The BMW X1 was never meant to be a record-breaking speed freak, but as is the case with most tuners, there’s never a bad time to turn it into one. Swiss tuner Dahler knows this better than anybody else. It’s been around for 30 years and has a long list of tuning products for Bavaria’s finest, and its most recent tuning project is for the aforementioned X1. The program comes with a range of upgrades for the crossover’s exterior, interior, and engine. It’s a relatively simple program, but the desired results are there for the taking.

2015 - 2018 BMW X1 By Dahler

Specifications
  • Make: Array
  • Model: 2015 - 2018 BMW X1 By Dahler
  • [do not use] Vehicle Model: Array

Exterior Enhancements

It doesn’t take a lot to drive up the sporty styling of the BMW X1. The crossover already appeals in that regard, but Dahler is determined to squeeze every ounce of sportiness out of the X1. The tuner’s upgrades to the exterior are a good example of that. There are plenty of aero part to choose from. A front spoiler is available, as is a rear wing. There’s also a roof spoiler, a rear diffuser, side skirts, and exterior mirrors that can be optioned of to get a carbon look. You don’t have to get all of these options for your X1, but the fact that you can choose which ones you like should create some variety on how the crossover will look with the chosen aero bits in place.

Interior Enhancements

Likewise, the interior options available for the X1 focuses on individualization above everything else. If you want the cabin of your crossover to drown in leather, Dahler can do that for you. If you want it in Alcantara, it can do that too. There are also special sports leather steering wheels to choose from. You can even order a side of carbon inlays on the steering wheel to go with more carbon interior trim and parts, shift knobs, high-quality aluminum pedals, and a choice of seats, be it the bucket type or the more performance-oriented race version. There is no shortage of options to choose from, at least as far as Dahler is concerned.

Drivetrain Enhancements

Once you’ve settled in on the kind of exterior and interior upgrades that you want, you can turn your focus on the kit’s main event: the engine upgrades. In true Dahler fashion, the Swiss tuner’s engine upgrade program for the X1 covers all engine options available to the crossover. Gas-powered versions like the sDrive and xDrive 18i, for example, has a kit that can increase the engine’s output from 140 horsepower to 158 horsepower.

If you own an xDrive 20i or sDrive, you can get as much as 223 horsepower, a 31-horsepower increase from the standard version’s output of 192 horsepower. There’s also a program available for the xDrive25i, one that pushes the engine’s output to 270 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque.

Diesel versions of the X1 aren’t left in the cold. The X1 16d, for example, gets an increase in output to 135 horsepower, 19 more horses than the standard version. The 150-horsepower xDrive 18d gets an extra 24 horses to bring its total output up to 174 horsepower. Then there’s the xDrive20d, which happens to be the best-selling model of the entire range. If you own one, you can go to Dahler and raise its output up to 226 horsepower, up from the standard output of 190 horsepower. Last but certainly not least is the range-topping xDrive25d bi-turbo diesel unit. Think 231 horsepower in this version is enough? Dahler can raise it up to 260 horsepower.

The upgrades on all the engines are accomplished through software remapping. That means that you won’t have to worry about some losing components of your engines. Everything is done through the power of computers and the results, well, they certainly speak for themselves.

Beyond these major upgrades, the Swiss tuner is also offering an in-house braking system, transmission options that include a limited slip differential with a shorter axle ratio, and a few exhaust options that are tailored specifically for the X1.

Final Thoughts

There’s no word yet on how much a full-blown tuning kit costs, but history suggests that if you want to get one, you’re going to need to prepare a little more than $10,000 to give your X1 the full Dahler tuning treatment.

References

BMW X1

Read our full review on the 2017 BMW X1.

Read more BMW news.