Enthusiasts and accountants rarely see eye to eye. The former group wants nothing but sports cars, supercars, and hypercars while the latter group prefers volume-oriented products like crossovers and SUVs. BMW has found a way to keep bean counters happy with its vast X portfolio while still catering to hardcore fans interested in three pedals, rear-wheel drive, and engines with at least six cylinders.
The 2023 X1 doesn’t have any of those since it comes exclusively with an automatic transmission, three- and four-cylinder engines, and a choice between front- or all-wheel drive. In the case of the iX1 pictured here by BMW UK’s press office, it doesn’t even have a combustion engine. Instead, it boasts one motor at the front and another at the rear for a purely electric drivetrain with xDrive.
The zero-emission iX1 xDrive30 is showing off one of the fresh paint jobs introduced with the third-gen X1 (codenamed U11). We’d argue Cape York Green works quite nicely on the compact luxury crossover, especially on this specification with the M Sport Package and generously sized alloys. Who knew the day would come when BMW would offer the X1 with 20-inch wheels? In fact, customers can step up to a 21-inch set available through the M Performance Parts catalog.
The blacked-out kidney grille is a Shadowline upgrade to complement the glossy dark parts you get with the M Sport bumper. They’re more obvious at the rear where BMW will have a significantly sportier design soon. We’re referring to the X1 M35i, which will be among the company’s first M Performance models to flaunt a quad exhaust.
The fresh official shots are a reminder the latest X1 is a substantially larger vehicle, now stretching at 4.5 meters (177.1 inches) long. The next MINI Countryman should be just about as large, but if you’re looking for a smaller crossover, the BMW Group has you covered with the forthcoming Aceman subcompact electric crossover. Think of it as the i3’s spiritual successor.
Source: BMW
