BMW's X1, billed as a "premium subcompact," will hit U.S. markets this fall, after selling more than 275,000 units in global markets. The U.S. version, built in Leipzig, Germany, includes new energy-saving features including brake energy regeneration, auto-start and the ECO PRO package of fuel-saving technologies.
The new 2013 BMW X1 will arrive in BMW showrooms in the fall of 2012 starting at an MSRP of $31,545 (including $895 Destination and Handling).
BMW likes to say it invented the premium subcompact but concedes the segment is now highly competitive. BMW has had no trouble competing effectively, however, and demand for the X1 is so strong in China that the automaker has opened a plant Tiexi in Shenyang Province to serve the Chinese market.
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The arrival of the BMW X1 to the U.S. "coincides with an update that includes exterior and interior refinements as well as a host of BMW EfficientDynamics technologies," the company said. Another element of the update is the availability of BMW Lines for the first time in an SAV (BMW's term for subcompact SUV), as an alternative to the base trim level.
"Both the BMW xLine and BMW Sport Line offer exclusive design and equipment features. The xLine emphasizes the robust versatility of the new BMW X1 while the Sport Line accentuates its performance and handling. For enthusiasts who want to accentuate the sporting character of their X1 even further, an M Sport Package is also available," BMW said.
The X1 also offers something you may not associate with a BMW -- a four-cylinder engine. The new 2.0-liter turbo-charged powerplant delivers 240 horsepower at 5,000 rpm with maximum torque of 260 lb-ft is developed at 1,250 rpm and remains constant up to 4,800 rpm. It is mated to BMW's latest 8-speed Steptronic automatic. This combination powers the X1 sDrive28i and xDrive28i from 0-60 mph in 6.2 and 6.3 seconds respectively. Preliminary EPA mileage estimates are 24 mpg city/33 mpg highway/27 mpg combined for the X1 sDrive28i while the AWD X1 xDrive28i has preliminary EPA estimates of 22 mpg city/30 mpg highway/25 mpg combined.
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