BMW iX1 review: boot space, seating & practicality
The fully electric iX1 is just almost as roomy as a petrol or diesel-powered X1, and boasts more boot space than most of its key rivals
| Length | Width | Height | Boot volume (seats up/down) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4,500mm | 1,845mm | 1,642mm | 490/1,495 litres |
The iX1 might not be based on a bespoke electric-car platform like the Audi Q4 e-tron it competes with, but it’s almost as spacious as any other X1 model, with few compromises made for the battery pack under the floor. You get a big boot, too, so the iX1 should be more than practical enough to be considered for family transport.
BMW iX1 interior space, storage & comfort
The conventional BMW X1 is bigger than before: 53mm longer, with an additional 20mm added to the wheelbase. This translates to the electric iX1, of course, so it feels like quite a big car inside. Even taller adults won’t struggle to get comfortable in the front, with plenty of adjustment in the seats and steering wheel, while those in the rear should find head room especially generous for a small SUV – even with the optional panoramic roof fitted.
The floor isn’t completely flat, but you don’t get the intrusive transmission tunnel that you’ll find in some of the iX1’s rivals. Instead, the biggest frustration is how the centre console reaches into the rear cabin, taking up valuable foot space for middle-seat occupants. Further to this, the iX1 doesn’t benefit from the sliding bench you get in petrol and diesel X1s, so you can’t shift the seats for extra boot space.
There’s plenty of storage space dotted around the cabin, including a generous glovebox and cubby between the front seats. Removing the conventional gear lever has freed up space on the centre console and there’s a huge wireless charging pad suitable for even the largest smartphones.
Boot space
It may be BMW’s smallest electric SUV, but the iX1 gets an impressive 490-litre boot. That’s down from 540 litres in the petrol and diesel X1s, but the reduction has come out of the underfloor storage area, so you won’t notice most of the time – especially as there’s still space to store the charging cables. It trounces the Mercedes EQA’s 340-litre boot, and even beats those in the Nissan Ariya or Ford Mustang Mach-E.
Similarly, folding the rear seats down in the iX1 provides you with 1,495 litres of cargo capacity to play with – over 150 litres more than you get in the EQA or an electric Volvo XC40. There’s no ‘frunk’ in the nose of the iX1 – like you’ll find in that frequently-mentioned Volvo – but as mentioned, there’s still enough space under the boot floor to keep your cables out of sight.
