No alternative to engine capacity
There is no substitute for engine capacity. In the automobile industry this credo has held sway for many years and survived two downsizing trends – the first in the seventies and now once more – and many are the drivers who remain sceptical about a turbocharged motor as an alternative. And there’s the same hesitation with regard to the number of cylinders. BMW has always built six-cylinder engines, much to the joy of sports car fans. And one thing is certain: In future there will continue to be six-cylinder engines coming from the Bavarian car maker. But for the new X1 xDrive28i BMW have made do with two cylinders fewer and are discontinuing the 258 horsepower version of this model.
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- At higher revs the BMW really charges ahead but without the stress and strain evidenced in other turbocharged four-cylinder autos. While a two-litre Golf GTI struggles for air the BMW engine breathes easily even when pushed hard. One misses, of course, the characteristic growl of a six-cylinder engine and with the X1 in spite of the performance there is indeed a different driving feeling.
When four means more
The new four-cylinder motor delivers with 245 horsepower a few less, but can claim some impressive statistics. The toque increases by 40 metres to 350, the acceleration to a hundred sinks from 6.8 seconds to 6.1, and the top speed climbs from 230 to 240 kilometres an hour. The main aim of all of this was to reduce fuel consumption and in this regard the turbocharged four-cylinder motor beat its naturally aspirated predecessor hands down. The averaged consumption is sixteen percent lower, from 9.4 litres to now only 7.9 litres per hundred kilometres driven. And, yes, engine capacity has been reduced – the six-cylinder was a 3 litre, the four-cylinder is only a 2 litre engine but, of course, turbocharged.
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- As in the big six-cylinder 335i the four-cylinder injection motor has turbo-charging using the TwinScroll system. This involves grouping the exhaust from two of the cylinders before the gas is delivered to the turbine. The four-cylinder motor has direct petrol injection with magnetic valve injectors and variable valve control. “We let into the ignition chambers only as much air as we need. This reduces gas exchange loss”, explains Fritz Steinparzer, head of petrol engine development at BMW.
Only as much as required
As in the big six-cylinder 335i the four-cylinder injection motor has turbo-charging using the TwinScroll system. This involves grouping the exhaust from two of the cylinders before the gas is delivered to the turbine. This reduces surges of pressure and gas counter-flow. The four-cylinder motor has direct petrol injection with magnetic valve injectors and variable valve control. “We let into the ignition chambers only as much air as we need. This reduces gas exchange loss”, explains Fritz Steinparzer, head of petrol engine development at BMW.
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- Typical BMW: A sober, functional and well-appointed interior, not particularly lavish but with air conditioning, electrically operated windows, electric locking of the tailgate, fog-lights and a CD radio unit.
Good, but not a six
Moving off on the highway one thing is immediately apparent. The response characteristics are excellent. There is hardly any evidence of the turbo gap and the four-cylinder motor delivers torque powerfully and smoothly. There will be an eight-speed automatic transmission available but until now the model has only been tested with a manual six-speed gearbox. In normal cruising there is hardly any need to use the gear-shift for even at modest speeds and low RPMs the car runs happily in fifth or sixth gear. At higher revs the BMW really charges ahead but without the stress and strain evidenced in other turbocharged four-cylinder autos. While a two-litre Golf GTI struggles for air the BMW engine breathes easily even when pushed hard. One misses, of course, the characteristic growl of a six-cylinder engine and with the X1 in spite of the performance there is indeed a different driving feeling. The four-cylinder power plant does a great job, but it simply isn’t a six.
Almost like a 3-Series
On test drives the averaged fuel consumption, as calculated by the on-board computer, varies between eight and nine litres. On fast runs with many curves this rises to about eleven or twelve litres. The X1 xDrive28i comes with all-wheel-drive as standard and the traction is all that one might hope for. In tight corners the little SUV remains unfazed and shows no inclination to lean and all in all the 1.6 ton auto handles almost like a 3-Series model. The automatic start-stop system with the manual transmission helps to reduce fuel consumption in city traffic but as so often with this feature there is a downside: It only works when the outside temperature is above three degrees Celsius. Since the test drives were conducted in chilly weather with the temperature between zero and two degrees the engine failed to cut out even once.
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- The X1 xDrive28i will be priced at 40,400 Euros, two thousand less than the old six-cylinder version. But the predecessor came with automatic transmission as standard, in the new model its an optional extra costing 2,050 Euros.
An X1 M on the horizon?
The X1 xDrive28i will be priced at 40,400 Euros, two thousand less than the old six-cylinder version. But the predecessor came with automatic transmission as standard, in the new model its an optional extra costing 2,050 Euros. The series interior is not particularly lavishly appointed but there is air conditioning, electrically operated windows, electric locking of the tailgate, fog-lights and a CD radio unit. Now that the six-cylinder has been finally banished from the regular X1 product range there is surely room for a new premium model. Already on offer is an M-Sport package for the X1 with a harder suspension and many other features. This allows speculation that BMW could well have an X1 M in mind… with ‘six appeal’ as well as sex appeal.
