In simple terms, drivers can expect instant forward momentum and precise handling, delivered with smoothness and refinement, when accelerating or cornering over virtually anything.

Push it a little, and all systems aim for neutral ground, keeping the X1’s nose going exactly where it’s pointed, with the back following tightly behind. If you’re into sideways snowy stuff, you won’t achieve it easily with the throttle – though the X1 does respond well to flicking, and appropriately-timed dabs of braking in slippery corners.

Drivers taking in the traction during a greasy drive in the new generation of BMW’s smallest ute are well backed up for confidence in other ways, too. Like the braking system: stab the brakes with one side of the X1 on ice and the other on pavement, and it stops in quick order, and more importantly, with little more than a slight initial pull in the direction of higher traction before the ABS system straightens things out. You stop straight, fast, and without second-guessing, virtually no matter the surfaces passing underfoot.

Or, when the stability control needs to engage: you feel the X1 discreetly pulling and shifting its position on its axis in response to single-wheel braking activation, though you don’t feel or hear the clicking action of those brakes unless you’ve really mucked things up and you’re heading for the ditch while thrashing on the controls. An electronic clutch system in the rear differential can divvy power across the axle without need for brake activation, improving handling precision, performance, and a direct feel of your inputs being transmitted to the ground beneath.

Add in the heavyset steering that locks the X1 solidly onto its line, and mitigates the startling steering pull apparent when some rides suddenly encounter deep snow or slush-stripes at speed, and you’ve got a machine that sets drivers up nicely for confidence.

It’s taken in from a cabin that’s pure BMW. Other than a few modern touches relating to trim materials, ambient lighting and the like, there’s nothing unfamiliar on board. The tester’s price pushed some $50,000 with options, and by and large, the cabin’s attention to detail, use of upscale materials and thoughtful trimming with gloss and wood and aluminum support the atmosphere.

Entry and exit are simple – the X1 sits relatively low to the ground, so a sideways shift and slight drop puts occupants into their perches. Headroom is notably generous, even for taller drivers, and rear seats will comfortably accommodate two adults with head and knee-room to spare. Out back, the cargo load height falls just above knee-level for most, and the stretched-to-the-edges cargo space proved larger than your writer expected. Power folding seatbacks add further convenience and flexibility in back.

Up front is a 2-litre turbocharged four-cylinder, spinning up 228 horsepower and more importantly, nearly 260 lb-ft of torque. It’s a smooth and potent performer, remarkably effortless at low revs, creamy smooth when worked, and thanks to all that torque, it fills its rev range with a pleasing response and a nice shove into your seat when the throttle is jammed, almost no matter where the revs are. There’s an 8-speed automatic with delightfully fast paddle shift response and perfect rev-matching. The gearbox is largely invisible when left in drive, provided it’s had a few hundred kilometers to learn your driving habits and make its way through the eight gears intuitively.

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