BMW X1 (U11) review: the affordable way into a BMW SUV in Bahrain
motorssouq Editorial Team
Buy the X1 as a first BMW or a practical daily rather than an enthusiast's choice; the driving experience is competent, not exciting, and the badge is doing more work than the chassis. It genuinely out-packages the previous generation, with a bigger boot and rear seat than its size suggests, and standard xDrive is a real asset on Bahrain's occasional wet-weather roundabouts and sandy shoulder tracks.
Pros
- Standard xDrive all-wheel drive across the range
- Genuinely more interior space than the outgoing generation
- Softer, more comfortable ride tune than a Mercedes GLA
- Meaningfully cheaper to buy and run than the X3
- Small enough for Bahrain's tighter multi-storey car parks
Cons
- 177 hp is adequate, not exciting; an M35i exists for buyers who want pace
- Reads as the entry model next to larger BMW SUVs at valet and dealer forecourts
- Rear boot floor is high, limiting bulky cargo despite the 540-litre figure
- Options list can push the price close to a base X3
The X1 has quietly become one of BMW's most important cars, and the U11 generation is the first to fully commit to being a practical small SUV rather than a jacked-up hatchback. The switch to a front-wheel-drive-based platform grew interior space noticeably without growing the car's footprint on Bahrain's tight multi-storey car parks.
What it is like to drive
The xDrive20i's 177 hp is adequate rather than exciting; this is the entry point to the range, not the M35i, but the seven-speed automatic is smooth and the standard all-wheel drive gives confident traction on the loose sand shoulders common on roads leading out toward Sakhir and the southern parts of the island.
Ride comfort is the pleasant surprise: BMW tuned the U11 softer than the outgoing car, and it absorbs Bahrain's patched secondary roads better than a Mercedes GLA of the same generation. Road noise at highway speed is well controlled for the class.
Value against the range
The X1 undercuts the X3 by a meaningful amount while offering nearly as much rear-seat space, which makes it the more sensible choice for buyers who want the BMW SUV badge without the X3's running costs. The trade-off is presence; it reads as the junior model in valet lines and dealer forecourts, which matters to some Bahraini buyers more than others.