Should you buy one?

Yes, but with provisos. Although it’s the best of the bunch of smooth roads, the firm ride doesn’t work tremendously well on the worst UK roads. It’s also expensive when you’ve optioned it up and rivals do offer significantly better value for money. Despite that, we’re tempted to say that if you’re after a premium SUV, this is the state of the art.

We think most people would suit with an xLine xDrive20i model. This has most of the bells and whistles and a clean petrol engine. it’s ahead of the Mercedes-Benz GLA and Audi Q3 both on the road and inside, although they both run it close for interior usabilty, and that overall feeling of being a little bit special.

Importantly, it looks perfect for this market. The styling makes it seem a little larger than it actually is, meaning it gives off full-fat SUV vibes, but does without the actual size. That means it’s easy to park and good around town so that it’s not the anti-social choice the larger models in the range are. A good result for BMW.

What we like

The space on offer is class leading. Even adult passengers can sit three up in the rear, and the boot of the non-PHEV cars is massive. The engines are economical and responsive, and it’s a good steer too.

What we don’t like

We found that having nearly everything controlled via the car’s infotainment screen can be infuriating at times, plus the ride could be a bit smoother. And if you’re feeling very pragmatic, while it is practical, there are cars out there that offer more space for less money.