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BMW’s Upcoming F48 X1 to Have Sportier Design

It’s no secret anymore that BMW is getting ready to properly launch the new X1. We’ve seen the car testing with little camouflage on and in production guise for quite some time now and the only thing missing are the actual official photos.
BMW F48 X1 1 photo
Photo: SB Medien
We even know the engines and transmission layout by now so everything is set to welcome the new crossover into the world. What we don’t know for sure is how the design of the thing will look like. Fortunately, the Geneva Motor Show provided some insight into this matter as well.

Speaking to Auto Express, BMW’s Design Chief, Karim Habib said that the new UKL platform the F48 X1 is built on allowed him and his team to be more creative and bring it closer to the original X car.

“We’ve realized that platform allows us proportions that – for small X cars – can give you more ‘X-like’ proportions than the current X1. And in that sense I think it looks sportier because it looks more like an X car”, he said.

What exactly does he mean by that?

The lingo of an artist like Mr. Habib can be hard to understand some times. However, he must be referring to the original X5, the first of the X range that was launched back in 1999.

However, that thing was a lot less sporty compared to today’s alternatives if you ask me. It was more like a box on wheels with a butch design that didn’t survive the test of time like we would’ve wanted it to.

The current X1 looks just like it should today with a long bonnet and a hatch at the back, picturing a rear wheel drive car with its short overhangs. That’s all about to change.

I know looks are subjective but I kind-of like the overall shape of the X1 we have now. Of course, the front fascia could use a little work but from the sides there’s little more you can ask from it.

With the new front-wheel drive UKL platform we’re going to get transverse engines under the hood which, in turn, translate into shorter bonnets that will surely almost ruin things, migrating to the butch design we mentioned earlier.

Let’s not pass judgement before we actually get to drive the car though. A FWD layout also has its advantages that can be felt throughout the cabin more, where you get more space. If the tradeoff is just right, we might fall in love with this car after all.
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