Distance: 236km
Dates: 19-20 September, 2025
Location: Eastern Ontario
Up front: The spacious interior is credit to its minimalist styling, also known as cost cutting. The entry-level compact crossover isn’t for someone with a family, it’s for an aspiring professional who cares more about from than function. The seat isn’t adjustable high enough leading to poor visibility, the lumbar support isn’t adjustable, and the centre console is about one inch deep.
What has replaced the centre console is a large open storage area between the two seats large enough for a messenger bag or a large purse. While convenient, it’s not hidden from view of potential thieves when parked. However, BMW has fixed dashboard visibility issues from the previous generation so the steering wheel no longer obstructs the speedometer.
BMW’s dashboard design has remained relatively unchanged from the 1990s to the 2010s, but the screen in BMWs of the mid 2020s replaced most of the classic buttons. Climate control is now in the screen; heated seats and fan controls require two taps instead of a single button click, lowering safety. Changing driving modes unnecessarily exits the navigation screen, requiring two taps to return. The loss of the iDrive control wheel dealt a blow to screen navigability.
In the back: Legroom and seat width in the second row is generous, plus the seat hight makes it a comfortable stay. Headroom is okay for most adults, but the sloping roofline might challenge the tall. Windows are very narrow to conform to exterior body styling, so children may feel sick even if it can easily fit two child seats in the back.
The boot has a large surface area, but not a lot of stackable space. The sloped rear end means you can only stack up to the load cover. In addition, there’s no space under the false floor, not even for a spare tire. Keep your tow truck’s number handy.
Driving: The 241-horsepower engine delivers brisk acceleration, more than one would expect from a front-wheel drive crossover. The suspension is stiffer than previous generation, giving it a more accurate steering response. The turbo lag isn’t noticeable when driving normally on efficiency or individual (comfort) mode, but lags significantly on hard acceleration and causes gear hunting in sport mode. It’s clearly not design for enthusiasts, but to convert those graduating from their mass market Hyundais and Hondas.
As with many modern crossovers, the pillars are thick, windows are small, and visibility is severely compromised. The front windshield feels like looking through a letter box and the rear windshield doesn’t fill up the entire rearview mirror. To add oil to the fire, BMW also did away with automatically tilting the passenger-side mirror when in reverse.
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