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Daily Driver: 2016 BMW X1

Daily Driver videos are micro-reviews of vehicles in the Autoblog press fleet, reviewed by the staffers that drive them every day. Today's Daily Driver features the 2016 BMW X1, reviewed by Alex Kierstein. You can watch the video above or read a transcript below. And don't forget to watch more Autoblog videos at /videos. Show full video transcript text [00:00:00 ]Hey, everybody. I'm Senior Editor Alex Kierstein and today we're driving the 2016 BMW X1. It's replacing the old X1 and the old X1 was based on BMW's traditional rear-wheel drive platform. That meant the engine was positioned longitudinally, that's north/south in the engine bay. In this application, we've got a transversely mounted turbo charged inline four, making 228 horsepower. [00:00:30] It displaces 2.0 liters and it's part of BMW's new modular engine family. It's a nice engine. It's smooth. It sounds good and it's got a lot of power. This is a little lighter than the previous car. This one weighs 3,660 pounds versus the old X1's 3800 and some change. It's a little bit lighter. The dimensions aren't that much different. If you're wondering why it got smaller, that's because it's using a platform [00:01:00] shared with a lot of BMW's Mini products. This is really the fruition of BMW's investment in the Mini brand because now they're able to use those platforms in the engines they developed for those models in BMWs. This X1 has an 8-speed automatic transmission and it's really a pretty good trans. It kicks down quickly if you call for it to give you some power and for the most part it's smooth and kind of out of your way. [00:01:30] Where Minis are sort of raucous when you really whomp in it, this is a little more restrained. It still delivers power like many of the current turbocharged Minis out there, but there's more refinement here. I really like the external styling on this car. It's wearing this really lovely shade of dark blue and BMW's current styling language lends itself really well to this shape [00:02:00]. It looks really tidy and it's not really that complex or interesting of a shape. It's very much the traditional two-box CUV kind of exterior look and profile, but the detailing is nice. It looks sharp. It looks like a premium product and it looks like a more expensive product than a similar Mini would. BMW used to pride themselves on having simple uncluttered interfaces and even the sort of trimmed down iDrive that's in this unit [00:02:30]. Works pretty well.

Recharge Wrap-up: Cezeta electric scooter, BMW's new Efficient Dynamics engines

The revived Czech motor scooter company Cezeta has revealed its retro-styled electric scooter. The Cezeta 506, which borrows its looks from the brand's scooters from the 1950s and 1960s, uses an 11-kW (about 15 hp) electric motor to propel itself and its rider to speeds of up to 68 miles per hour, making it suitable for highway use. A smartphone app allows the owner to reprogram top speed and acceleration, find charging stations, and take advantage of the bike's built-in Bluetooth speakers. See the video above, read more at Technologic Vehicles, or learn more at the Cezeta website. BMW has unveiled its newest Efficient Dynamics engines. In three- and four-cylinder, gasoline- and diesel-burning versions, the new modular powerplants share architecture and componentry. Featuring an aluminum crankcase and displacing about 0.5 liters per cylinder, the new engines are also aided by BMW's TwinPower turbocharging technology. Both the gasoline and diesel variants offer a savings of about five percent in fuel and emissions while improving performance. Learn more, including the many technical details, at Green Car Congress. Tesla is set to open its largest Supercharger stations to date, at 20 stalls apiece. In anticipation of a growing demand for charging infrastructure with the launch of the Model 3, Tesla will open one of the 20-stall stations in its hometown of Fremont, California, with the other opening in Nebbenes, Norway, not far from the EV-loving country's capital of Oslo. It's not clear when the Fremont location will open, but the Norwegian station should be up and running in August. Read more at Electrek. A new study confirms that automotive aluminum is recycled at a rate of 91 percent. According to research from the Worcester Polytechnic Institute's (WPI) Center for Resource Recovery and Recycling (funded, we should note, by the Aluminum Association), provides evidence of aluminum's sustainability in the manufacturing process. "With an eye toward reducing the nation's energy consumption, lowering carbon emissions, and increasing fuel economy," says Professor Diran Apelian of WPI's Metal Processing Institute, "this study confirms that as aluminum use continues to grow in the automotive sector it also enhances energy security and environmental protections." Read more in the press release below.

Autoblog Minute: Finalists announced for 2016 Tech of the Year award

Here are the finalists for Autoblog's 2016 Technology of the Year award. Autoblog's Chris McGraw reports on this edition of Autoblog Minute, with commentary from Autoblog executive producer Adam Morath, AutoblogGreen editor-in-chief Sebastian Blanco, and Autoblog senior editor Alex Kierstein. Show full video transcript text [00:00:00] It's Fall here in Detroit and for us that means it's time for football, autumn beers, and the fourth annual Autoblog Tech of the Year awards. I'm Chris McGraw and this is your Autoblog Minute. Tech of the Year is one of our favorite things here at Autoblog. It's a time when we get celebrate all the best tech from the industry we love most. [00:00:30] - [00:01:00] [Commentary form Adam Morath, Sebastian Blanco, Alex Kierstein] Past winners include, Tesla's Supercharger network, FCA's Uconnect system and the BMW i8. In 2016 we're doing something a little different for Tech of the Year. We've separated our award into two categories. One award for best tech car, and a second award for best technology of the year. The nominees for best car in 2016 are: [00:01:30] the Tesla Model S, the Chevrolet Volt, and the BMW 7 series. The nominees for best tech in 2016 are: Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Volkswagen's MiB II with AppConnect, Ford Sync 3, Audi's Virtual Cockpit, the Smart Cross Connect App, and Volvo Sensus. [00:02:00] We're going to announce Autoblog's Tech of the Year winners in January at the 2016 North American International Auto Show, in Detroit. For Autoblog, I'm Chris McGraw. Autoblog Minute is a short-form video news series reporting on all things automotive. Each segment offers a quick and clear picture of what's happening in the automotive industry from the perspective of Autoblog's expert editorial staff, auto executives, and industry professionals. Green BMW Chevrolet Ford Hummer smart Tesla Volkswagen Volvo Technology Infotainment Autoblog Minute Videos Original Video