BMW X1 to offer both all- and rear-wheel drive
Click above for high-res gallery of the BMW X1 Concept
In a move that marks a significant departure from its current direction, BMW will offer both all- and rear-wheel drive versions of its upcoming BMW X1 model. Up to this point, consumers have only been offered all-wheel-drive mechanicals under the skin of the BMW X6, BMW X5 and smaller BMW X3. The German automaker cites weight savings and gains in efficiency as the reason why its newest and smallest SAV loses its front driveshafts, but be assured that it's also a cost-saving maneuver as automakers squeeze to keep prices down. As the models will appear virtually identical from the outside, BMW will offer the rear-wheel-drive version with a special "sDrive" badge to differentiate it from the xDrive-equipped all-wheel-drive model (of course, you'll have to squint to discern the badge differences between a rear-wheel-drive "BMW X1 sDrive28i" and the all-wheel-drive "BMW X1 xDrive28i"). Built on the 3 Series platform (and set for production at the same Leipzig plant), the showroom version of the X1 is expected to look much like the X1 Concept shown in Paris last week. There has been no word on when we'll see it on this side of the pond, but those in Europe should look for the X1 to appear in showrooms sometime in 2010.
Gallery: BMW Concept X1
Gallery: BMW X1 LIVE
[Source: Autocar]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
BoneHeadOtto 1:50PM (10/09/2008)
why would Europe care anything about this car? They already have teh 5dr 1 series and this thing is supposed to have comparable interior space but just be bigger and get worse mileage. Why all the fuss. This seems like a car that was designed for the US so i would be surprised personally to not see it here.
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JF 1:53PM (10/09/2008)
boneheadotto,
+1000
Tyler 1:41PM (10/09/2008)
Dang that's one ugly car!
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Richard 1:40PM (10/09/2008)
This thing is an ugly pig and will remain that way, regardless of whether you push it or pull it.
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ken_aisin 1:55PM (10/09/2008)
BMW needs an abortion before this ugly child is born. Regardless of the number of limbs (i.e. 4 limbs or 2 limbs), it is an abnormal fetus with serious developmental problems. I'm sure many anti-abortion groups would welcome this abortion.
Besides, its hideous siblings have not been well received, why bring another one to the Earth??
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Hamud 2:09PM (10/09/2008)
I wouldn't buy one even if it could fly.
Good luck trying to fight the Kuga with that.
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jg 2:22PM (10/09/2008)
The times, they are a changing. People used to drive station wagons, then they went to SUVs. Next is this thing. Bigger (slightly) than a wagon and smaller than a SUV. Its still a wagon in the end but it looks different so people will believe they aren't driving a wagon. These things will be all over the place soon. GM, Ford, Toyota and everyone else will be selling them. They'll look better than this thing but so will the next gen of this thing.
To the 'just give us the 3 wagon' crowd, the Dodge Magnum proved we won't buy wagons in the numbers that make it profitable so automakers try something else. This is that something else or at least one of the something elses.
I can't wait until cars really start changing their shape once they stop being slaves to the gas engine in a centralized location paradigm. Some of you guys will have heart attacks and drop dead on the spot.
And yes the X1 is ugly. But so was the 7 and it got copied!! It's a strange world and I blew my opportunity to run it so I can't bitch too much.
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HeyHuub 3:48PM (10/09/2008)
A normal 3-series wagon is bigger then this.
BayAreaDM 5:44PM (10/09/2008)
Gee - another overpriced, undersized car no one outside of BMW's existing customer base will care about. Bravo, BMW, bravo.
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why not the LS2LS7? 3:00PM (10/09/2008)
Cancel it.
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Michael 3:26PM (10/09/2008)
Screw that. Give me a 135i 5-door hatch.
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dave 3:37PM (10/09/2008)
Everyboday has one: opinions. Mine is that smaller cars need the candy colors to get interest in a 'lower priced' car. I'ts cute.
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grambo 3:38PM (10/09/2008)
All Wheel Drive eh? too bad... I was hoping this thing would slide into a lamp post on a icy street (maybe it would make it look better)
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bill jackman 4:07PM (10/09/2008)
yay
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calGuy 11:40PM (10/09/2008)
It looks like a buck-toothed bunny with a frown. Absolutely hideous. Fat ass too. Pathetic. All the good designers in the world and this is worthy of production?
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Patrick 2:49AM (10/10/2008)
Another ugly Bimmer. Keep it up and my E46 M3 will be worth $100k soon, since people will realize they want an attractive BMW and not flame-surfaced ones w/ big snorting nostrils.
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