[sachinj12]

Scoop man at it again!!

A well written report Sid!!The alloys look killer. The styling though conservative is not exciting. It sure does suffer from multiple personality disorder.

Does it really handle better than the 5??

[sandeepmdas]

When it is Sid it is done....

The acid test is whether they can price it correctly. The alloys are indeed worth die for.

- Pardon my ignorance, but is it not equipped with day/night IRVM? The lever that's used to toggle for anti-glare mode cannot be seen in these pictures, is it equipped with some other mechanism?

[sidindica]

Its an auto dimming electro chromic mirror. I still cannot comment about handling but people have said about "too light a steering feel" on the F 10 5 series. At least this steering was a bit heavier then the 5. And the final product will be very different. I did not pay much attention to cosmetic features that much given limited time.

But personally for me, X1 is not my cup of tea. There are better ways for me to spend 30L if I had that cash.

Does it really handle better than the 5??

Cannot comment until we drive the final product. Could be my "misjudgment". So don't get tensed.

[shethsa]

I was seriously considering waiting for this vs. getting the Superb 1.8 A/T. More than the price factor, the several features on the Superb just gave it an edge vs. owning a BMW brand.

[nkrishnap]

Fantastic review there SID.

Now with the pricing clearly in the 3 series range. There would be some cannibalization. However, the numbers for BMW would definitely increase. But what would be interesting is, by how much the numbers would increase.

Cheers

[GTO]

Thanks for the scoop drive, Sid! How about adding 5 - 6 points on the good (what you liked) and the bad (what you didn't). If you can PM it to me, I'll insert it into your first post.

[vkochar]

What a scoop. Excellent stuff there Sid and I loved your honest opinion on the X1.

BMW has a winner there I feel. A lot of people have been waiting for this vehicle and it is here now and me thinks it is not disappointing at all. Now only the price will be the final deal sealer.

[theragingbull]

5 star scoop! The X1 is a seriously capable SUV. And with that kinda price tag, it's surely gonna give the CR-V and Santa Fe some serious competition. According to Autocar, the CE edition is priced at 22.99lakh ex-showroom Delhi and the Highline at 29lakhs. CE is pretty good value for money.

[kadanaJ]

Isn't BMW worried about this possibly hurting the sales of the 3 series?

Also the interiors look very drab.

[S350L-E240]

Nice review Sid, also as per the dealer information here the Panorama roof will be standard atleast on the HL variant, and the car they have here has a very good interior combo of Red/Black looks quite sporty and nice.

Also about the handling, I am pretty sure the F10 is a lot more agile, have driven the X1 outside India and F10 in and out side India and F10 feels a lot more agile and balanced which I believe is expected being a sedan, and one of the most sought after sedans.

Back to X1, Sid any information on petrol motors? I was told the .23 variant might come in?

kadanaJ, This will not really hurt the 3 in the long run but rather supplement it, just like you see a lot of Maruti variants of their small car similarly this gives the buyer a lot more choice when he/she walks into the BMW dealership with this budget which in turn will also help pull in more people who would need such a car from other brands and ofcourse some bit of cross buying will happen considering the 3 is now at it's end of life, but then that also tempts you with the tremendous discounts being offered and will be offered before the new version is out in winter of 2011.

Regards,

[one-77]

Great scoop, Sid. Yet again!
But the car (SAV?) does looks quite quirky and unconventional, to me.
And the stripped down CE is likely to have quite bland interiors, with the iDrive, sunroof, et al gone.
It will anyhow be a seller; what needs to be seen is if it cannibalizes the sales of the 3-series, with the same engine and similar pricing.

[dkb007]

Must say good scoop review by sidindica. Including me i think most of the people are waiting for the FE figures as well. Can you please throw some light on that aspect as well. Many people are eagerly waiting for this one, i must say pricing will be the dominant factor for the success of x1. If priced aggressively as they say x1 can again bring the bmw back to no. 1 spot undoubtedly unless Audi launches the Q3 and most awaited A1 in india soon.

[designersf]

What a Scoop man! How about renaming SidIndica to ScoopIndica?

I absolutely love the X1. Its a true allrounder and IMHO is the best option for broken Indian roads. A credible and worthy alternative to the 3-Series, at least for those who don't give a second thought to the superior driving dynamics of the 3-Series over the X1.

[slicks]

Awesome scoop sid. One of the most awaited launches.

From the pics, the car looks to be as big as the Palio adventure sport.

I personally know a few people who are eagerly waiting for this car, but would the VFM conscious and spoilt for choice 25-30L rupees consumer actually buy this is the big question.

[vb-saan]

Saw a few X1s here in Singapore. And totally agree with Sid - the brown X1 looked awesome!
I guess a lot of prospective SUV (or SAV) buyers who were looking for a CR-V diesel launch will be happy to see a premium German brand in 25+ lakhs price range