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Lexus Wants to Copy BMW's Successful X1 CUV

It seems like the executives from Lexus consider BMW is something of a benchmark in everything. After officially admitting that in the development of the IS they used the 3 Series as a benchmark, it's time for another BMW to set the tone for a new Lexus.
BMW X1 1 photo
Photo: BMW
According to Automotive News, the Toyota-owned brand, plans to develop a worthy competitor for the X1. The future vehicle will be a hybrid but we don't know for sure what kind of conventional engine will be powering it.

It looks like the X1 competitor will be based on the RAV4 platform and could use the same hybrid drivetrain as the Lexus IS 300h and its 2.5-liter engine. That's one side of the story.

On the other hand, a Japanese source we've discovered says that the CUV will be fitted with a 2-liter turbocharged engine. That seems less likely at the moment, since it would mean developing a whole new engine, since Lexus doesn't have a 2-liter turbo yet.

Either way, it will be extremely hard for this new competitor to grasp a part of the X1's market. At the moment, the smallest of the X Series models is a top seller in the US and the market is growing on a monthly basis.

Of course, with a rumored price tag of around $40,000 (€30,800), the Lexus will be pretty expensive, compared to the X1 which starts at $30,000 (€23,100), even though it will be a hybrid.
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