BMW's first attempt at the X1 was neither fish nor fowl nor any fun. But version 2.0 gets it right. By Thomas Falkiner The automotive industry is one of the biggest hotbeds of confusion the world has known. Think of it as the Los Angeles of mass production: a city filled with people who spend their lives trying to outdo each other by being fresher and more relevant. Usually this is a good thing. It drives innovation and sparks ideas that lead to first-generation Audi TTs and laser headlamps and hybrid drive systems.Unfortunately this quest to push boundaries, to be different just for the sake of it, is also responsible for some unbelievable identity crises. Cars that don't have a clue who they are or why they exist.Like the original BMW X1. At first glance it looked like an SUV. Except in reality it more closely resembled a stationwagon on stilts. This notion was dismissed when you sat inside and discovered it was about as spacious as a Ford Focus.story_article_left1There was the option of all-wheel drive, but not enough ground clearance to ever put it to the test. So you would buy the rear-wheel-drive model and discover that it quite liked getting a bit sideways. What was this peculiar machine? Was it a hot hatchback? A mutant estate? An urbanised soft-roader scared of getting its protective cladding dirty? Puzzled, that's what the first X1 was. Yet despite all this discombobulation it sold well, to the tune of about 730000 units. Money was made. Which is why BMW has just launched a new version.The latest X1 is a far more attractive proposition thanks to some significant architectural tweaks. Compared with the old one it's shorter (by 15mm), wider (by 23mm) and taller (by 53mm). Gawky uncertainty is out, confident street swagger is in. The new X1 merges the best of the X3 and X5 into a tightly proportioned package, one that can be further customised by choosing between three styling lines that adjust the appearance of the car's exterior and interior. At the moment you can pick between xLine, Sport Line or the "angry-as-heck" M Sport package that's all snarling air dams and drug dealer-sized wheels.The interior has also been overhauled. It's less fussy, hewn from better materials and more intuitive. BMW Driver Experience Control, iDrive and a 6.5-inch display ship standard, as does the luxury of added space. Although the new X1 is shorter in length, the engineers freed up cabin real estate by mounting the engine sideways as opposed to lengthways. So there's a larger boot and extra legroom.You'll find tons of optional features available: adaptive dampers, adaptive LED lights, pedestrian detection, heads-up display, BMW ConnectedDrive, streaming web radio ... It's like a technology expo in here. Be careful what you spec because it can quickly send the price rocketing.story_article_right2So far so different. Yet perhaps the most radical departure from the previous model is the front-wheel drive option. BMW diehards will scoff at this. They will spend hours on internet forums bitching about how a BMW isn't a BMW if the engine doesn't send its power to the rear wheels. Yeah, maybe in something like an M3, but in an X1 does it really matter? Nope, not at all. Besides, most people will probably go for one of the all-wheel drive models I'm busy piloting through the Bavarian countryside. The range-topping xDrive25i with its two-litre turbocharged engine has long legs and plenty of punch.Although I've got to say that I prefer the diesel offerings. The xDrive25d has the same power but more torque and less of a thirst. On the unrestricted sections of the German autobahn it also has no problem shadowing the bumpers of lower-slung sports saloons. Unfortunately the SA market won't be getting this model, but we will be getting the slightly less muscular (and less expensive) xDrive20d.And this is, seriously, all the X1 you'll ever need. All X1 models handle with typical levels of BMW polish. They also seem to ride a bit better - especially when fitted with those aforementioned adaptive dampers that can be made softer or firmer. Noise insulation is eerily impressive, too.The new BMW X1. It is, after this half a day of busting its guts out on a hump up from Austria to Munich, a jolly fine machine. A proper SUV that now makes a much more convincing argument against the likes of the Audi Q3, Mercedes-Benz GLA and - at a stretch - the slightly more off-road orientated Range Rover Evoque. Best of all, it no longer dithers around in a schizophrenic funk, wondering what the hell it is. LSThe new X1 will launch locally in October. The initial range: xDrive20i (R541757) xDrive20d (R559039) xDrive25i (R606399)sub_head_start FAST FACTS: BMW X1 xDrive25isub_head_endEngine: 1998cc four-cylinder turboPower: 170kW at 5000rpmTorque: 350Nm at 1250rpmTransmission: Eight-speed Steptronic0-100km/h: 6.5 seconds (claimed)Top speed: 235km/h (claimed)Fuel: 6.4l/100km (claimed combined)CO2: 152g/km (claimed)Price: From R606399Follow the author of this article, Thomas Falkiner, on Twitter: @tomfalkiner111..