X Marks the Spot

As much as BMW X cars may look the part of muscular sports activity vehicles (BMW’s take on the popular sports utility vehicle class) capable of imposing themselves and making easy work of tight city roads, the cars showed that they can just as easily navigate off-road terrain, and effortlessly too with their powerful yet efficient engines and intelligent xDrive system.

Having been able to drive the full range, one also gains an insight into how each model has been thoughtfully developed for a specific set of customers. Those who want a nifty compact capable of roughing it out might desire the X1, otherwise the X3 would fit the bill should more flexibility be required. Then, there’s the larger, more luxurious and imposing X5 and the ostentatious X6, a stellar performer which never fails to draw attention on the roads.

With all four models available, participants were split into details and rotated throughout so ensure that everyone got equal chance to drive the whole range.

The introductory drive saw us drive to the Mari-Mari Cultural Village, where we got a glimpse of indigenous culture. More importantly, the drive through the city and surrounding suburbs gave us an insight to the types of driving conditions we would later expect on the trip. Driving the X3 xDrive20d the first time round, the car made light work of the dusty snaking roads with numerous potholes; the 2.0-litre turbocharged diesel engine offering 184bhp with 380Nm of torque to be steered through the winding roads.

The subsequent drives proved to be far more challenging. Seated in the more powerful X5 xDrive35i (3.0-litre turbocharged 306bhp with 400Nm of torque), we had to commander the car through off-road terrain with steep ascents and descents. And it is here the BMW’s xDrive can be adequately experienced. Employing manual shifting in the eight-speed automatic gearbox to get a lower gear ratio, one could almost feel the front wheels significantly gain power on the slow climb up. It almost felt too easy with the xDrive system doing all the work while the driver only need keep his eyes on the road and his hands on the steering. That said, one could really see the true benefits of the xDrive system at work when it is needed most.

Things got interesting on the sharp descents. Given the steep gradient, we had to engage the Hill Descent Control (HDC) that is standard on every X model. Following the lead X1 xDrive20i (184bhp with 380Nm of torque), engaging HDC meant that our descent speed would be controlled at a very slow speed with the car automatically braking all four of its wheels to maintain a recommended descent speed of between 8-12km/h. Where necessary, decent speed can be increased up to 25km/h via the steering mounted cruise control switch.

It was only on the open highway and mountain roads on the way from Kota Kinabalu to Kota Belud and Sungai Tungasan that we got to truly experience the power of BMW’s TwinPower turbo technology. Driving the 3.0-litre 306bhp with 400Nm X6 xDrive35i, the open roads gave us opportunity to try to catch the lead X1, and push the car’s six-cylinders hard. The biggest challenge again proved itself to be Mother Nature as torrential rain made driving up and down the meandering mountain roads much more difficult, no thanks to wet slippery roads that were uneven.

Despite having had a go at all the 4 BMW models, it’s hard to actually decide which car is best as they each have their distinct characters. But if there’s one thing for certain, it’s the level of comfort which can be found in each car that offers a premium finish to the versatile drive experience.

Credits: Text: Jonathan Tan in Kota Kinabalu Photos: Jonathan Tan and BMW Malaysia