I think maybe I should of worded my comment more precise to avert any misunderstanding.
‘George’ You are correct the high capacity engines do use a torque converter. I put my mistake down to the time I made my post!,,,,,it was a long day!
Going back to my earlier post I have found that using Eco Pro mode for town driving will present a noticeable delay in throttle response when compared to the other two modes of ‘Normal’ and ‘Sport’. And as mentioned by Fastbike1000 it is a recommended mode for driving in snow due to its gentle and subtle drive power delivery. Eco Pro mode can still be used to drive quickly but there is a noticeable change in gear change refinement unless the paddle shifts are used, which is when I use them most, in particular on a hilly section of A road or motorway when overtaking at short notice is required. ‘Sport’ mode is in my opinion a irrelevant mode and not required on this type of vehicle. However, I have to confess to using it ‘very enthusiastically’ sometimes when at the traffic lights and needing to get a rapid getaway!
Having assessed Eco Pro and Standard driving modes for driving around town in my experience the fuel savings are negligble. Eco Pro in my view is strictly for uninterupted road journeys and does deliver exceptional fuel economy for a reasonably high performance engine.
My comments relate to my experiences of driving my 2018MY X1 2.0i X-Drive. Since the introduction of WLTP the X1 has undergone some minor changes which may produce different results and views, that I will understand more when my imminent X1 arrives hopefully in the next month or two.
Glos Guy the gearbox as fitted to your 520d would have been a ZF Auto, to be precise a ZF 8HP45.