BMW iX1 eDrive20 joins our fleet | Long-term test

When BMW introduced the iX1, it had one major problem: the car was just a little bit too expensive.

That’s because when the iX1 launched it was only available in twin-motor xDrive30 guise, priced at £54,000.

A more budget-friendly option has since joined the line-up; starting at a more affordable £46,150. Known as the eDrive20, it gets by with a single 204PS motor and the same 64.7kWh battery.

BMW says this is the model that fleet customers are likely to favour, so it’s the one we’ve opted for.

Our car comes in M Sport trim – the highest of three available grades – and wears a few extra optional extras, bumping the price to £58,424. Whoops.

Chief among the pricey add-ons is the (not-strictly-necessary) M Sport Pro pack. Costing £2,400, it adds adaptive suspension, big red brake callipers, a rear spoiler, M Sport front seats, and 19-inch wheels.

We’ve also got the Tech Pack (£1,680) which adds some more useful features like keyless entry, electric folding door mirrors, adaptive LED headlights with high-beam assist and an auto-dipping rear-view mirror.

On top of the fairly generous specification that comes with all iX1 models, we’ve got a heated steering wheel (£175) and a panoramic sunroof (£1,100) too.

The result is a car that could be described as “all show and no go”. The BMW Individual ‘Blue Bay Lagoon’ paint certainly gives a striking appearance, especially when combined with the sporty M additions.

Base-model iX1s can look a little underwhelming, but that’s certainly not the case with YH73 UXM. The interior is upholstered in Alcantara and BMW’s Veganza fake leather, the bucket-style seats have built-in illuminated ‘M’ logos and all the exterior trim pieces are finished in glossy black.

As a result of the configuration, the car’s WLTP range drops from 293 miles to 275 miles.

It might seem like we’ve got everything including the kitchen sink, but no. A few option boxes have remained unticked. Much to my dismay, this almost-sixty-grand beemer has manually adjustable seats! The audacity.

Jokes aside, the iX1 is a fabulous compact SUV. We ran a plug-in hybrid X1, previously, and had lots of positive things to say. I imagine the iX1 will leave a similar impression by the time it goes back.