The upcoming BMW X1 was just spotted doing the usual rounds a prototype does before being cleared for production. Hidden under heavy camouflage, the upcoming Compact SUV did give away some interesting details, despite BMW’s hardest efforts to hide them. Due to its nature, some details couldn’t be completely hidden. And what we learned from these new spy shots is that the M35i model is really happening.
The first two generations didn’t get a high-performance version and that was a shame. Sure, the BMW X1 was still sold in huge numbers but that had more to do with the price/bang ratio than with the engine specs and performance offered. Now, all of that is about to change. The M35i model will be the most powerful X1 ever put in production and it will use the same engine and gearbox as the current BMW X2 M35i or BMW M135i xDrive.
That means we’re looking at a car with a 2.0 liter, four-cylinder turbocharged engine under the hood, good for over 300 horsepower (the exact figure is not known right now) and around 450 Nm of torque. The power will be sent to the four wheels of the car via an eight-speed automatic gearbox and we could see the X1 M35i doing 0-100 km/h in under 5 seconds. This would be a good rival for the likes of Mercedes-Benz’s GLA 35 AMG.
On the design front we can clearly make out a set of huge grilles up front along with slim, angular headlights and rather big wheels (and the big brakes hiding behind them). As you can see in the photos (check them out here) the doors also feature flush handles for better aerodynamics, a trend that’s seemingly taking over right now. Round the back, the four tailpipes are a dead giveaway that this car will have a lot going for it and we can’t wait to see it enter production, scheduled for July 2022. The M35i model will arrive somewhere in 2023.
