In spite of its hideously ugly looks, BMW X1 is selling like hot cakes. BMW has also launched a M Sport package for it. Now though, they are apparently thinking why not an X1M?

There is definitely a good market, so yes why not! Of course the X1 being a SUV, sort of, the X1M won’t be all sport sport. The M treatment for this car, if such a thing is being considered in the first place, will include visual upgrades and better on-road ride and handling. Also it won’t be getting a V8, the twin-turbo straight-six that powers half of BMW cars these days is a more likely candidate.

We are still worried about the appearances though. I mean the current M aero kit they’ve introduced for the car only manages to make it uglier. Chances are they will make the same kit a bit more dramatic for the full-on M model, and that won’t be good.

We should point out again that it’s just a rumor for now and there is no official words on it yet.

BMW has been busy these past couple of days with the X1 SUV. First they introduced the new xDrive 28i with a new TwinPower four-cylinder engine developing 254 hp, and now the images of the car’s optional M Sport Package have surfaced on the web. This kit is strictly visual.

Even though the kit is inspired by the on the BMW X5M, there’s no performance upgrade available fro this car. So in spite of all the M badges, it’s not a real M car. It gets revised bumpers side skirts, wheel arch extend, 17 and 18-inch wheels, as well as interior goodies like door sills, sport seats, steering wheel and unique leather and Alcantara package all over the cabin.

BMW released a new edition of the X1 crossover for 2011, powered for the first time by a twin-turbo four-cylinder engine. This new unit satisfies both the power and efficiency criterias since it’s only a 2.0 liter but develops 245 hp and 350 Nm of torque thanks to its BMW TwinPower Turbo technology.

The twin-charged four-pot is modeled on BMW’s twin-charged straight-six engine and beside the twin-scroll turbocharging system, also features High Precision Injection direct petrol injection with innovative solenoid injectors, and the latest further enhanced version of the BMW-patented VALVETRONIC variable valve control system.

The engine is paired by default with a six-speed manual transmission, but you might as well order an eight-speed automatic. It is also packed with EfficientDynamics features such as Auto Start-Stop function and as a result it averages (EU cycle) 7.9 litres/100 km or 35.7mpg with CO2 emissions of 183 g/km.

It’s also pretty brisk with a 0 to 100 km/h acceleration time of 6.1 seconds (manual transmission) or 6.5 seconds(automatic transmission). Not to mention, the X1 xDrive28i is fitted as standard with BMW xDrive all-wheel-drives ystem calibrated for optimised driving dynamics.

BMW promises the new model has no compromise and offers the same driving qualities, extensive interior adaptability, uncompromising premium quality including outstanding build and materials, upscale interior trim, and innovative BMW Connected Drive options that include apps to receive internet radio stations and for in-car Facebook and Twitter use.

It’s all good, but there’s no getting way from the fact that BMW X1 is very ugly!

The loyal BMW tuner Hartge prepared an upgrade package for the ugliest member of the Bavarian family, the new X1 crossover. They couldn’t do much to improve the X1′s appearance so they didn’t bother! There’s just some graphics, and new set of wheels. They can also lower the car’s ride height by 30mm, which sounds irrelevant becasue after all the X1 is a crossover and these things should have some ground clearance.

As for the wheels, Hartge offers 9 x 20” offset 33 with 245/30 ZR 20 at the front and 10 x 20” offset 40 with 295/25 ZR 20 at the rear with ContiSC-5, Pirelli Nero or the Michelin PS2 as particularly suitable tyres.

Interior upgrades include three-spoke leather steering wheel with aluminium emblem, two-part aluminium set of pedals for the automatic version, the aluminium footrest or the aluminium and leather hand-brake, and Hartge velour floor mats.

But as always Hartge does its best when it comes to power and performance. Here’s the details of what they offer for the X1:

The base engine of the 18d benefits from a 36 hp increase from 143 hp (105 kW) to 179 hp (126 kW) at 4000 rpm. Max. torque also takes a significant step up with 350 Nm (lb-ft 258) available at 2000 rpm. With this power boost, the manual sDrive18d accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 8.1 seconds, a good 1.5 seconds faster than the standard version. When it comes to top speed, the additional power gives the car another 17 km/h, namely 217 km/h instead of 200 km/h. In line with this, the top speed of the xDrive18d also climbs by 17 km/h.

The Hartge X1 xDrive20d shown here boasts 32 hp more than its standard brethren, which enables it to leap from 0 to 100 km/h in 7.2 instead of 8.4 seconds and add another 11 km/h to V-max. In the case of the sDrive20d (which sprints to 100 km/h in 6.9 instead of 8.1 seconds), the top speed rises to 229 km/h. Thanks to the Hartge modifications, maximum torque of the already powerful 4-cylinder engine with common-rail injection system and turbocharger rises from 350 to 415 Nm (lb-ft 306) at 2000 rpm.

When BMW X1 was revealed we reviewed it and said that the car does not make much sense since it’s like a jacked up 1-Series with an ugly face and poor off-road capabilities. And that you are much better off buying a Japanese crossover which offers you more value for less money. At that time many BMW fans got annoyed and wrote to us complaining that we know nothing! Now, this weekend Jeremy Clarkson in his column in Times has reviewed the X1, and he humiliates it! Jezza’s verdict is that the X1 is not a car, it’s rubbish. And he knows what he’s talking about.

Hit the jump to read his review. The first nine paragraphs are about books and films and stuff, so you can skip them!

From Timesonline:

Buying a book to read on holiday is very much like buying a car. There’s a huge and bewildering choice and you are torn about what it is, exactly, that you want. If you are a man, you will know to avoid books called Tractors in the Ukraine and Appleblossom because it’ll be a plotless churn through the life of some dizzy bint who has lost her hat. You will not enjoy reading it and other people on the beach will laugh at you.

What you want, of course, is a book in which a chisel-jawed agent called Clint Thrust attempts to find a hoard of Nazi gold while under attack from a madman’s fleet of nuclear-powered hunter-killer minisubs. But unfortunately, while this will be engrossing and wonderful, the cover will feature a girl in a bikini, a gold ingot with a swastika on it and a speedboat leaping through an explosion of some kind. This, too, will make you a laughing stock around the pool.

An autobiography, then, seems to be the answer. You look wise. You look like you are interested in other people. And often the story of someone else’s life is fascinating. Unfortunately, the sort of people who have fascinating lives tend not to have time to write autobiographies because they are too busy up the Okavango, rescuing elephants with the sultan of Brunei. This means, therefore, that if you choose to read an autobiography, it will be about someone who is stupid, orange and about 12.

You see the problem. Much like when you buy a car, you want something that is interesting … but crucially, you want it to make you look interesting when people see you reading it. Achieving this is hard. But, boy oh boy, did I pull off a blinder for my bucket-and-spade holiday reading this Easter.

It’s by a chap called Cormac McCarthy, it’s called The Road and it’s just been made into a film. But news of this development hasn’t yet reached the hill towns of the Cotswolds, so consequently, the cover on the version I bought did not feature a picture of Viggo Mortensen and a sticker saying: “Now a major motion picture.” The cover was good. It looked intelligent.

But the bit inside was even better. It begins with a man and a boy walking down a road in cold weather. And it ends with a man and a boy walking down a road in cold weather. In between, not much happens. But it was brilliant. Even though it is not much thicker than a pamphlet and no longer than a warning notice on a train’s lavatory door, it took me nearly a week to read. I kept going back over some of the phrases thinking: “That didn’t work.” But they do work.

I’m not sure Cormac McCarthy would be much fun as a dinner guest and neither would I seek his company after the death of a loved one or a family pet, but, God Almighty, the man can write. I read the damn thing on a beach in Barbados and it made me feel so cold I had to go and get a jumper.

My wife thought I’d gone mad. So she read it when I’d finished and when she got to the end she went and sat by herself for a while and sobbed.

Not everyone will have heard of The Road or its author. It’s a hidden jewel. It sits in the bookshops like the BMW 135i sits in the dealership: a genuine pearl, lost in a sea of razzmatazz and Day-Glo promises.

I like the BMW 135i very much. It has no styling and no big USP. It’s just some car. But it’s the most faithful BMW of them all. Simple. Six-cylinder engine up front. Rear drive. It’s built for the road. It is The Road.

That’s why I was quite looking forward to trying the new BMW X1. There are a lot of so-called crossover quasi-off-road, urban SUV cars around at the moment and none of them is really any good. They offer no more space than a normal hatchback and they are no more rugged, but they cost more to buy, they use more fuel and — with the exception of the Ford Kuga — they are all preposterously ugly.

I felt BMW might be able to pull off a bit of a winner, then. It had learnt some lessons with the woeful X3 and it really has got styling worked out these days. Plus, BMWs are almost always better to drive than any of the cars with which they compete.

Sadly, I was to be disappointed. First of all, the X1 looks like a Hyundai that’s been subjected to a thousand years of wind erosion. It’s dreary. And it’s much the same story on the inside, where you are greeted with lots of extremely scratchy plastic and almost no equipment at all. You want a built-in sat nav system? Well, tough.

A friend of mine, who runs the car I drove, says that the wiring loom is cheap as well. Quite how he’s determined this, I have no idea, but there you are. It’s cheap to look at, cheap to sit in and cheap to touch. But it’s not even slightly cheap to buy.

No matter, you might think. It’ll be a stormer on the road. Well, yes, it might be if you could buy it with a creamy six-cylinder petrol engine. But you can’t. Instead, sir can have it with any engine he likes, so long as it’s a diesel. Normally, BMW diesels are rather good, but the 2-litre version fitted to the X1 is not. It sounds like a dump truck when you start it up, and any request from the helm for more speed is met with a recalcitrant, “You want to do what?”

It’s very uncomfortable as well. The ride is much too rigid and the seats are very nearly as firm as those fitted to a Ford Galaxy. Which means they are hard enough to shape diamonds. That’s nice if you actually want to shape diamonds, but if you just want a comfy place to sit while you go home, the X1 won’t do.

Off-road work? Well, yes, there is a four-wheel-drive version, which should be all right on farm tracks and the like, but the car I drove was fitted with something called sDrive. That sounds exciting. It sounds like the sort of system Captain Scarlet would have used to fight the Mysterons. But no. For some extraordinary reason, sDrive means rear-wheel drive.

Now I like rear-wheel drive. Rear-wheel drive makes a car feel better balanced than front-wheel drive, or even four-wheel drive. It’s right that the front wheels do the steering and those at the rear the propulsion. It’s why BMWs always feel so proper. But I can’t see the point of such a system in a tall car with the engine from a canal boat under the bonnet.

It robs space, adds cost and means that if we get another snowy winter, you won’t even get out of your drive. I fear the marketing men have insisted this car has rear drive even though it makes no sense at all. The whole package doesn’t, if I’m honest.

If it were a book, it would have no plot and a stupid cover and it would fall to pieces in the sun. But it isn’t a book. And neither is it a car. It’s rubbish.

If you thought BMW X1 cannot get any uglier, check this out! Thanks to the new aerodynamic kit prepared for it by AC Schnitzer, the X1 becomes a major candidate for the ugliest car of the year contest, if only such an award existed! They install a front and a roof spoiler plus a diffuser for more downforce, but why would you need that in a SUV which is not that fast anyway?!  The tuner also offers upgraded engines and suspension and new 18,19 or 20-inch wheels.

Inside the cabin you get silver “Exclusiv” carbon interior trim, illuminated leather gear knob, aluminium gear knobs with or without digital gear display, “Black Line” aluminium cover for the i-Drive system controller, aluminium handbrake handle and pedal set, foot rests and velours foot mats.

As for performance, BMW X1 xDrive23d has been upgraded from a 150 kW/204 HP diesel engine with BMW TwinPower Turbo and Common Rail injection to 240 HP. The 2.0 d and 1.8 d units in the BMW X1 also feature Common Rail injection and a turbocharger, and with the AC Schnitzer tuning package achieve 210 and 171 HP respectively. Naturally, the power upgrades are available for both the sDrive and xDrive versions. The AC Schnitzer engine styling including capacity logo is available for vehicles with and without performance upgrade.

So thanks to the new sport springs and the body kit, AC Schnitzer ruins the already rubbish off-road capabilities of the X1. But you know wha, that’s fine. Because X1 is a city crossover and no one expects it to handle rough trains anyway. The thing is, for the same amount of money as a BMW X1 you can get other SUVs which are more capable, better equipped and most importantly, much better looking!

BMW’s smallest SUV has been around for a while now, and we are still waiting for its design to grow on us! For the new year, the company has announced two new variants of this car featuring two new petrol engines. There’s the sDrive18i with a 150hp four-cylinder, and the xDrive25i with a 218hp six-cylinder.

The four-banger is fitted to a rear-wheel-drive basic version of the car and comes standard with a 6-speed manual gearbox. 6-spped auto is an optional extra. It generates 150hp at 6,400 rpm and 200 nm of torque at 3,600 rpm, averaging 8.2 liters per 100 kilometers with the manual gearbox and 8.4 with the automatic one. With this engine, the X1 will do 0-100 km/h in 10.4 seconds (9.7 manual) with a top speed of 200 km/h.

The four-wheel-drive 25i variant comes with a more powerful six-cylinder developing 218hp at 6,100 rpm and 277 nm of torque at 2,500 rpm. It comes with a 6-speed manual gearbox which makes it capable of 0-100km/h in 7.9 seconds and a top speed of 223 km/h. But it’s thirstier than the four-cylinder version as it has an acerage fuel consumption of 9.3 liters per 100 kilometers.

BMW X1 sDrive18i starts at 27.200 Euro and the xDrive25i from 37.850 Euro. We still think the 2010 Land Rover LR2 with cheaper price, much better looks and decent off-road capabilities, is a much better deal!

The new BMW X1 crossover wants to be the best car in its segment, and it’s now one step closer to achieve this goal as Euro NCAP (New Car Assessment Programme) gives it five safety stars, which is the highest score possible. With its front, side and curtain head airbags it’s not a surprise that X1 excelled at the tests, after all like all other BMWs it is an engineering marvel. We just hope BMW’s designers were half as good as their engineers!!!

Press Release:

With the maximum score on the most important crash test procedure in Europe, the BMW X1 confirms the high standard of the safety concept developed for the BMW X models. Its extremely stable body structure provides an ideal basis for ensuring that the passenger cell is subject to maximum protection even in the event of a forceful impact. The forces acting on the vehicle are diverted along the clearly defined load paths of the support structures and absorbed by means of amply sized deformation zones.

In the interior of the BMW X1, front, side and curtain head airbags protect both the driver and other travellers from injury. Likewise part of the range of standard equipment are the belt tensioners and belt force limiters for the front seats as well as the ISOFIX systems for attaching children’s seats at the rear. The restraint systems are controlled by a central electronic safety system which triggers the most effective protection elements taking into account the type and intensity of the accident.

In order to optimise active safety, the BMW X1 is fitted with the driving stability system DSC (Dynamic Stability Control) which is networked with the intelligent all-wheel drive system BMW xDrive. The precise regulation and extremely wide range of functions offered by the system, including brake assistant, cornering brake assistant and traction mode DTC (Dynamic Traction Control), ensure easily controllable and safe handling even in demanding situations on the road. This makes a significant contribution towards reducing accident risk. The standard equipment of the BMW X1 also includes a tyre damage display function which warns the driver early on when there is pressure loss in an individual tyre.

The test procedure of the NCAP (New Car Assessment Programme) is regarded as one of the most demanding tests required for new vehicles worldwide. The Euro NCAP test is a recognised benchmark of crash safety by governments, automobile clubs and consumer protection organisations throughout Europe. The test scenario covers such accident types as the head-on collision, the side crash and the side impact against a steel post. At the beginning of this year more stringent testing conditions were introduced which also address a vehicle’s electronic safety features as well as looking at additional injury risks in a wide range of different collision types.

After analysing the test results, the Euro NCAP testers confirmed that the BMW X1 has an extremely stable passenger cell which provides extensive protection from injury for both the driver and fellow travellers, regardless of their height and seating position. The BMW X1 received a particularly high score in relation to occupant protection for children. The vehicle was confirmed as offering an excellent standard of safety in the use of seating systems for children aged one and a half and three. The vehicle achieved the highest possible score for the protection provided by a seat facing opposite the direction of travel in both a head-on and a side collision.

The NCAP crash test now also attaches high importance to pedestrian protection. The BMW X1 impressed the inspectors in this discipline with by far the most effective precautions of all the vehicles being tested in the current cycle. Here again, the BMW X1 achieved its lead by means of a consistently applied safety concept. In the design of the bumpers and engine compartment lid, yielding structures ensure that the risk of injury to pedestrians and cyclists is minimised in the event of a collision. The test report makes particular mention of the material quality of the engine compartment lid which significantly reduces the risk of head injury, especially to children.

All new 2010 BMW X1 is now fully revealed and is getting ready to take the market by storm. X1 slots right under BMW X3 in terms of size and usability and price and can be considered as a rival for Mercedes GLK which price-wise is in the same category as the X1 (given the engine and options) but looks much better. X1, being a BMW, is considerably more expensive than Japanese rivals, but to be honest even they look better than this car! Follow the jump to check out BMW X1 European price…

-BMW X1 sDrive18i €27,200

-BMW X1 sDrive18d €29,550

-BMW X1 xDrive18d €31,550

-BMW X1 sDrive20d €32,400

-BMW X1 xDrive20d €34,400

-BMW X1 xDrive23d €38,800

-BMW X1 xDrive28i  €41,500

]]> http://www.motorward.com/2009/07/bmw-x1-european-pricing/feed/ 0 http://www.motorward.com/2009/07/full-details-on-2010-bmw-x1/ http://www.motorward.com/2009/07/full-details-on-2010-bmw-x1/#comments Thu, 02 Jul 2009 07:31:39 +0000 Arman Barari http://www.motorward.com/?p=6004

Whether you like it or not, the X1 is a BMW and BMW cars cannot be taken for granted! So to learn more about it and know all the engines and options, hit the jump and study full details BMW has just released for the X1. But don’t think a brilliant engine will make this car fascinating, most of them are diesels and the only gasoline engine develops only 258hp! So…

• With its agile, versatile and modern character, the BMW X1 guarantees
a new driving experience in the premium compact segment. It expands and enhances the range of BMW X models by yet another innovative vehicle concept.
• Through its body design the BMW X1 demonstrates self-confident elegance, a versatile and sporting character, as well as spontaneous agility. For the first time the features and characteristics of a BMW X model are carried over in modern style into a unique vehicle in the premium compact segment.
• The interior of the BMW X1 is characterised by clear function and trendsetting, modern style. The driver orientation so typical of BMW
is additionally accentuated by the forward-pushing lines within the
cockpit area. Sophisticated materials and natural colours accentuate
the youthful and dynamic flair of the vehicle.
• The elevated seating position, a generous feeling of space, the wide
range of storage options and the variable interior offer ideal conditions
for enjoying the BMW X1 both in an urban environment and beyond,
with agility, spontaneity and versatility of the highest calibre. Three
full-sized seats at the rear offer generous space and freedom of movement. The rear-seat backrest is adjustable for angle and folds down in a 40/20/20 split. Luggage compartment capacity may be increased from 420 litres/14.7 cu ft to a maximum of 1,350 litres/47.3 cu ft. An electrically operated Panorama glass roof is available as an option.
• Modern drivetrain technology gives the BMW X1 superior performance and supreme efficiency all in one. Depending on the model variant,
the driver benefits from powerful, economical and low-emission gasoline
and diesel engines, BMW’s intelligent xDrive all-wheel-drive technology, as well as a wide range of BMW EfficientDynamics features including Brake Energy Regeneration, Auto Start Stop, and a gearshift point indicator. The BMW X1 sDrive18d with rear-wheel drive and average fuel consumption to the EU standard of 5.2 litres/100 kilometres (equal to 54.3 mpg imp) and a CO2 rating of 136 grams/ kilometre offers the highest standard of efficiency all round.
• The cutting-edge suspension technology featured in the BMW X1 comprises a double-joint thrust bar or, respectively, an aluminium
double-joint tiebar axle at the front and a five-arm rear axle in lightweight steel, high-precision power steering, high-performance brakes, Dynamic Stability Control including Dynamic Traction Control and, as an option, Performance Control acting on the brakes for particularly dynamic driving behaviour.
• The BMW X1 features a special body structure designed from the outset for maximum occupant safety. Standard features include three-point inertia-reel seat belts all round, frontal and side airbags as well as head airbags at the side, adaptive Brake Lights and daytime driving lights. Xenon headlights, Adaptive Headlights and a High-Beam Assistant are
all available as an option.
• In conjunction with the optional Business and Professional navigation systems, the BMW X1 is equipped with the latest generation of
BMW iDrive including a Controller and direct selection buttons on
the centre console, a Control Display harmoniously integrated in the instrument panel, and favourite buttons beneath the control panel for
the air conditioning featured as standard. The most sophisticated HiFi systems are available as an alternative to the audio system fitted as standard and the AUX-In port likewise featured as standard may be supplemented by a USB interface. Numerous driver assistance systems and the wide range of BMW ConnectedDrive services are also available.

• Engine variants:
BMW X1 xDrive28i:
Straight-six gasoline engine with composite magnesium/aluminium crankcase, VALVETRONIC and dual-VANOS
Capacity: 2,996 cc, max output: 190 kW/258 hp at 6,600 rpm
Max torque: 310 Nm/228lb-ft from 2,600 – 3,000 rpm
Acceleration 0–100 km/h: 6.8 sec
Top speed: 205 km/h (127 mph)
(230 km/h or 143 mph with optional high-speed set-up)
Average fuel consumption to the EU standard: 9.4 ltr/100 kilometres (equal to 30.0 mpg imp)
CO2 emissions to the EU standard: 219 g/km
Emission standard: EU5.

BMW X1 xDrive23d:
Four-cylinder diesel engine with all-aluminium crankcase,
BMW TwinPower Turbo and common rail direct fuel injection
Capacity: 1,995 cc, max output: 150 kW/204 hp at 4,400 rpm
Max torque: 400 Nm/295 lb-ft from 2,000 – 2,250 rpm
Acceleration 0–100 km/h: 7.3 sec
Top speed: 205 km/h (127 mph)
(223 km/h or 138 mph with optional high-speed set-up)
Average fuel consumption to the EU standard: 6.3 ltr/100 kilometres
(equal to 44.8 mpg imp)
CO2 emissions to the EU standard: 167 g/km
Emission standard: EU5.

BMW X1 xDrive20d:
Four-cylinder diesel engine with all-aluminium crankcase, turbocharger with variable intake geometry and common-rail direct fuel injection
Capacity: 1,995 cc, max output: 130 kW/177 hp at 4,000 rpm
Max torque: 350 Nm/258 lb-ft from 1,750 – 3,000 rpm
Acceleration 0–100 km/h: 8.4 sec
Top speed: 205 km/h (127 mph)
(213 km/h or 132 mph with optional high-speed set-up)
Average fuel consumption to the EU standard: 5.8 ltr/100 kilometres
(equal to 51.4 mpg imp)
CO2 emissions to the EU standard: 153 g/km
Emission standard: EU5.

BMW X1 sDrive20d:
Four-cylinder diesel engine with all-aluminium crankcase, turbocharger with variable intake geometry and common-rail direct fuel injection
Capacity: 1,995 cc, max output: 130 kW/177 hp at 4,000 rpm
Max torque: 350 Nm/258 lb-ft from 1,750 – 3,000 rpm
Acceleration 0–100 km/h: 8.1 sec
Top speed: 205 km/h (127 mph)
(218 km/h or 135 mph with optional high-speed set-up)
Average fuel consumption to the EU standard: 5.3 ltr/100 kilometres
(equal to 53.3 mpg imp) CO2 emissions to the EU standard: 139 g/km
Emission standard: EU5.

BMW X1 xDrive18d:
Four-cylinder diesel engine with all-aluminium crankcase, turbocharger with variable intake geometry and common-rail direct fuel injection
Capacity: 1,995 cc, max output: 105 kW/143 hp at 4,000 rpm
Max torque: 320 Nm/236 lb-ft from 1,750 – 3,000 rpm
Acceleration 0–100 km/h: 10.1 sec
Top speed: 195 km/h (121 mph)
Average fuel consumption to the EU standard: 5.7 ltr/100 kilometres
(equal to 49.6 mpg imp)
CO2 emissions to the EU standard: 150 g/km
Emission standard: EU5.

BMW X1 sDrive18d:
Four-cylinder diesel engine with all-aluminium crankcase, turbocharger with variable intake geometry and common-rail direct fuel injection
Capacity: 1,995 cc, max output: 105 kW/143 hp at 4,000 rpm
Max torque: 320 Nm/236 lb-ft from 1,750 – 3,000 rpm
Acceleration 0–100 km/h: 9.6 sec
Top speed: 200 km/h (124 mph)
Average fuel consumption to the EU standard: 5.2 ltr/100 kilometres
(equal to 54.3 mpg imp)
CO2 emissions to the EU standard: 136 g/km
Emission standard: EU5

BMW’s new compact SUV, the X1 is finally revealed in full, but there is not much to get excited about because it looks exactly the same as the concept version shown before. that makes us wonder why BMW spent so much energy teasing this car in many different ways?!

Well, the answer is marketing! Every new car needs it but some of them just need it more! BMW X1 cannot rely on the way it looks to sell (it’s surprisingly ugly!), neither can it be proud of its great capabilities (it’s just a jacked up 1-series) so the company has to reflect on its reputed badge.

The car launches with a wide range of engines , mostly diesel, best of which develops 204 hp and will cost you around 34,000 euros. Whilst the most powerful petrol unit has 258 hp.

So 2010 BMW X1 is not very good value for the money. For ten grand less you can get a fully loaded Nissan Murano or Toyota RAV4, but again it’s all about the badge!

more pictures: BMWblog

Yep, BMW X1 has been scooped again! I think it’s part of BMW’s media campaign to tease the new X1 compact SUV, so they make a big hype for it at the IAA. About a week ago this car has been caught on the road and now it shows up in front of spy cameras again literally undisguised. Oh, this time it’s in red!

To be honest BMW X1 needs this much media effort because, just look at it! It can’t rely on its fancy looks to sell becuz it’s too ugly and it can’t show off its great capabilities becuz it’s not a real SUV in the first place. It is just a jacked 1-series, and its only feature is the BMW badge! That’s why people will by this minger for a much heavier pay than say a Toyota RAV4 which is a way better car.

source: Autonews

As BMW is busy posting teaser pictures on Facebook spy photographers caught the BMW X1 in full and with no significant disguise. And as you see all of that teasing is actually pointless because it looks literally the same as the concept model!

2010 BMW X1 in details:

X1 is the SUV (or to be more precise Crossover) variant of the 1-series BMW. It is only 10 cm longer than 1er, it sits five passengers and has a cargo space of 420 liter expandable to 1350. The car will launch with the X1 23D model which is equipped with a four cylinder diesel developing 204 hp and 400 nm of torque. This car accelerate form 0 to 100 in 7.3 seconds and can reach top speed of 233 km/h and is priced at 34,000 euros, which is alot for a jacked up 1-series with a gutless diesel engine.

Of course BMW X1 will be available with a wide range of engines from 143 to 306 hp. BMW apparently counts on this car as they have plans to build 7800 units in the first phase and 47000 by the end of 2010.

source: AMUS

A while ago BMW invited a number of motoring journalists to try out the new BMW X1 prototype on some not so tough surfaces! before its official debut. Now there is a video of the car doing that sort of stuff in Mallorca. These pictures and videos are actually teasers of the upcoming X1 as parts of its media campaign.

Normally we should be excited about an upcoming compact SUV from BMW because it’s a mouth watering recipe, the combination of BMW driving pleasure and the coolness of a compact sport utility. But given the BMW design, it is more of a disappointment! As you see in these pictures of the production model, despite the light camo, it’s obvious that BMW X1 is not a beauty!

The car shares many parts with the 3-series so like the X3 it’ll be a jacked up sedan absolutely useless in rough terrain. And don’t let these dust-kicking pictures fool you! you can drive on this surface with a Ferrari, this ain’t no off-roading!

Anyhow, the BMW X1 will start around 30,000 Euros for the basic model with diesel engine and for that you get a car which is really ugly, doesn’t have more space than the equivalent sedan, the ride is worse and is not a proper SUV as they say it is!

via : Autonews

In their quest to make smaller SUVs Audi CEO Rupert Stadler has confirmed the Q3 for 2011. The car has been already shown as a concept, and unlike the Q5 which is a downsized Q7, the Q3 features a new innovative design.

This crossover is based on Audi A4 platform and will be about 4.3 meters long, 1.8 meters wide and 1.6 meters high with relevant crossoverish ground clearance. The engine in the study model is a 2.0 liter 205 hp turbo diesel but the car will get a full range of Audi engines when it launches.

The study model has great features but not all of them will make their way to the production version, things that are sure are included the Qauttro system and DSG gearbox, but 20 inch wheels and ceramic brakes are too fancy for such car.

The Audi Q3 design might be subject to change before it hits the market, but sizewise it will be the same as the forthcoming BMW X1.

source: AMUS

Well this is no official, but rendering above published by CAR magazine is showing that Mercedes is planing a new Crossover, smaller than GLK, and in direct competition with Audi Q3 and upcoming BMW X1. This resembles a B-class, and its name, BLK suggests that it would be the big member of Mercedes small cars family A and B class.

source : CAR