Baby BMW X1 SUV arriving with all-electric option
Friday, 3 June 2022
BMW has revealed the new X1 small SUV, giving it a smart new look inside and out and an all-electric option.
The new X1 looks quite rugged, with a large, upright grille, angry arrow-shape daytime running lights in the headlight clusters, and purposeful coloured accents in the lower fascia. The wheel arches are almost square, while the taillights are quite long, swooping up at the edges.
All the lights are LED, while adaptive Matrix headlights are standard. Wheel sizes range from 18 inches to 20 inches, the first time an X1 has offered such a size.
Inside is a slightly reworked version of the new BMW interior seen on the iX and refreshed 3 Series, featuring a sport leather steering wheel, two-zone climate control, and two digital screens as standard. The curved infotainment screens runs BMW Operating System 8, and includes the BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant.
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There’s also a smartphone charger in the front section of the centre console, secured by a movable clasp and positioned upright in a portrait position to be visible to both driver and passenger while being charged wirelessly. Wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are both standard as well.
As for safety, BMW includes cruise control, front-collision warning and a parking assistant as standard, while lane-keep assist, active cruise control, active navigation and a 360-degree camera are all optional extras, as is a head-up display.
BMW says existing functions can be upgraded by means of the Remote Software Upgrades facility, which also allows owners to add new functions via the BMW New Zealand Connected Drive store.
The first model to launch in New Zealand will be the sDrive18i towards the end of 2022, powered by a 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbocharged engine making 115kW and 230Nm, paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. BMW doesn’t say how much CO2 it will produce, but it should fall into the zero-band of the Clean Car Programme.
What will definitely fall into the rebate part of the CCP (assuming it’s priced under $80k) is the new iX1 xDrive30, the first time BMW has offered an electric vehicle in the small SUV segment.
The iX1 uses two electric motors to generate 230kW and 494Nm, enough to sprint to 100km/h in 5.7 seconds, while a 67.4kWh battery provides up to 438km of range. It can charge at rates of up to 130kW, juicing the car from 10 to 80% in under half an hour.
Further information on specifications and pricing will be announced later this year, closer to the sDrive 18i’s launch. The electric iX1 will land in 2023, pushing BMW’s plug-in range to 12 models.