2020 BMW 1-Series |
In the beginning, most 1-Series hatchbacks are rear-wheel drive and they are a cahoot to drive in the beginning but there was one problem with the 1-Series; the space. To resolve the space issue, BMW committed the unthinkable by turning the 1-Series hatchback from a tail-happy rear-wheel drive hatchback into a more politically correct front-wheel drive. That move disappoints many BMW fans since they've launched their first front-wheel drive car, the 2-Series Active Tourer MPV but it's a bit more complicated than that.
2020 BMW 1-Series |
2020 BMW 1-Series interior |
2020 BMW 1-Series |
Continuing on the FAAR platform, the front-wheel drive layout of the 28,200 Euro BMW 1-Series really means mild on the corners, making it one of the easiest cars to drive with, although some are unhappy with the change because they want to be as fun-to-drive as its predecessors. Even the range-topping M135i xDrive couldn't make the cut rather well because it's front-biased rather than rear-biased like you get in the now defunct Ford Focus RS, meaning it behaves like an Audi S3 hatchback but again, more complicating than that. Couple that with numerous techs built for driving and safety alike and the result is a more questionable hatchback that leaves drivers scratching their heads for more.
The new, front-wheel drive BMW 1-Series is one of the worst offenders from BMW because of the un-BMW-ish dynamics that will upset longtime fans but hey, this is how BMW succumbed to progressiveness, and progressives like to try new things that will benefit not just themselves but also the world. Still, the front-wheel drive 1-Series wasn't the least of our problems because there's another one that is a bit more slop-sided.
2020 BMW X6 |
2020 BMW X6 |
In the beginning, BMW was the first to introduce the coupe utility niche with the X6 and as far as owners believed, the X6 was too cramped, too complicated, and too expensive, meaning they had to travel to different parts of the world for some explanations. With the new, third-generation, BMW X6, the first coupe utility has stepped into the next level of whatever it throws at them.
First and foremost, the styling is slightly improved compared to the previous X6, the one you don't want to see in your rearview mirror because of the House call coming to hound you down in the dead of night until you get to the most noticeable feature of all. Yep, the new X6 features an illuminated BMW kidney grille and that's rather flashy and scary at the same time. It's like it's been made by a speedo boy in his garage putting up lots of lights on his car to make it more shiny than the rest.
2020 BMW X6 interior |
And then there's the interior which pulls all right nooks and crannies like every car in the world should and despite its sloping roofline, it's slightly less cramped compared to the last one and slightly more spacious as well. However, if you are snoozing at your sweet spot, you are not safe when your Dad starts toying around with the voice command system a la Alexa and when he does, expect some rambling involved over just how Alexa-ish the car's voice command system is.
2020 BMW X6 |
The range-topping M50i uses the same 4.4L V8 engine as the other M Performance cars, the same 8-speed automatic, and the same xDrive all-wheel drive, meaning it is capable of going from 0-100kph in 4.3 seconds and top speed electronically limited to 250kph. That sounds very sensuous for the drivers but if they want some meat to their X6, there's the M50d with its 3.0L six-cylinder quad-turbo engine with 760Nm of torque. However, the latter may not work in today's Europe because, let's be honest, no one in Europe today is a fan of diesel these days.
If you were going to pick the lesser of the two evils from BMW, it's hard to decide which will go because none of these two will tickle the fancies of every Bimmer fan today. Yes, the new 1-Series is a treason to the BMW heritage because of its FF layout and the new X6 scares the sheep out of heck because of its terrifying illuminating kidney grille, but either way, there's nothing bad about giving them some love because they deserve more attention than being themselves, as is.
Photo: BMW AG
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