A small positive out of an otherwise very poor quarter change is the addition of the 18d engine in the BMW X1. Anyone looking for a diesel SUV should test drive one. I had two extended test drives in X1’s with this engine – a 2WD and 4WD. I am very familiar with the more powerful 20d version but the 18d really didn’t feel like a step down. It uses the same 2.0 litre engine but in a slightly different state of tune, which helps MPG. As with all BMW diesels, it’s so refined you can’t tell it’s a diesel from the noise, only from the performance. The xDrive 4WD version was the better of the two (and isn’t available to us) as it had better traction and grip when driving ‘keenly’, but I doubt that this will be an issue for 99% of Motability customers. The xLine variant that it’s available in is extremely well equipped and has a very premium feel to the interior. We’ve ordered the 20i 4WD version as we wanted to move from diesel to petrol this time but, as I say, anyone still needing a diesel should check this out.