BMW X1 – a luxury compact SUV that slots below the BMW X3 – at the Frankfurt Auto show back in 2009. The BMW X1 will have several engine options, but BMW hasn’t said which variations will come to the United States. Where does this engine slot the X1 in relation to BMW’s lineup and the competition? The X3, BMW’s smallest SUV, has a 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder engine that produces 240 horsepower and gets 19/25 mpg city/highway. The Q5 is fitted with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that makes 211 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. The GLK has a larger engine: a 3.5-liter, 268 horsepower V6 engine.
BMW hasn’t mentioned how much cargo space is available, but Edmunds says the BMW X1 will have 14.7 cubic feet with the rear seats up and 47.7 cubic feet with the rear seats folded.
Car shoppers looking for a fun-to-drive luxury vehicle that also boasts decent utility will have an all-new option early next year: the 2011 BMW X1 compact crossover. Also contributing to the X1's agile demeanor is its significantly lower overall height (and center of gravity) than most rival compact crossovers.
The price paid for the X1's trick combination of more maneuverable size and a reasonably accommodating rear seat is cargo space.
Few automakers are more acutely aware of that philosophy than BMW. Based strongly on BMW's current X Series styling, all the trademark visuals of the X1's big brothers are present and accounted for. Check. Prominent arching side character line? Check. Check. At roughly 14.5 feet long, 5.8 feet wide, and 5 feet tall, the BMW X1 measures several inches shorter, skinnier, and narrower than the X3 -- the smallest SAV the automaker currently produces. In fact, the BMW X1 is just over 1 inch wider, 3 inches longer and 4 inches taller than the 128i, with a wheelbase exactly 4 inches longer than the compact sports coupe. The X1's interior layout also stays true to current BMW design theory, with well-placed controls and high-quality materials. Seats, steering wheel, gear lever, and dashboard all remain largely identical to that of most of BMW's products -- certainly any 1 Series, or 3 Series driver would be instantly familiar.