Munich: The third-generation BMW X1 is set to be revealed in the not-too-distant future, and for the first time ever the company will also offer an electric variant called the iX1.
The new compact SUV is currently undergoing driving dynamics testing at the carmaker’s winter testing centre in northern Sweden.
While most of the details remain under wraps, BMW has told us that the new iX1 electric model will have a dual-motor all-wheel drive set-up, and that the battery will offer a range of between 413km and 438km on the WLTP cycle.
The new BMW X1 and iX1 will be built on a flexible architecture that accommodates internal combustion, plug-in hybrid and fully-electric powertrains. It’s essentially an updated version of the current model’s UKL2 platform.
As for the design, these official images of a camouflaged prototype show that the new BMW X1 will have a slightly boxier and more imposing look than the current model, and while the grille is somewhat bigger, BMW hasn’t gone radical like it did with the 4 Series and 7 Series.
According to Auto Express, the internal combustion engine line-up will consist of three- and four-cylinder turbopetrol engines with mild hybrid assistance, and a diesel will be offered too despite its increasing controversy in markets such as Europe. A hot M35i variant is also said to be in the running, sharing its 225kW powertrain with the BMW M135i.
Inside you can expect to find a curved dual-screen dashboard featuring BMW’s latest Operating System 8 and a whole glut of advanced driver assistance features.
All will be revealed during the third quarter of 2022, BMW says.