BMW’s second-generation X1 could hardly be any more different to the 2010 original.

The German brand’s first compact SUV had a cramped rear seat but delivered excellent rear-wheel drive dynamics. This larger new model, by contrast, promises to offer class-benchmark interior space teamed with a – gasp! – front-wheel drive chassis.

There is more kit for marginally higher prices in the entry petrol version tested here, dubbed sDrive20i. But is BMW’s new approach a smart one, and can the new X1 conquer the fresh Mercedes-Benz GLA and established Audi Q3?

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