The X1 was awarded the maximum five star rating for crash safety by Euro NCAP with high scores for both adult and child occupant safety. This should provide a high level of reassurance when it comes to BMW X1 safety.

All models come with six airbags, seatbelt pre-tensioners, ABS and Brake Force Display which warns drivers behind that you are braking sharply, plus a daytime driving lights function. Also included are Isofix child seat attachments while rear parking sensors are also standard fit.

While the styling is influenced by the larger X5, the X1 also echoes the bigger model’s versatility and it’s impressively spacious inside considering the fairly compact size.

There’s plenty of room in the boot, although the slight load lip is a little disappointing as it means you can’t easily slide heavier items in or out – instead they have to be lifted. But the luggage area is wide and long with 420 litres of space available – around 60 litres less than a 3 Series Touring. Underneath the boot floor there’s a hidden storage area plus the rear seats split 40/20/40 and fold down to create a larger load space. They don’t sit quite flat but this doesn’t prevent the X1 from being able to accommodate much larger items such as pieces of furniture.

Storage in the front is decent with good-sized door pockets and a central cupholder along with a cubbyhole that doubles as the centre armrest. A luggage separating net is available as an optional extra.