out on top. Up against our other finalists, it felt underdone and overpriced. The conclusion? The mini-SUV may be the new "must-have" automotive accessory but none of the new breed — there have been six all-new arrivals this year — is as practical or fun to drive as a humble hatchback.Next was the BMW X1, which fellow judge Joshua Dowling called "the most un-BMW BMW I've driven". An SUV from a German luxury brand for a tad over $60,000 sounds like a good deal, especially when a Toyota Kluger can cost similar money.While much improved over its predecessors in some areas, the X1 was underdone in others. The seats, usually a BMW highlight, were flat and unsupportive, while the front suspension crashed rudely over bumps.To a much lesser extent the same criticism could be levelled at our runner-up, the Mercedes-Benz GLC. It is still an impressive vehicle but not as well sorted as the C-Class. In their quest for new buyers, are the luxury brands losing their luxuriousness?The surprises weren't all bad, though. The fact that the Ford Ranger made our final five is testimony to the huge advances made in one-tonne utes in recent years. The Ranger didn't feel a million miles off the rest of the field on our road loop.A decade ago, jumping out of a Volvo into a Ford ute would have been like trading the Merc for a Massey Ferguson. Not now.Which brings us to the last — and most pleasant — COTY surprise: the winner, Kia's Sorento. Ever since the Koreans pinched Audi's head designer, Kia cabins have looked a cut above their competitors. Local suspension tuning has made them ride better, while their diesel engines are on par with some of the best for refinement. Add an industry leading seven-year warranty and there's plenty to like.If you're put off by the badge on the nose, it's your loss. 

This year's line-up is a dream team of pace machines, heavy-hitters and all-rounders.

BMW is going on the front foot with its front-wheel drive compact SUV.

Luxury brands vie for attention with opulence and drop-tops.

BMW's forthcoming X1 marks a major milestone in the career of Sydney-born Calvin Luk.

BMW has revealed its new X1 entry-level premium SUV, which will replace the existing model later this year after the first generation's seven year stint on the market.During its time on sale the X1 has racked up more than 730,000 sales worldwide, making it one of the most successful cars in its segment.While the outgoing model shares its rear-drive underpinnings with the old E90 generation 3 Series, the new X1 rides on a platform derived from the front-drive 2 Series Active Tourer. This shift also sees the new model sit a significant 53mm taller than its predecessor, allowing for a loftier driving position and more interior volume while reducing weight by up to 135kg. Rear seat leg room has also grown by 37mm, while boot space has swollen by 85-litres to 505-litres. These changes have also given the new X1 proportions more akin to an SUV than a high-riding wagon like the current model. In terms of exterior styling the X1 offers few surprises, essentially looking like a scaled-down X3 or X5. However, the baby of the X-family has a less aggressive nose with a pair of big kidney grilles and a slightly different headlight design. At the rear the X1 features a tall tailgate with lights similar to the facelifted 1 Series hatch range.The X1 has racked up more than 730,000 sales worldwide, making it one of the most successful cars in its segment.While the exterior styling is somewhat derivative of other X models, the interior design seems closer to the 2 Series Active Tourer. The steering wheel and upper dash board are all very similar to the MPV, though the center console is new. Beneath the metal the X1 will be offered with a range of turbocharged petrol and diesel four cylinder engines with sDrive front-wheel drive or xDrive all-wheel drive available. International petrol powerplants include a 2.0-litre turbo four tuned to either 141kW/280Nm in sDrive20i models or 170kW/350Nm in the xDrive25i. Diesels include a 110kW/330Nm unit in the sDrive18d, 140kW/400Nm in the xDrive20d and 170kW/450Nm in the xDrive25d. In overseas markets buyers will have the choice of either a six-speed manual or eight-speed automatic – it’s expected we’ll only see the auto in Australia. Features available on the new X1 include a head-up display, active cruise control with auto brake function, lane departure warning and auto emergency brake (AEB).The new BMW X1 range is expected to go on sale in Australia towards the end of this year priced from around $47,000.