Not content to let the spy photographers have all the fun, BMW quietly placed several "official" spy photos of the new X1 crossover on its media website today with no accompanying information.
We've been on the X1's tail for the better part of a year now since its debut in concept form in Paris last year. While it was certainly nice of BMW to grace us with fresh pictures, they don't tell us anything we don't already know about the 1-Series-based crossover. In fact, recent spy shots we picked up show more, as BMW had accidently left one of the rear windows uncovered and revealed the presence of the trademark Hoffmeister Kink on the production model. If anything, the official pics confirm that the production vehicle will look much like the concept, which we approve of.
Being based on 1-Series, the X1 is expected to feature both four- and six-cylinder inline engines, possibly in both gasoline and diesel forms. Reports also indicate that the X1 will be offered in both RWD and AWD forms, unlike other BMW SUVs, SACs, SAVs and what have you which are only available with BMW's xDrive AWD system. As BMW has promised that the production X1 will debut within a year of the concept's debut, smart money is on an official unveiling at Frankfurt in September.
Source: BMW