BMW reveals X1

BMW has revealed its first official pictures and released details of the X1 compact SUV, due to go on sale in the UK in October.

The X1 is a five-door, five-seater with a clear resemblance to the larger X3 and X5 SUVs. Both four-wheel-drive and rear-wheel-drive variants will be offered, badged xDrive and sDrive respectively.

No petrol models will be offered in the UK, but there will be a choice of three diesels.

• The entry-level sDrive18d (141bhp) does 124mph and 0-62mph in 9.6 seconds. It returns 54.3mpg and emits 136g/km of carbon dioxide.
• The four-wheel-drive xDrive18d does 121mph, 0-62mph in 10.1 seconds, 49.6mpg and 150g/km.
• Next up is the sDrive20d (175bhp), which is good for 127mph, 0-62mph in 8.1 seconds, 53.3mpg and 139g/km.
• The four-wheel-drive xDrive20d does 127mph, 0-62mph in 8.4 seconds, 48.7mpg and 153g/km.
• Top of the range is the twin-turbo xDrive23d (201bhp), capable of 127mph, 0-62mph in 7.3 seconds, 44.8mpg and 167g/km. This model comes with four-wheel-drive and a six-speed automatic gearbox as standard.

The engines all 2.0-litre - feature BMW's Efficient Dynamics fuel-saving technology, including stop-start and brake energy regeneration, and a gearchange indicator.

BMW X1: What do you get?
Stability, traction and cornering brake control are standard, along with side and curtain airbags, run-flat tyres, and daytime running lights; high-performance brakes, xenon and adaptive headlights, and high-beam assist are optional.

The X1 gets the latest version of the iDrive control system. BMW says the cabin 'three full-sized seats at the rear'. The rear seat backrest can be tilted, and folded in a 40/20/20 split; there's a 420-litre boot and up to 1350 litres of luggage capacity with the rear seats folded.

The X1 will come to the UK in SE specification only, at least at first, with options including a Design pack (oyster-coloured leather, wood trim and anthracite headlining), sat-nav, stereo upgrades and a panoramic glass roof.

UK sales of most versions start in October, with the sDrive18d and xDrive18d following in December. Pricing is from 22,660 (sDrive18d SE); four-wheel-drive models start from 23,940 (xDrive18d SE) and the top-end xDrive23d SE is 29,055.