One other thing that I forgot to mention. The first X1 that I drove was 2WD and when you pulled away from rest at a pace, the front wheels scrabbled very slightly and the steering went a bit light. Today’s X1 was 4WD and no such issue. The extra traction was quite noticeable. Given that we would be getting the even more powerful 2.0i petrol version, the 4WD version seems a no brainier, especially as it’s slightly quicker than the 2WD version and the fuel penalty is negligible. My last BMW (5 Series) was as close to perfection as any of the 200 or more cars that I have driven over the last 40 years, but was absolutely hopeless in snow, so the extra reassurance of 4WD will be welcome!