The new 2023 BMW X1 is a beautiful five-seater small SUV, especially in this deep green colourway! The previous model X1 is very popular with our BabyDrive family audience so let's find out if this new model is going to be just as practical and popular with our families and put it through our BabyDrive testing…
BabyDrive Verdict
The interior of the new 2023 BMW X1 is lovely and stylish and minimal with its new central console bridge, brown leather upholstery and wooden accents across the dash.
As well as the new central console bridge, storage is good throughout the 2023 BMW X1 There is a (slightly weird and shrine-like) wireless phone charger in the front, along with a good size glove box and door bins and two cup holders.
In the back, passengers are well catered for with cup holders, net map pockets and good size door bins.
Storage in the boot is fantastic with an enormous underfloor storage area, like in the previous model X1. This is so good for families to have this large hidden area. On holidays etc you can put so much in there!
From empty, the boot of the 2023 BMW X1 will hold twelve shopping bags. That is one more than the previous model X1, two more than the Audi SQ2 and the same as the Volvo XC40 Recharge or PHEV.
A twin side-by-side pram fits nicely in the boot with a bag of shopping.
A single pram fits in the boot with five bags of shopping around it.
Or a medium size dog fits in the boot when you remove the parcel shelf.
The new 2023 BMW X1 has a great media system that does so much including telling you the weather…
… it has built-in sat-nav and comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
One of my favourite things is the “Hey BMW” voice controls. You can ask “Hey BMW” to do a lot of things in the car like open the sunroof, make a call, change the air-conditioning temperature and even set the cruise control speed, to name a few.
The cameras are extremely good in the 2023 BMW X1 and you have multiple viewing angles to choose from by simply touching the camera icons on the screen.
You can turn the cameras on and off using a button in the central console, next to the engine start/stop button.
There are USB-C sockets and aircon vents for the rear passengers in the back of the central console box.
The 2023 BMW X1 five-seater SUV has ISOFix in the two outer rear seats…
…and top tether anchorages on the back of all three. They are now clearly labelled so that they are not confused with the other unlabelled bars on the seat backs.
The 2023 BMW X1 feels nice and spacious inside; we travelled most of our time with the car with the Infasecure Achieve More and Aspire More installed in the back and it was very comfortable for our family of four. We also travelled with a passenger between the two child seats.
Legroom is good in the New 2023 BMW X1 and with a forward-facing child seat in the back a 186cm driver can fit in front. With a rear-facing Infasecure Adapt More infant Capsule then a 180cm driver can sit in front.
The New 2023 BMW X1 makes a great family car for our family of four. It very comfortably carried us around for the week and when we needed to fit a Versatile Folding Booster seat in the back when we had a friend over for a play date we could fit it between my girls' child seats. The boot space was great and we carried our compact stroller and three scooters along with school and daycare bags and lunch boxes easily in the boot.
The new 2023 BMW X1 is a great car to drive, it feels very strong and sturdy on the road but the steering is not heavy. Visibility is very good and the cameras are excellent.
The turning circle is small, too, which combines with the light steering and cameras to make parking and manoeuvring in school and supermarket car parks nice and easy.
The new 2023 BMW X1 has been given a five-star ANCAP Safety Rating, scoring 88% for child occupancy and 86% for adult occupancy.
Seven airbags come as standard in the New 2023 BMW X1 SUV; Dual frontal, side chest-protecting and side head-protecting airbags are standard. A centre airbag which provides added protection to front seat occupants in side impact crashes is also standard.
BabyDrive Indepth
BabyDrive Indepth - Storage
How big is the boot of the new 2023 BMW X1?
The boot of the new BMW X1 is a great size for a small family SUV. From empty it will hold twelve shopping bags. That is the same as the Volvo XC40 and two more than the Audi SQ2.
The twin stroller fits in the boot of the 2023 BMW X1 with one shopping bag.
The tandem stroller fits with three shopping bags.
The boot space and its functionality are really important. I like to have a big boot space and little side wells or areas I can divide things into. So something I don’t want to move around while I’m driving such as Bub’s lunch bag or her wet swimming gear can be sectioned off in a little well where it’s not going to spill or get squashed by the rest of the things in the boot.
Hooks for securing shopping bags to are also favourites of mine, I like being able to secure the bag containing more fragile things like eggs so they don’t move around on the journey.
I measure the boot space in freezer shopping bags, prams and dogs. Not because I think all there is to a mum’s life is food shopping, prams and dogs. (Although it can feel like it sometimes!!) But because these are visually mesurable items we can all associate with. For me, the car company boot measurement of litres is not an amount I can easily visualise and 400L in one car may differ in usability to that in another due to the configuration or shape of the space.
The single stroller fits in the boot of the new 2023 BMW X1 with five shopping bags around it.
A compact stroller fits easily in the boot of the 2023 BMW X1 with eight shopping bags beside it.
A medium size family pet dog will comfortably fit in the boot of the 2023 BMW X1 if you remove the parcel shelf.
The boot floor is nicely carpeted and flat making it perfect for an emergency nappy change too!
The boot floor can be folded back to reveal an enormous hidden storage space! We found it great for our girls' scooters and warm jumpers and bulky items to keep them out of the everyday boot space.
How good is storage inside the new 2023 BMW X1?
Storage inside the cabin of the BMW X1 is practical. There is a new central console bride. This gives you a shallow storage area under the armrest and underneath that a large area for popping your purse or handbag.
There are two cup holders in the central console that will hold a reusable or a disposable coffee cup and in front of those is an elaborate shrine-like phone charging pad and holder.
The glove box is a generous size in the new 2023 BMW X1 and will hold my iPad and wallet with the manual.
Door bins in the front of the 2023 BMW X1 are large enough to hold a refillable water bottle and iPad.
In the back of the 2023 BMW X1, the door bins are equally practical holding a large refillable water bottle and iPad.
There is a fold-down armrest in the central seatback with two cup holders that will hold a reusable or disposable coffee cup.
There are net map pockets on the back of both front seats that will hold but not conceal an iPad.
In the back of the central console box, there are two USB-C sockets which are for rear passengers charging devices while travelling in the 2023 BMW X1.
BabyDrive Indepth - Noise
How noisy is the new 2023 BMW X1?
The new 2023 BMW X1 is not a particularly noisy car. It has a great touchscreen media system that is easy to navigate and use. There are a lot of functions within the media screen and I hardly touched the surface of its abilities during my week using the car.
One of the functions I particularly enjoyed was the weather forecast…
…AND you can control most things in the new 2023 BMW X1 using voice commands! So I could say “Hey BMW, I'm too cold” to change the air-conditioning temperature for example, or turn on the heated seats! You can even set the cruise control speed or open the windows and sunroof; it is fantastic and a lot of fun with the kids!
The 2023 BMW X1 has built-in Sat Nav…
… and has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
The 2023 BMW X1 has extremely clear cameras that have multiple angles to view from. You can change the camera angle by simply touching the camera icons on the birds-eye view screen.
You can turn the cameras on and off using a button in the central console, next to the engine start/stop button too.
There are USB-C sockets and aircon vents for the rear passengers in the back of the central console box to charge devices while travelling in the 2023 BMW X1.
I find this function really disturbing for sleeping babies, you have just got your baby to sleep in the car and you stop at lights and the engine turns off sometimes they will stay asleep but when the engine shudders to a start again it shakes baby awake and all your efforts are ruined!! Even coming to a stop at lights with the engine running can be enough to wake a sleeping child so turning the engine off and on again will definitely do it! I have driven routes I know have roundabouts rather than lights just to avoid coming to a stop for any length of time!!
The cruise control buttons in the 2023 BMW X1 are really minimal which makes them nice and simple to use. They are situated on the left on the steering wheel and I found the cruise control to be very accurate while driving at all speeds and road types.
Becoming a parent I soon realised there are some noises and sounds I feel are unnecessary and I could happily live without if it meant my baby stayed asleep!!
That often the distraction of my screaming, distressed baby is more dangerous when driving than not having a lane departure warning for example.
If it is the lane departure warning beeping that creates distress with my baby then which is safest?
It’s where I think we need to be able to strike a balance and choose when we can mute the warnings or swap them to a vibration in the steering wheel or flashing light perhaps?
A lot of these noises come with the increase in technology and especially linked to safety features and alerts. For me these all have their place.
Another thing I have realised is I spend my time in a lot more places where small children roam, parks, beaches, play gyms, swimming lessons, daycare centre etc. I have become more aware that when I’m reversing or manouvering in the car parks I have to tripple check for small children running around behind me or being in my blind spot when reversing. For this I LOVE reversing cameras, I just don’t like their beeping sounds!!
I have become so much more aware of safety and potential accidents or hazards since having a child and so I love the peace of mind that I get from the cameras and sensors combined with my own vision from windows and mirrors as I don’t trust cameras alone.
The indicator volume isn't baby-waking in the 2023 BMW X1. The doors are sturdy and they shut with a firm close. There are child lock functions in both the rear doors and you can also lock the doors and windows from the driver's door button panel.
The doors close quite easily with a gentle close, which was surprising for a car of this size. With baby asleep you can get in and out without worrying the doors will be too noisy. The same for the windows their mechanism is not too noisy and I didn’t notice them having a loud opening or closing sound.
With baby asleep you want to be able to get in and out without worrying the doors will be too noisy and wake Bub up!Â
Road and engine noise are both minimal in the new 2023 BMW X1, you are really cocooned from the outside which makes driving more enjoyable.
BabyDrive Indepth - Car Seats
How many child seats fit in the new 2023 BMW X1?
The new 2023 BMW X1 has top tether anchorages in the back of all three backrests that are clearly labelled. There are also anchorages for something else in the tops of the seatbacks and hopefully, parents do not mistake them for top tether anchorages.
There are ISOFix points in the two outer rear seats of the 2023 BMW X1. They are within plastic guides and are nice and easy to connect to.
Two child seats fit really nicely in the back of the 2023 BMW X1 and we found an older child could fit between the two seats.
Legroom is good in the new 2023 BMW X1. With a forward-facing child seat in the back, a 186cm driver or passenger can fit in front. With a rear-facing Infasecure Adapt More infant Capsule in the back then a 180cm driver can sit in front.
Posting Bub into their car seat was easy from outside the 2023 BMW X1 and it was spacious enough inside as well to post them into their seats easily from inside too.
Australia being a country of weather extremes; blazing sun and torrential rain, mean you may find it easier to put Bub into their seat from inside the car sometimes. If it’s hot you can get the air-con going, cool the car down and not stand out in the sun while you fasten them in or shelter from the rain and not get soaked yourself whilst you’re doing it. So it is important to test whether Bub can be easily installed from either direction!
There is plenty of room to feed Bub in the back if you only have one child seat installed.
BabyDrive Indepth - Drive & Comfort
How comfortable is the new 2023 BMW X1? And How good is the BMW X1 to drive?
The front seats of the 2023 BMW X1 are lovely and comfortable and easily adjustable using the controls on the side of the seat base.
The headrests are not adjustable and I found I couldn't wear a ponytail while driving.
I had spent hours styling my hair this morning to get this ponytail just right too… said no new mum ever!!!
For a mum travelling in the back with Bub, the seats are extremely comfortable, there are a lot of seat belt clips in the central seat that you can tuck down into the seat base so they don't stick in your bottom! Legroom is good in the back and I had plenty of legroom behind a 186cm driver and I'm 162cm.
For the first year of Bub’s life when we would go out as a family, if I wasn’t driving, I would travel in the back with Bub so it’s important to check the back seat comfort as you may be spending a lot of time in them! They were never something I gave any thought to before but I definitely notice a good or bad back seat now!
The steering wheel is fully adjustable in/out and up/down.
Across the front dashboard, there are four large air conditioning vents, I like the large central one below the media screen because it can be aimed into the back on extremely hot days.
For rear passengers in the 2023 BMW X1, there are air-conditioning vents in the back of the central console box and two USB-C sockets. I could reach the vents while driving.
You can control the climate through the front media screen easily while driving. You can also control it using the voice command “Hey BMW” which is fun!
Visibility in the new 2023 BMW X1 is good, the cameras are excellent and it has a small turning circle, so I found it an easy car to maneuver and park.
When maneuvering or parking, the visibility out the windows and excellent camera angles really helped.
One thing I have noticed since being a mum is I hate it when I reach a destination or get home from being out and Bub has either done really well in the car or she is screaming her head off and I have done really well to keep it together for the entire journey (usually the latter!!) and it takes 10 minutes to park the car! It can be really stressful. Usually I dread parking new cars as they take longer in our tight apartment block carpark, but the BMW X1, was easy to park.
For Child Occupancy protection the New BMW X1 scored 88%.
ANCAP wrote of the Child Occupancy Testing;
In the frontal offset test, protection of the neck of both the 10 year and 6 year dummies was ADEQUATE, while the protection offered to all other critical body regions was GOOD.
In the side impact test, protection of the head of the 10 year dummy was ADEQUATE while that of other body areas of both the 6 year and 10 year dummies was GOOD.
The BMW X1 is fitted with lower ISOFix anchorages on the rear outboard seats and top tether anchorages for all rear seating positions.
Installation of typical child restraints available in Australia and New Zealand showed most child restraints could be accommodated in most rear seating positions, though one of the selected Type A convertible seats could not be correctly installed in rearward facing mode using the ISOfix anchorages and one of the selectedbooster seats could not be correctly installed in the centre rear seating position.
Seven airbags come as standard in the New 2023 BMW X1; Dual frontal, side chest-protecting and side head-protecting airbags are standard. A centre airbag which provides added protection to front seat occupants in side impact crashes is also standard.
Some of these safety features are also features that drive me crazy as a mum! Like the lane departure and forward collision alert or the parking sensor beeping sound. I want all the safety technology AND to be able to mute the sound when Bub’s asleep!
On the face of it, the Mitsubishi Pajero Sport is a spacious, family-friendly seven-seat SUV. But it comes with just one top tether, that isn’t on the same seat that has ISOFix, and you have to buy and fit the others yourself! Because top tether anchors are in the ceiling, third-row passengers have straps in their faces and it’s impossible to get into the third row if you have a couple of child seats fitted in the second row! Read More
My first thoughts about the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross were that it feels active and sporty from its exterior styling and this I found carried on into the interior. So I was keen to find out how this little SUV would sum up as a BabyDrive. Read More
1 Comment
It would be of informative help if you would advise what type of spare wheel your test cars have and where it is located or if they only have a repair kit if you have a puncture.
Regards.
It would be of informative help if you would advise what type of spare wheel your test cars have and where it is located or if they only have a repair kit if you have a puncture.
Regards.