2013 BMW X1 xDrive 28i, climbing rapidly: Motoramic Drives

What’s next, the BMW X.5? The folks in Munich clearly are getting carried away with cloning the X5, which since its introduction in 1999 has grown steadily (the 2014 is slated to finally feature third-row seating) in order to stand out from its recently beefed up X3 sibling. And now comes baby, the 2013 BMW X1, more puffed-up wagon than sport-ute and a curious new model aimed at a demographic segment best defined as married with small kids but not that much luggage.

Two aftershocks accompanied the arrival of a Le Mans Blue Metallic over sand beige Nevada leather X1 xDrive 28i. The first was the vehicle itself, which far from being a trash-compacted X3 struck a pose as an elegant and spacious machine with presence. That's courtesy a taut design and minimal wheel-well gaps that make the X1 look less like a toaster on wheels and more like a blue bullet aimed at the heart of the Subaru Impreza/Audi Q5/Honda CR-V market.

The second surprise was the wallet-decimating window sticker: $45,245 after the base car — priced at a more expected $32,350 — was gussied up with a Xenon lighting package ($1,200), the Ultimate Package ($6,650, including features such as auto-dimming mirrors, panoramic moonroof and power front seats) and the M Sport Line package ($3,000 for not only more aggressive body panels but also Performance Control, which sends 80 percent of this all-wheel-drive car’s torque to the rear wheels during cornering while feathering the inside brakes to boot).

That’s an impressive amount of high-tech weaponry at your disposal. But it’s also still 45 large (amazingly, not including heated seats), which causes one to shoot the X1 a look that says, “Impress me.” In many respects this driver-focused crossover does just that, but in others it underwhelms. Let’s start with the latter.

Keeping in mind the gi-normo price tag, the X1 could feel a little more upscale inside. The Nevada leather feels reassuringly thick and nick-resistant, but those durable traits come at the expense of sheer luxury. Then there are the two front seat cup-holders. Why is this so hard, people? One is mounted in the center console, but it’s not accessible if you choose to slide the armrest forward, which you will unless you like your elbow banging around between the e-brake handle and the iDrive knob. And the other floats in space not far from your passenger’s left knee. German automakers still may not think cup-holders are a priority, but BMW could take a page here from Porsche’s book and come up with a system that hides them altogether unless needed.