BMW X1 Official pictures leak

The first official pictures of the new BMW X1 have been leaked

BMW has been teasing us with detail shots of the new BMW X1 for a while now, but that, plus a blurred shot, is about all we’ve had. Except of course for the picture of the BMW X1 shooting a video in Germany a month or so ago.

But I think we can expect the official pictures of the X1 to be officially released any time now, as a whole raft of images has leaked out from BMW. The joys of the Interweb!

The BMW X1 is actually a half-decent looking SUV/SAV. It seems better proportioned than its older brother the X3. But of course there will be a new X3 before too long, so I guess the comparison is unfair. Actually, it better had be or BMW will have shot themselves in the foot by making the X1 more appealing, certainly to look at, than the X3.

Scheduled to launch officially at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September, this is the smallest SUV/SAV from BMW so far, and is aimed at capturing a younger, less affluent customer than the X3/X5/X6. But that doesn’t mean all the X1s will be frugal urban 4x4s. Admittedly BMW are starting at the frugal end, as the first models to be released will be the xDrive18i, the xDrive18d and the xDrive23d, all of which offer pretty impressive performance both in terms of actual on road ability and economy. How good they are off road we’ll have to wait and see, but off-road is not really BMW’s forte.

Likely to be the top-end X1 for now is the xDrive28i, which will offer the best performance – but the worst economy – of all the launch models. But be sure that there will be bigger power plants heading the X12’s way before too long. Also expected is a proper range-bottom version offering just 2 wheel drive (but being BMW it will be rear wheel drive which, as BMW’s aren’t much good off-road may actually be a clever buy).

This new BMW X1 looks well equipped and a notch up in the looks department on the X3. Guess we’ll have to wait a few more days (or maybe just hours!) for BMW to react to the leak and put out official detail – and maybe even prices.