Since the late 1990s BMW has built the X Series of sport activity vehicles.

 

The company started in 1999 with the introduction of the X5. Now, the German automaker also offers an X3 and an X6. Both the X5 and X6 are mid-size luxury vehicles, while the X3 is a compact crossover vehicle.

 

But the X-family has grown yet again.

 

New for the Canadian market is the X1, a premium compact sport activity vehicle that is wagonesque in stature, and that is underpinned by the company's 3 Series Touring platform.

 

The X1 has been on sale in other world markets since 2008, and was launched here in Canada early in 2011.

 

The U.S. will get the X1 in the first part of 2012.

 

In Canada, the X1 xDrive28i is equipped with a 2.0-litre in-line four-cylinder engine fitted with a high-performance twin-scroll turbocharger.

 

This four-cylinder engine makes 241 horsepower and 258 ft.-lbs. of torque, and that energy is channelled through an eightspeed automatic transmission.

 

And, as the xDrive name denotes, the X1 is equipped with BMW's infinitely variable allwheel-drive system, giving the vehicle exceptional road-holding capabilities.

 

According to BMW, the xDrive system can distribute up to 100 per cent of the engine's power to the front or rear axles, as conditions merit.

 

Thanks to the Herald's People's Test Drive program, Calgarian Ken De Decker recently spent a week experiencing the X factor associated with the 2012 BMW X1 xDrive 28i. His tester was finished in Space Grey Metallic paint, and interior upholstery was the standard leatherette - Nevada Leather is available for an extra $1,900.

 

De Decker was especially impressed with the handling courtesy of the xDrive system.

 

"You could brake into corners at a high rate of speed, and the car would always co-operate," De Decker says. "It held the road really well."

 

Born and raised in Winnipeg, De Decker, 52, learned to drive tractors and half-ton trucks on his uncle's farm.

 

De Decker rode motorcycles as a teenager, and De his first car was a Dodge Monaco, which he sold when gasoline became too expensive.

 

In the 1980s, he and a friend built Austin Mini ice-racing cars, and De Decker has taken the Race Inc. Formula 3 performance driving school at Shannonville, Ont.

 

Currently, the De Decker fleet consists of a 2007 Nissan Versa for commuting to work, a 2008 Mazda B3000 truck for weekend hauling and a 2009 Volkswagen Jetta for highway travelling.

 

As a director for an insurance company, De Decker finds himself on the highway travelling to destinations ld to such as Edmonton or Regina at least two or three times a month.

 

When De Decker first laid eyes on the X1, he says he saw the car as quite simply beautiful.

 

"It's sleek and has got some very nice lines on it," De Decker says.

 

"It's a very sharp looking car, with the traditional BMW muscular look in the front."

 

Stepping inside the X1, De Decker found the surroundings tight - but in a good way.

 

"It's more like a cockpit, and it was similar to getting into a racing car," De Decker says. "(BMW doesn't give you a) a bench seat, a steering wheel and a gas pedal; it's definitely designed for the driver."

 

De Decker, at 6-foot tall and 155 lbs., says he fit perfectly into the X1, and that all instruments and controls were both visible and easy to reach.

 

It took De Decker some time to, as he puts it, to "learn the language of the car."

 

"There's a driver control panel, and it's an interface between you and the car," he says.

 

"You can use voice commands to control the radio, Bluetooth and navigation, or you can use a toggle switch with menu controls. It's a very sophisticated system, and it was like getting a new computer."

 

Once familiar with the "language," De Decker says the interface became intuitive and easy to operate.

 

On the road, De Decker says the turbocharged four cylinder had great power, with plenty of steam to merge or pass.

 

During his week with the vehicle, De Decker commuted to his office, and on the weekend with his wife Debbie and daughter Tia drove to Kananaskis for an overnight trip.

 

They packed three small cases, and a set of golf clubs.

 

"Packing was good for three people," De Decker says. "The back seats have a 40/20/40 split, and those were easy to manipulate for a variety of hauling chores."

 

Passengers all found there was ample room, whether in the front seat or the rear.

 

Of the BMW's ride, De Decker says: "It was very comfortable, and it was easy to be fooled about how fast you were going - on the highway you're doing 110 km/h and it feels like you're not moving."

 

Overall, De Decker says the X1 would be an appropriate vehicle in a family environment, offering more in utility than a coupe or a sedan might.

 

"For the right stage in your life, where you need a family vehicle but really want a pure two-seat sports coupe, the X1 gives you more," De Decker says.

 

"You can drive it like a sports coupe, but you have a lot more car when it comes to other activities."