Photo: SB Medien
Racing towards its official launch in 2015, the upcoming BMW F48 X1 was just spotted on the Nurburgring, testing alongside its bigger brother, the F15 X5.
This winter we also saw the new model testing near the arctic circle or around southern Europe but up until now, BMW kept it off the Green Hell and well into more ‘off-roadish’ environments to see exactly how it deals with harsh conditions.
The F48 model will be migrating towards the UKL platform as well, joining BMW’s efforts to make every conceivable car modular in order to drop expenses and raise profits. It’s new front-wheel-drive architecture will provide more room inside the car while keeping the exterior’s size in check. However, according to our insider at BMW, the X1 will arrive only as an xDrive version in the US, leaving the FWD model for other markets.
Engines are going to come from the new B-family that is already rolling out in the new i8 and MINI Cooper models. Whether we’ll be seeing a 3-cylinder engine on it we’ll have to wait and see but expect entry-level cars to use 1.5-liter units with around 130 HP.
What we did notice on this prototype are the new black wheels it’s fitted with that don’t resemble any model from BMW’s current range and look very sporty. Furthermore, the two tailpipes at the back seem to suggest this car is fitted with a bigger engine than what we expect, possibly even a 3-liter unit.
Up until now we’ve only heard that the X1’s biggest engine will be a 2-liter turbocharged unit making close to 300 HP and that a 3-liter will be out of the question due to market demand and CO2 emission regulation.
Looking at the X1 offering on a global scale, we could see this scenario happening, as the xDrive35i model is only offered in the States at the moment. Furthermore, an eDrive plug-in hybrid will surely be on the table, following, once again, in the footsteps of the X5.
The unveiling of the production car will take place towards the end of 2015 with the market launch happening in 2016. Even so, the concept should arrive sometime early next year.
The F48 model will be migrating towards the UKL platform as well, joining BMW’s efforts to make every conceivable car modular in order to drop expenses and raise profits. It’s new front-wheel-drive architecture will provide more room inside the car while keeping the exterior’s size in check. However, according to our insider at BMW, the X1 will arrive only as an xDrive version in the US, leaving the FWD model for other markets.
Engines are going to come from the new B-family that is already rolling out in the new i8 and MINI Cooper models. Whether we’ll be seeing a 3-cylinder engine on it we’ll have to wait and see but expect entry-level cars to use 1.5-liter units with around 130 HP.
What we did notice on this prototype are the new black wheels it’s fitted with that don’t resemble any model from BMW’s current range and look very sporty. Furthermore, the two tailpipes at the back seem to suggest this car is fitted with a bigger engine than what we expect, possibly even a 3-liter unit.
Up until now we’ve only heard that the X1’s biggest engine will be a 2-liter turbocharged unit making close to 300 HP and that a 3-liter will be out of the question due to market demand and CO2 emission regulation.
Looking at the X1 offering on a global scale, we could see this scenario happening, as the xDrive35i model is only offered in the States at the moment. Furthermore, an eDrive plug-in hybrid will surely be on the table, following, once again, in the footsteps of the X5.
The unveiling of the production car will take place towards the end of 2015 with the market launch happening in 2016. Even so, the concept should arrive sometime early next year.
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