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BMW X1
MotorTrend says the 2026 X1 is the cheapest way into a BMW SUV, and the closest you'll get to a hot hatch with a roundel on the hood, now entering the fourth year of its current generation and returning largely unchanged; despite flaws that kept it from advancing in MotorTrend's 2024 SUVOTY competition, it still considers the X1 a step forward for BMW and worth a long look for drivers who value design and driving dynamics. Car and Driver says while the 2026 X1 is the smallest, least expensive offering in BMW's SUV lineup, it hesitates to call it entry-level, since its on-road behavior, standard-features list, and interior appointments are a class above. Car and Driver's verdict on the X1 M35i test car: BMW's smallest SUV dials up the intensity.
The cheapest way into a BMW SUV
MotorTrend (opens in a new tab) says the 2026 X1 is the cheapest way into a BMW SUV, and it's the closest you'll get to a hot hatch with a roundel on the hood, now entering the fourth year of its current generation and returning largely unchanged. It says flaws kept the X1 from advancing in its 2024 SUVOTY competition, but it still considers the X1 a step forward for BMW, worth a long look for drivers who value design and driving dynamics.
More than entry-level
Car and Driver (opens in a new tab) says while the 2026 X1 is the smallest, least expensive offering in BMW's SUV lineup, it hesitates to call it entry-level, as its on-road behavior, standard-features list, and interior appointments are a class above.
The performance M35i variant
Car and Driver (opens in a new tab) tested the X1 M35i and rendered its verdict: BMW's smallest SUV dials up the intensity.
Questions buyers ask
Is the BMW X1 considered an entry-level SUV?
Car and Driver (opens in a new tab) says it hesitates to call it entry-level, since its behavior and features are a class above.
What is BMW's cheapest SUV?
MotorTrend (opens in a new tab) says the X1.
Research map
Every major decision path.
The 2026 BMW X1 is built around 2.0L turbo four-cylinder, rated at 241 / 313 horsepower across its compact luxury SUV body style.
Explore this topic →02Trims and equipmentThe 2026 U.S. lineup has 2 trims.
Explore this topic →03Towing and capabilityThe 2026 X1 seats 5 and is a Compact luxury SUV.
Explore this topic →04Safety and ownershipNHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for the 2026 X1.
Explore this topic →Current model year
2026 BMW X1
xDrive28i uses a 241-horsepower tune of the turbo four; M35i steps up to a 313-horsepower tune of the same engine with performance-focused equipment.
Read specifications, trims, answers and sourcesModel-year archive
3 indexed BMW X1 model years.
| Model year | Trims | Open record |
|---|---|---|
| 2027 BMW X1 | 2027 record → | |
| 2026 BMW X1 | 2026 record → | |
| 2025 BMW X1 | 2025 record → |
Background and safety record
What public sources say about the BMW X1.
The BMW X1 is a line of cars produced by German marque BMW since 2009. It is in the subcompact luxury crossover class, and the first-generation X1 was based on the E90 3 Series and offered rear-wheel drive layout as standard. The X1 essentially is aiming at a wider range of customers due to its smaller size, increased efficiency, and a lower price tag due to the all-wheel drive layout (xDrive) being optional.
Source: BMW X1 (Wikipedia); safety and recall figures from NHTSA.
BMW X1 at a glance
- Production
- 2009–present
- Class
- Subcompact luxury crossover SUV
- Body style
- 5-door SUV
BMW X1 generations
The BMW X1 has been redesigned in 2016, 2022, gaps of 7, 6 years, an average of 6.5 years between generations. The current generation (third generation, U11/U12) began in 2022.
| Generation | Code | Began | What changed |
|---|---|---|---|
| First generation | E84 | 2009–2016 | The E84 X1 is the first-generation model and was originally presented as the BMW Concept X1 at the Paris Motor Show in 2008. |
| Second generation | F48/F49 | 2016–2022 | |
| Third generation | U11/U12 | 2022–present |
NHTSA rated the 2025 BMW X1 overall 4 of 5 stars, front crash 4 of 5 stars, side crash 5 of 5 stars, rollover 4 of 5 stars.
Recent recalls (4 campaigns across the latest model years)
- October 2025, Seat Belts:Rear/Other:Retractor. BMW of North America, LLC is recalling certain 2026 2 Series Gran Coupe, X1, X2, and Mini Countryman S ALL4 vehicles. The housing pin in the rear (left and/or right) seat belt retractors may have been damaged during production, resulting in the… Consequence: A damaged seat belt retractor may not properly restrain an occupant during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
- September 2025, Seat Belts:Front:Retractor. BMW of North America, LLC is recalling certain 2025-2026 X1 and X2, MINI Cooper Convertible, MINI Cooper, Mini Countryman S ALL4, and 2025 MINI Countryman SE ALL4 vehicles. The torsion bar in both front seat belt retractors may have been damaged during… Consequence: A damaged seat belt retractor may not properly restrain an occupant during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
- November 2024, Structure:Body:Roof And Pillars. BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2025 X1 xDrive28i and X1 M35i vehicles. The left and right-side B-Pillar reinforcement plates may have been manufactured with insufficient structural strength. Consequence: A B-Pillar structure with reduced strength may not adequately protect passengers in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Owners filed 15 complaints with NHTSA for the 2025 BMW X1, most often about electrical system (7), power train (4), service brakes (4).
Year by year
The BMW X1 across 13 model years.
| Model year | Combined MPG/MPGe | EPA annual fuel cost | EPA records | NHTSA recalls | NHTSA complaints | NHTSA overall rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2027 BMW X1 | 27–28 | $2,850–$2,950 | 2 | |||
| 2026 BMW X1 | 27–28 | $2,750–$2,850 | 2 | 2 | 4 stars | |
| 2025 BMW X1 | 26–28 | $2,750–$3,000 | 2 | 3 | 14 | 4 stars |
| 2024 BMW X1 | 26–28 | $2,750–$3,000 | 2 | 3 | 30 | 4 stars |
| 2023 BMW X1 | 28 | $2,750 | 1 | 6 | 70 | 4 stars |
| 2022 BMW X1 | 26–27 | $2,850–$3,000 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 stars |
| 2021 BMW X1 | 26–27 | $2,850–$3,000 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 5 stars |
| 2020 BMW X1 | 26–27 | $2,850–$3,000 | 2 | 1 | 13 | 5 stars |
| 2019 BMW X1 | 25–26 | $3,000–$3,100 | 2 | 3 | 11 | 5 stars |
| 2018 BMW X1 | 25–26 | $3,000–$3,100 | 2 | 4 | 59 | 5 stars |
| 2017 BMW X1 | 25–26 | $3,000–$3,100 | 2 | 2 | 155 | |
| 2016 BMW X1 | 25 | $3,100 | 1 | 3 | 159 | |
| 2015 BMW X1 | 21–26 | $3,000–$3,700 | 3 | 2 |
Year-to-year changes
What changed in the BMW X1, one model year at a time.
| Step | EPA records | Combined MPG/MPGe, midpoint | Added | No longer listed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 to 2026 | 27.0 to 27.5 | |||
| 2023 to 2024 | 1 to 2 | 28.0 to 27.0 | Labels: X1 M35i | |
| 2022 to 2023 | 2 to 1 | 26.5 to 28.0 | Engines: 2L 4-cyl SIDI & PFI; Transmissions: Automatic (AM-S7); Size classes: Small Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD | Labels: X1 sDrive28i; Engines: 2L 4-cyl SIDI; Transmissions: Automatic (S8); Drives: Front-Wheel Drive; Size classes: Large Cars |
| 2019 to 2020 | 25.5 to 26.5 | |||
| 2016 to 2017 | 1 to 2 | 25.0 to 25.5 | Labels: X1 sDrive28i; Drives: Front-Wheel Drive | |
| 2015 to 2016 | 3 to 1 | 23.5 to 25.0 | Labels: X1 sDrive28i, X1 xDrive35i; Engines: 3L 6-cyl SIDI; Transmissions: Automatic (S6); Drives: Rear-Wheel Drive |
Buying used
What the BMW X1 recalls and complaints are about.
| Model year | Campaigns | Systems recalled | Warnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2 | seat belts (front); seat belts (rear/other) | None |
| 2025 | 3 | electronic stability control (esc); structure (body); seat belts (front) | None |
| 2024 | 3 | electronic stability control (esc); electronic stability control (esc) (control module); service brakes, hydraulic (power assist) | None |
| 2023 | 6 | air bags (frontal); seat belts (rear/other); electronic stability control (esc); 2 more | None |
| 2022 | 2 | fuel system, gasoline (fuel injection system); air bags (frontal) | None |
| 2021 | 1 | seat belts | None |
| 2020 | 1 | air bags (air bag/restraint control module) | None |
| 2019 | 3 | exterior lighting (tail lights); structure (body); steering (linkages) | None |
| 2018 | 4 | engine and engine cooling; exterior lighting (tail lights); structure (body); 1 more | None |
| 2017 | 2 | seat belts (front); structure (body) | None |
| 2016 | 3 | steering (gear box (other than rack and pinion)); seat belts (front); structure (body) | None |
| 2015 | 2 | air bags (frontal); engine and engine cooling (cooling system) | None |
| System | Complaints | Share of all complaints | Worst model year |
|---|---|---|---|
| unknown or other | 138 | 26% | 2016 (64) |
| service brakes | 113 | 22% | 2023 (53) |
| power train | 107 | 20% | 2017 (57) |
| electrical system | 68 | 13% | 2017 (24) |
| structure | 61 | 12% | 2018 (22) |
| electronic stability control (esc) | 41 | 8% | 2023 (31) |
Trim by trim
Every 2026 BMW X1 trim side by side.
| Trim | Drive | Engine | Horsepower | Torque (lb-ft) | Curb weight (lb) | Max towing (lb) | Combined mpg | Base price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| xDrive28i | AWD | 2.0-liter 4-cylinder (Turbo) | 241 | 295 | 3,750 | 3,000 | 28 | $44,550 |
| M35i | AWD | 2.0-liter 4-cylinder (Turbo) | 312 | 295 | 3,790 | 3,000 | 27 | $53,750 |
Source: Kelley Blue Book specifications for the 2026 model year; base price is KBB's national base price where its list carries the trim by the same name. A dash means KBB lists no figure.
Specifications by year
Power, weight and towing for every BMW X1 model year.
| Model year | Trims | Engines | Horsepower | Curb weight (lb) | Max towing (lb) | Fuel tank (gal) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2 | 2.0-liter 4-cylinder (Turbo) | 241–312 | 3,750–3,790 | 3,000 | 14.3 |
| 2025 | 2 | 2.0-liter 4-cylinder (Turbo) | 241–313 | 3,790 | 3,000 | 14.3 |
| 2024 | 2 | 2.0-liter 4-cylinder (Turbo) | 241–313 | 3,790 | 3,000 | 14.3 |
| 2023 | 1 | 2.0-liter 4-cylinder (Turbo) | 241 | 3,750 | 3,000 | 14.3 |
| 2022 | 2 | 2.0-liter 4-cylinder (Turbo) | 228 | 3,567–3,726 | 3,000 | 16.1 |
| 2021 | 2 | 2.0-liter 4-cylinder (Turbo) | 228 | 3,567–3,726 | 3,000 | 16.1 |
| 2020 | 2 | 2.0-liter 4-cylinder (Turbo) | 228 | 3,543–3,697 | 3,000 | 16.1 |
| 2019 | 2 | 2.0-liter 4-cylinder (Turbo) | 228 | 3,543–3,697 | 3,000 | 16.1 |
| 2018 | 2 | 2.0-liter 4-cylinder (Turbo) | 228 | 3,543–3,697 | 3,000 | 16.1 |
| 2017 | 2 | 4-Cyl, Twin Turbo, 2.0L | 228 | 3,543 | 3,000 | 16.1 |
| 2016 | 1 | 4-Cyl, Twin Turbo, 2.0L | 228 | 3,660 | 3,000 | 16.1 |
| 2015 | 3 | 4-Cyl, Twin Turbo, 2.0L / 6-Cyl, Twin Turbo, 3.0L | 240–300 | 3,527–3,891 | 3,000 | 16.6 |
Source: Kelley Blue Book specifications for each model year. A range covers every trim KBB lists that year; a dash means KBB lists no figure.
Owning it
Oil, fluid and wheel-nut figures for the BMW X1.
| Model year | Engine oil | Brake fluid | Wheel-nut torque | A/C refrigerant | Key-fob battery |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 0W-20 | – | – | – | – |
| 2016 | 5W-30 | – | – | – | – |
Source: the manufacturer's owner's manual for each model year. A dash means that year's manual gave no single value for it, for instance one that lists two oil grades or two key types.
Model-year recall record
BMW X1: which model years carry more or fewer federal safety recalls.
More recalls than this model’s own average
- 2023 BMW X1 : 6 recalls on file, most commonly affecting stability control and airbags.
| Model year | Federal recalls on file | Complaints on file | Recalls most commonly affected |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2 | not available | seat belts |
| 2025 | 3 | 14 | stability control, structure, seat belts |
| 2024 | 3 | 30 | stability control, brakes |
| 2023 | 6 | 70 | stability control, airbags, seat belts, brakes |
| 2022 | 2 | 1 | fuel system, airbags |
| 2021 | 1 | 7 | seat belts |
| 2020 | 1 | 13 | airbags |
| 2019 | 3 | 11 | steering, exterior lighting, structure |
| 2018 | 4 | 59 | engine cooling, steering, exterior lighting, structure |
| 2017 | 2 | 155 | seat belts, structure |
| 2016 | 3 | 159 | seat belts, structure, steering |
| 2015 | 2 | not available | airbags, engine cooling |
Method: recall counts and their affected components come from the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation: Recalls API, queried by exact make, model and model year. Complaint counts come from the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation: Complaints API, same query pattern. Data pulled 2026-09-04.
Known gap: the NHTSA complaints API did not return data for BMW X1 model years 2015, 2026 when queried for this page: the request itself failed upstream, not returning a genuine zero. Those years are marked "not available" above instead of shown as clean; recall counts for those years are unaffected and come from the separate recalls API, which returned data for every year listed.
Check open recalls by VIN for one particular vehicle.
Q01Is there a best year to buy a BMW X1?
Recall count alone can't answer that: it says nothing about a specific vehicle's price, mileage, accident history or maintenance record. What federal data can say: 2023 carried more. See the model-year table on this page for the exact counts and what they cover.
Q02Which BMW X1 model years should I watch for recalls?
The 2023 BMW X1 has 6 federal recalls on file, most commonly affecting stability control, airbags, seat belts. Always confirm the open/completed status of every campaign for the specific VIN: a recall on this list may already be repaired on the vehicle in front of you.
Q03What are common recall-related problems on the BMW X1 by model year?
2026: seat belts. 2025: stability control, structure, seat belts. 2024: stability control, brakes. 2023: stability control, airbags, seat belts, brakes. 2022: fuel system, airbags. 2021: seat belts.
Q04Why do some BMW X1 model years show "not available" for complaints?
The NHTSA complaints API did not return data for BMW X1 model years 2015, 2026 when queried for this page: the request itself failed upstream instead of the count genuinely being zero. Recall counts for those years are unaffected; they come from a separate NHTSA endpoint that returned data for every year listed.
Diagnosing one of these symptoms? The recalled systems above map to this site’s own ownership desks: general, evidence-first guidance that applies regardless of whether the specific vehicle in front of you was ever part of a recall campaign: Buying, records and recalls, Engine and cooling, Brakes, tires and steering, Climate and electrical.
2023 BMW X1 owners specifically: see Brakes, tires and steering and Buying, records and recalls.
Compared with
Models this BMW X1 is most often compared with.
Nearest BMW models
Other BMW models.
Frequent questions
Answers with their conditions intact.
Q01How many trims does the 2026 X1 come in?
The 2026 BMW X1 (compact luxury SUV) comes in 2 trims: xDrive28i, M35i.
Q02What are the 2026 X1 trims?
The 2026 BMW X1 trims are xDrive28i, M35i, listed from the entry xDrive28i up to the top M35i.
Q03What engine or powertrain does the 2026 X1 use?
The 2026 BMW X1 is built around 2.0L turbo four-cylinder, rated at 241 / 313 horsepower across its compact luxury SUV body style.
Q04How much horsepower does the 2026 X1 have?
The 2026 BMW X1 is rated at 241 / 313 horsepower (2.0L turbo four-cylinder).
Q05Is AWD or 4WD available on the 2026 X1?
The 2026 BMW X1 is offered with Standard AWD.