X1 MARKS THE SPOT

BMW's third-generation X1 had to step up its game to stay relevant in a brutal executive-compact SUV market. Mission accomplished? We drove the X1 sDrive18d through the Austrian Alps and down the Balkan Peninsula to find out

- Peter Frost

As car prices rise and even well-heeled buyers are forced to buy down, the compact executive SUV segment has become increasingly competitive. BMW is only too aware that its "entry-level" offering has a new, demanding audience: buyers used to a certain X3 sophistication. No surprise then that Munich has poured so much into the latest X1, moving it even further upmarket than before.

Design first, because style is paramount in this segment. In the metal, the smallest of Munich's SUVs is anything but. At 4,5 m long, it's comparable in size to the first-generation X3. It also has a real presence now. Domagoj Dukec's masculine, broad-shouldered body is clearly X-familial; notice the by-now familiar parrot-fish grille (smaller than recent iterations), high waistline and squared off haunches. On the company's latest UKL platform, it is longer, broader and higher than its predecessor. Arguably, for the first time, it's a genuine load carrier as well as a lifestyle statement.

Inside, the news is even better. Lead interior designer Daniel Mayerle has done a first-class job of melding form and function. A couple of hours spent with the car was plenty to confirm segment-best standards for interior fit and finish, as well as space and practicality.

Price: R790 617

Engine: 2,0-litre, 4-cylinder, turbodiesel

Transmission: 8-speed automatic

Power: 110 kW

Torque: 360 N.m 0–100 km/h: 8,9 seconds

Top speed: 210 km/h