BMW BLOG

The folks at Carscoop are working hard these days and they managed to snap spy photos of the upcoming BMW X1.With a launch date set for June, the compact SAV X1 is going through the final testing stages where the camouflage is getting thinner and smaller each time.

Even though the BMW X1 Concept was unveiled at Paris Auto Show last year, the production model is expected to suffer small changes, but overall, the car is almost identical with the concept. Many people that have seen the car said the X1 looks and feels much more like a 3 Series Touring,  especially since it is built on the same platform.

With the new 2010 BMW X3 moving up in size, the X1 is here to fill that spot and to attract a younger demographic, looking for a fun car to drive, but with all-wheel-drive capabilities. The sitting position is a bit higher than in 3er Touring xDrive, but much lower than in X3.

The X1’s driving and overall characteristics are much more similar to a 1 or 3 Series than to X3, as seen in this video as well.

Engine options for the future X1 include a 170-horsepower 2.0-liter four-cylinder gasoline and 177-hp 2.0-liter four-cylinder common-rail diesel, as well as a 265-hp 3.0-liter six-cylinder gasoline engine and the new 245-hp 3.0-liter six-cylinder diesel. There will also be a hybrid version in the future.

Even though BMW has stated many times that the X1 will be available in Europe only, we recently learned that BMW has not completely ruled out the possibility of bringing the X1 to the U.S.

[Source: Carscoop ]