By Kerry Hayes
There’s just something about driving a BMW that gives you a sense of luxury, comfort, envelopment in dynamic technology, and sweeping aesthetics inside and out.
My Drive Of The Month for our June issue was an obvious standout: the BMW X1 28i Automatic. Climbing into the driver’s seat, I was surrounded by the latest technology geared towards the ultimate driver experience. The iDrive Controller brought complete control of all the vehicle’s technological faculties into one central space, keeping my eyes on the road while allowing me to browse Bluetooth connections, radio stations, iPod library, USB data, navigation and a host of other options.
The navigation is superb, displayed on an 8.8-inch monitor, with 3D route maps and optional voice control which allowed me to change my destination without taking my eyes off the road.
I love a comfortable drive, as much as I love a thrilling drive – and the X1 achieved both. Front passenger memory seats with excellent support and heating capabilities, in plush leather, expanded to a spacious interior for a very comfortable family drive – or getting your top executives to that all-important meeting quickly, safely and in complete comfort.
This comfort set a comfortable and secure scene from which to experience the driving power and speed. I appreciate a vehicle that responds quickly, and a 6-speed transmission with short-throw shifts reared to a maximum output of 180kw in the 5 000 to 6 500 rpm range. Fuel consumption at this power was impressive at 7.9 litres per 100km, so your fuel costs will remain reasonable.
Completing the experience for me was the panorama roof, which increased the airflow into the car – and gave me something more interesting to look at when stopped at a red traffic light than the back-end of a taxi.
I would easily hop into an X1 again, and felt safe and in control when driving it. A superb representative of the excellence of German engineering.
With thanks to BMW South Africa and Danie Human Motors.
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