BMW has made a number of features standard across the X1 lineup this year, including driver-assistance features such as forward-collision warning, lane-departure warning, parking sensors, and automatic high-beam headlamps. Navigation with real-time traffic updates is also now included, as is Apple CarPlay, but for some reason BMW requires an annual fee for that normally free feature after the first year.
Pros Sweetheart engine and transmission, athletic chassis, capacious cargo hold.
Cons Unsupportive standard seats, slow infotainment system, subtle exterior styling.
The 2019 BMW X1 crossover is the right shape and the right price for entry luxury buyers willing to overlook some flaws.
pros Good powertrain Spacious cargo area Standard automatic emergency braking Available all-wheel drive...
Cons ...but it’s pricey, like everything else Styling is aged Budget materials in lower trims Why ask more for CarPlay?
The 2019 BMW X1 comes with all wheel drive, and front wheel drive. Available transmissions include: 8-speed shiftable automatic.Navigation with real-time traffic, one year of Apple CarPlay and remote services are now standard.Active driver aids — such as forward collision warning, lane departure warning and high-beam assistant - are now standard.
PROS Strong and responsive turbo engine Sharp handling makes it fun to drive Plenty of rear passenger and cargo room High-quality materials and fit and finish
CONS Standard sport suspension may be jarring on rough roads Not particularly quiet on the highway
Not only is the MX-30 an all-new model for Mazda, it marks the first time the Japanese automaker has experimented with an all-electric powertrain. It's similarly sized to the current CX-3 and the upcoming CX-30 crossovers, but borrows the MX nomenclature of the MX-5 Miata, giving us hope that it will be a performance-oriented option in the electric-SUV marketplace.
Another day, another electric vehicle. This time around it's from Mazda, and it blends all the hallmarks of a sporty city SUV with a fully-electric heart. The MX-30 debuts Mazda's pure-electric e-SkyActiv platform, along with a number of new interior technologies likely to filter through the rest of the Japanese brand's line-up in due course. The all-electric MX-30 is part of Mazda's plan to offer an e-SkyActiv (hybrid, plug-in hybrid, or fully-electric) vehicle in each of its model lines by 2030. That includes everything from the Mazda 2 through to the dual-cab BT-50 replacement.
Mazda could have played it safe with this one but it didn't. Instead, it went bold. Rugged, in fact. All the more impressive is the fact that the all-new 2021 Mazda MX-30 is the Japanese automaker's first-ever all-electric vehicle. Going bold is something GM, for example, never would have done. Just look at the Chevrolet Bolt. The new MX-30, by contrast, has unique styling inside and out that may not be to everyone's liking. Mazda has been repositioning itself over the past few years as a more premium brand overall, and the MX-30's slightly more rugged look is not what everyone expected. But it also serves as the ideal gateway model for the brand as it takes its first step towards all-out electrification. The question is whether the MX-30 can successfully challenge the likes of the popular Hyundai Kona Electric, Kia Niro EV, and even the upcoming BMW iX3.
