Photo: Automedia
Usually, when a manufacturer decides to launch a new model, it represents an evolution from the previous car they used to make, a newer, better in every way kind of vehicle. In order to achieve such a performance, extensive tests are necessary.
When the world heard that BMW is planning to replace the current X1 with a front-wheel drive model, the universe stopped for a second. That’s because the current version is widely regarded as the last true Bimmer thanks to its driving dynamics and old hydraulic steering. Get it in sDrive guise (that’s fancy talk for RWD) and you’re bound to get some kicks out of your new ride.
However, the Germans aren’t about to launch a new FWD car without benchmarking it against the one it’s replacing. Our latest spyshots taken somewhere in Northern Europe show the testing crews going at it with both the old and the new model at the same time in what, most likely, was a comparative test.
We can also observe the size difference between the two, confirming the latest rumors that the F48 version will be using the UKL platform with a transversely mounted engine up front which will make the car wider and shorter, offering the same space inside but occupying less on the outside.
Such a possibility is likely to come true, making the 3-liter 6-cylinder models obsolete, as they surely wouldn’t fit the other way around inside the engine bay. That means we’ll be stuck with only 1.5- and 2-liter engines, probably the exact same as on the 2 Series Active Tourer and MINI range.
That means you should expect outputs upwards of 136 HP for 1.5-liter engines and going towards 231 HP for the 2-liter ones. However, recent rumors whisper about a hardcore 2-liter version that would make close to 300 HP.
As for the transmission, while most people claim that the X1 will be FWD a close source inside BMW says that the F48 will be all-wheel-drive only, the incorporation of the xDrive system being under development as we speak.
Judging by current developments in Bavaria, I wouldn’t be completely surprised to find a hybrid model too in the future, using an i3-sourced electric motor in conjunction with a conventional 2-liter turbocharged petrol one for a mad fun version. We’ll just have to wait and see.
However, the Germans aren’t about to launch a new FWD car without benchmarking it against the one it’s replacing. Our latest spyshots taken somewhere in Northern Europe show the testing crews going at it with both the old and the new model at the same time in what, most likely, was a comparative test.
We can also observe the size difference between the two, confirming the latest rumors that the F48 version will be using the UKL platform with a transversely mounted engine up front which will make the car wider and shorter, offering the same space inside but occupying less on the outside.
Such a possibility is likely to come true, making the 3-liter 6-cylinder models obsolete, as they surely wouldn’t fit the other way around inside the engine bay. That means we’ll be stuck with only 1.5- and 2-liter engines, probably the exact same as on the 2 Series Active Tourer and MINI range.
That means you should expect outputs upwards of 136 HP for 1.5-liter engines and going towards 231 HP for the 2-liter ones. However, recent rumors whisper about a hardcore 2-liter version that would make close to 300 HP.
As for the transmission, while most people claim that the X1 will be FWD a close source inside BMW says that the F48 will be all-wheel-drive only, the incorporation of the xDrive system being under development as we speak.
Judging by current developments in Bavaria, I wouldn’t be completely surprised to find a hybrid model too in the future, using an i3-sourced electric motor in conjunction with a conventional 2-liter turbocharged petrol one for a mad fun version. We’ll just have to wait and see.
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